Chevrolet Optra Wagon: Family values

Now that we’re being forced to come to terms with P50/liter gas (and who knows how much more it’ll be by year’s end), the car-buying market may well have to rethink its priorities. Gas-guzzling SUVs and large displacement sedans are rapidly becoming luxuries that only the wealthy (or those with nice fuel allowances) can afford, while diesel and thrifty gasoline drivetrains are coming to the fore.

Chevrolet, the bow-tie brand that’s seen a resurgence worldwide thanks to General Motor’s savvy incorporation of Japanese and Korean technologies, has an attractive family of motoring choices for the budget-conscious, beginning with the spunky Spark and ending with the capable Captiva SUV.

In between lies the Optra, one of the best value-for-money propositions in the compact market. What it lacks in newness against the all-new Toyota Altis and Mitsubishi Lancer, and in panache against the spacey Honda Civic and the raffish Mazda3, it makes up for at the bottom line. A 1.6-liter LS sedan with a stick shift is just P769k, while the top-of-the-line LS wagon with the automatic costs P869k. The next-cheapest option would be a Toyota Altis 1.6E which (just) barely sneaks under P800k.

In the LS wagon, you drive away with a 1.6-liter twincam engine, a 4-speed automatic, all-disc brakes with ABS, dual airbags, and all the usual accoutrements you’d expect in a modern compact car. Despite the platform’s age, the Optra still manages to look good with its clean-cut, but slightly edgy flanks, raffish 6-spoke alloy wheels, and fairly sleek profile (considering it’s a mommy-ish wagon we’re talking about). In silver it looks new if a bit company car-rish, while in black it’s actually quite fetching. Inside, the cabin is fairly roomy with a straightforward cockpit design, although the green instrumentation and plasticky switches are the worst giveaways of its age.

Okay, brag about this car you will likely not, but use it on a daily basis – including those long trips to Subic and such – and you’ll find that it grows on you. The Optra has always been one of the more comfortable cars in its class thanks to its softly-tuned suspension, and the tradition continues with the wagon. Vertical compliance, rebound, and compression are biased towards a creamy highway ride, giving one the illusion of being in a larger car. The downside is that the car dives and understeers resolutely any time you push it hard, but with today’s traffic conditions and crowded parking lots you’d never really care. Steering assist is also biased towards minimal effort and feel, although straight-line tracking is still pretty good; you can cruise at 140kph with just a light touch on the steering wheel.

The standard engine is a 1.6-liter DOHC 16-valve unit rated at 110HP (5,800 rpm) and 15 kg-m of torque (4,000 rpm). Funny how times quickly change. A few years ago we’d have been clamouring for the 1.8-liter available in the sedan (now discontinued) and maybe even a 2.0, but now that we’re becoming allergic to fuel costs, the 1.6 is actually a good spec once more. So long as you rarely travel with a full load, the 1.6 does an acceptable job of ferrying you from pillar to post.

There’s nothing sexy about the moaning engine note, and you’ll constantly wish for more torque every time somebody else passes you in a CRDi Captiva, but it does give you a minimum of 8.5 kpl in the city (at least in our experience), and it’s an engine size that now strikes the balance between frugality and decent poke. The gearing of the 4-speed automatic is biased towards highway speeds, and it shows at 120-140 kph, enabling the car to cruise at a fairly low 3,000rpm. The driving position is a no-fuss affair blessed with a thin A-pillar, a low cowl, and few blind spots.

Most other family car concerns are covered with the wagon too. Seating comfort is pretty good in front and back, there’s decent leg- and headroom, and the natural merits of the wagon configuration become evident anytime you need to schlep around stuff that you’d have problems fitting in a trunk (a retractable tonneau cover is standard). An added convenience for this iPod generation is an AUX jack right there on the stereo panel – something you can’t find up to now in other competitors.

Indeed, the Optra wagon makes for a decent compromise between SUV versatility and compact sedan efficiency. You lose the high seating position and ground clearance of your average SUV, a little extra space, and the option of all-wheel drive, but the Optra wagon proves you can stretch a lot of utility from a compact platform and save a bundle besides.