Chevrolet Optra Magnum [2007-2012] User Reviews

It has been 3months since i own my magnum it has been a wonderful experience to drive ..Smooth accelaration and never lacks of power ..though powerful yet can handle at eace in city roads of chennai ...and gives a milage of 14KMPL..space is too good rear confort is excellent conbined with silky smooth suspensions ..engine is noicy but inside the car is silent ...with 4 disc and backed with ABS dont you worry of stopping yours but then be careful none from behind bumps you ....Excellent boot space too to laod your baggages on a long vacation ..

Now it is great on looks from the front ..rear could hsve been better shaped ..Head Lamps will require uplift it not quite bright on highways ...dont you worry on a cost of rs 1200 you can fit in 100/90 W halogens ..

Acceralaration is smooth but it little tough to change gears ...gear shift is little hard ..A/c needs to be little powerful it does not chill the entire space ...for music lovers the indeck Alpine is not enough to give you that extra punch ...should have been better ...

Well rest the dash is superb interiors feels posh ..seats are awesome ..what more ..

Great car ..at an excellent price ..a true indian asking

Exterior Good looks.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Everything so beautifull except center console and music system.(Installed Pioneer AVH-P4490BT ,Blaupunkt Velocity series VC 662 component speakers on 4 doors, JBL 4 channel amp 750 watts(powering my 4 speakers) , Blaupunkt velocity monoblock 2 Channel amplifier with bass control 400 watts (powering my Pioneer 12" Subwoofer). Installed reverse sensors and good quality reverse camera connected with my pioneer LCD. Made it a complete car.)

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Performance:This is the part why I chose optra..it can rule the road. My car is baught on April 2012. I've driven 6000 kms now. I've installed enginecal tuning box which is custom tuned for my own driving purpose.  Very happy. Gear box is really smooth. A 2 litre Engine can produce maximum 150 to 170 bhp at this torque(talking about same segment cars ) Where cruz has 150. This is because of chevrolet engine built quality..if u try the same BHP on same engine made by Indian cars the engine will blow off..because the built quality is so inferior. And the optra has proved on its engine life also. Nothing to worry. There was a romour that this model(Optra Magnum) may be stopped when they slashed down the price in between. But still , I opted for it.I just enquired about the availability of spareparts if the model is stopped and i was informed , even if a model is stopped,the parts will still be available for another 10 years. So I could not compromise on this lovely machine. I'm addicted now. Thanks to chevrolet. I had an opel astra 1.7 turbo..very robust car. I can very well say you GM cars will not ditch you on safety. Its very safe comfortable and confident cars if u know to drive. So guys if you plan to buy one you dont have to try comparing..as there is none in the segment if u can compromise a little on mileage for the performance.

Ride Quality & Handling Great ride quality. I can say that the ABS really does its job very well unlike some other cars. I have never had skidding experience even though im a fast driver. I have touched 180 km/hr. it accelerates very well.

Final Words The car is amazing and confident to drive around. Real passionate drivers can surely go for it. This car is a victim of poor marketing from chevrolet. Only those who knows it will go 4 it now.  A real beast.

Areas of improvement Had some minor issues with the after sales service.. They should improve quality and dedication. Breaking could be improved & make it smooth like Laura.  Need traction control on lt variant & Provide an LCD music system with bluetooth on Lt variant, reverse sensors,provide a good horn,good head lamp bulbs.

I bought the car this diwali and believe me it made my diwali brighter.The car has rich interiors and plastic quality is great.The interiors are equivalent to or better than much expensive cars.On the performance front the car would give most of the cars a tough competition. 

 I also happened to go for a 1000km trip and was thouroughly impressed with the performance. I could not speed as I had not got used to the car and did not want to stress a new engine. However even at 2400 rpm the car would cruise effortlessly at 110-120 kmph. The handling was good and overall I felt very confident about its safety. The car returned an average of 16 kmpl. Not much to complain about the car except the missing USB port and remote on the music system.I strongly recommend that buyers going for Verna and Fiesta have a look before deciding.

This car is a power house, truly a wolf in sheep's clothing -- a cultured beast.

Exterior Eye catching ,Diamond colour is very attractive.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) It is spacios,Comfortabe,but feeling too much engine noise if you open window,No problem with ground clerance.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Performance is outstanding,I have done 5000kms on all types of roads and got 14 to 15.5 km/lt.Gearox is smooth.In city you need gearshifts according to speed.It doesent pull at low rpms.

Ride Quality & Handling Ride quality is superb.Handling is too smooth for such a big sedan.

Final Words I bought Optra magnum 2.0 LT on 10t h Dec 2010.after taking test drives of almost all cars bet range of 5laks to 12laks.Previosly I owned Alto for last 6 years. Optra magnum is the only car which is powerpacked with all(performance ,safety,space,handlingetc)luxury feachures without any comromise at only Rs.105000.Anyone who loves driving go for it.

Areas of improvement Light must be xenon as optra has top speed of near 200 kmph.

Exterior I bought the diamond white colour which every one envies,the lt model give a compete look of the car with crome door handel etc.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) The car is very spaceous and comfotable, the seats r very comfortable and r good for long drives for the entire family.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox The diesel engine produces 121ps @3000rpm is great as u dont have to rev ur engine to get the optimum power but the best part is the tourqe which is over 300nm n which helps the car overtake any car on the highway like a cake, well my car was still 7 day old and clocked 800km the car returned a fuel average of 17km/ltr which is quite resonable to me coz i have seen expensive cars do worse.

Ride Quality & Handling The ride is very refined becoz of the suspension and the tyre profile,the cabin is very silent engine noise or the viberation is not felt inside .handling of the car is not upto the mark, I find the steering a bit stiff after driving honda city,there is no driver information display on the car.

Final Words As my Optra Magnum came fully loaded i found the car the best value for money i could get in the indian market. the money which i paid extra over the Verna or linea I FEEL i made the right choice.

Areas of improvement The car needs some new looks thats it.

With fuel prices soaring and will continue to soar, diesel engines, in new avatars,will be a good option to look for. Initial expenditure (buying a diesel version) will soon fade off and what will remain & keep bothering you will be running cost. Primarily the fuel bills. The inconsistent fuel economy of petrol engines and compromised torque in the smaller engines (ala Fabia) will always let you down as an enthusiast.

This Magnum (the name suits its magnanimity) fits every bill. With GM doing immensely well to improve Customer Service, this car can give Skodas a run for their money. Skodas are undoubtedly well built & lasts really long. Who is really willing to own the same car for that long? For the same space & performance you pay nearly 75% more money and plus the high repair & maintenance bills.

I test rode almost all. Skoda laura, octavia, Civic, Corolla (now being replaced with altis), SX4. But the way the Magnum diesel performed at Low & high speeds was commendable. The decent interiors, functional dash, Climate control (which was missing earlier), leather seats etc. Hardly anything missing. I only wished they could alter the rear with resect to the frontal shape.

With 3 years or 45000km cash free ownership, this deal could well be the last thing that could really throw the competition out.

Though the chevy brand has just picked up, the snob-value isn't really there. It lacks that ooomph factor as in Skoda Laura and Honda Civic. But, with 11 lacs budget which brand/model really has it? However, 'Great Value for Money' & excellent quality. 

Exterior The design of the car is quite decent not as futuristic as honda's.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Pleasant interiors with nice wood finish and leather quality is also very good.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Just one word regarding performance "AWESOME". Sales person claimed, it will deliver 14 in the city and 17-18 on the highways. Switching gears is also very comfortable.

Ride Quality & Handling Handling the car is excellent.

Final Words Yesterday my friend and i gone to the KLN Motors in Ekkatutangal, Chennai. In display, they had LS variant, and we asked for a test drive. They said that, they will arrange it within 1 hour. So both of us gone to the hotel for having the lunch. Within 40 minutes the sales representative called me and said the car was ready. We rushed their within 25 minutes. The test drive car was a brand new car, just clocked 452 kms in odo, sparkling in the colour "sparkling diamond". After getting seated, he started to explain the difference between the LS and LT variant. Since my friend does not know the driving i was sitting on the driver seat. The cabin was so silent except the blower noise. The cabin gets cooled within minutes. Had a test drive for about 12-13 kms. The drive was awesome, its a sheer performance car, with excellent handling dynamics. The mp3 player also sounds good.

AT LAST I HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THE OPTRA MAGNUM.

Areas of improvement Blower noise should be reduced. To aggressively market this product, open new showrooms to improve the resale value.