[Poitive]

Originally Posted by Jakku

@ Poitive:- I had read in some threads here about someone changing the music system head unit of their Cruze with some "CASA" unit (sorry if I have mistaken the name) which is a Chineese make and completely integrated with the steering mounted controls and all MID settings. This even had a GPS receiver and a DVD player (compared with CD player of OE). I remember reading that these guys have a head unit compatible with most of the car models. I think this model have even bluetooth connectivity in it (not sure though). Do we have a similar option here in Optra as well? This having no such integration requirement, should be a straight forward job.

Would be surprised if the MID worked for the Optra, as I don't think it has one

All this may be a lot simpler in the Optra, as it seems to have a normal Double-DIN slot and should be able to take any standard Double-DIN unit (experts, please comment).

And mate, I would not suggest you put in some vague Chinese 'brand' ICE. It is unlikely that any such unit will give you good balanced sound. Clarion (which the Optra comes with) is meant to be a descent company to start with, though it's 'features' are limited to the Aux-in (besides the 6CD player in the LT).

Another suggestion - Please quote the person if you are addressing it to someone specific, as it sends them a PM thereby making it a lot more likely that they would not miss the post.

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Does Chevy still have the 3 year zero maintenance scheme? Did you opt for it if it did had?

3yrs/1,00,000 for Petrol
2yrs/50k for Diesels at about 27-28k extra. Normal service cost for this period is about 32k, if I remember correctly. If the cost goes over the stated normal service cost, one is supposed to be able to claim the extra money from Chevy (Chevrolet Promise). Of course, one would have to have all the documentation to prove one's case.

[CRtorquefan]

Congratulations alot bydesign for buying a New Speed-Torque monster.It looks pretty good in grey too. How much Fuel efficiency she's delivering now ?

Originally Posted by ByDesign

What are these paint-like strokes around the
sides?

This is just an Anti-rust compound coating done at its metal joint surfaces which are held together by welding. These are very much effective in preventing rust at that surfaces.

[ByDesign]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Congratulations on your new Chevy Optra.

Please do add some interior and engine bay pictures.

Happy Driving.

Thank you, and detailed pics have been added for your viewing pleasure and information!

Originally Posted by abhibh

Congrats man on owning the best cars under 10 Lac. Only if their A.S.S was good this car would be selling like hot cakes. Wait till you complete 5-7K km on this car. This thing has literally no turbo lag. My friends are always shocked to see reviews that there is a TURBO lag till 2k RPM. The car picks very well starting from 1200 RPM and becomes a beat right after 1800 RPM.

That is a bit scary that you're saying the A.S.S is scary. I'll have to find a place with a decent reputation in Delhi. The turbo lag is quite heavy in the lower rev ranges at the moment. In fact, the car doesn't seem to have that raw surge of acceleration that I see in my palio stile.

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

Congratulations ByDesign, nice color!

What did the on-price come to finally? Did you push the SA to get the discounts or was it already on offer?

I can't remember the final on road price exactly, but I think around 9.7L. We managed to push for a 30,000 cash discount on the price of the car, and took 12k worth of Vkool tints.

Originally Posted by MAS

Congrats on your new drive.

Excellent write-up and a frank comparison against the Fluidic Verna. The more I read about the Magnum, the more I'm liking the car.

Upgrade the headlights as IMHO, the Magnum's Headlights are absolutely inadequate, especially for highway driving at night.

Wish you many many miles of happy driving.

Thank you very much. I write these detailed reviews hoping to be informative to automotive enthusiasts and potential buyers who want a real review without hype! Haven't noticed any deficiency with the headlights yet.

Originally Posted by Poitive

Congrats mate! Good choice, I'd say. Nice writeup, especially the "The Drive" part

If you have driven the Old Magnum (read pre BS IV), would be good if you wrote a brief writeup comparing that to the new (post BS IV) one - Here or at the Choosing a Diesel Sedan thread where you discussed the selection before ( http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedans...-upto-12l.html )

Thanks mate.

And ahh, I nearly forgot - Did you check on the power and torque stats? There was talk about them changing from 120bph to 125 bhp (albeit at a higher 3800 RPM) and from 314NM to 305 (now at a lower 2000 RMP) after the BS IV changes. I think the manual still shows the 120/314 figures. You may want to check with the company with your VIN/Chassis no. on this (doubt the dealer would really know).

Thank you! And no, I haven't driven the older version of the Optra I'm afraid. Sorry about that. I don't know about the power and torque stats. I'll have to take some time out to follow up on that query of yours. Will keep the thread updated.

Originally Posted by Jakku

Congratulations for your new buy. Did you find the leather quality of the new Optras lagging behind the previous versions (pre-BS IV versions)? This was one of the other point (apart from power/ torque) which was changed as mentioned by some of our fellow T-BHPians.

Hmm...again, I haven't experienced the old optra except from the outside. Leather quality on this one is really plush. Thanks for reading and posting!

Originally Posted by thenomad

Congratulations on your new car and wishing you a lot of miles. It's indeed a car that checks all the boxes on this side of 10 lakhs.



The engine is indeed a 2.0L engine but they are different. The Captiva and Cruze come with the VCDI engine from VM Motori and the Optra comes with a TCDI engine.

Thanks and thanks again for that information. I was misinformed by the dealership then, when they said it was the same engine.

Originally Posted by C300

Congratulations on your new car. Optra looks great in that colour. IMO Optra is a true VFM and offers best bang for your buck. I agree that the dash and stereo look a bit cheap but the overall package is great.
What was your final OTR price? Awaiting more snaps from your pro DSLR.

Final came to around 9.7. The DSLR belongs to my sister, who's a photographer. I'll find time to get it and take some snaps. It'll have to wait till next weekend though. Office all through!

Originally Posted by ghodlur

@Bydesign,

Congratulations on the buy. You do have a scorcher on hand. Chevy never loked so delicious, thanks for the pics. Great writeup, you have detailed in almost everything, nothing I say is left. What was the OTR cost and what discounts did you get. The alloy too looks yummy.

Nuclear reactor under the hood, I liked it. How's the seat quality. Man I am getiing envious. Wish you happy mile cruching and drive safely.

Does Chevy still have the 3 year zero maintenance scheme? Did you opt for it if it did had?

Wonderful compliments, thank you! Seat quality is wonderful. It really is very comfy cosy. Please read below for my drive today in heavy rain.
Yes, they have the 0 maintenance scheme, but we didn't take any add-on packages. We just have the standard warranty.

Originally Posted by CRtorquefan

Congratulations alot bydesign for buying a New Speed-Torque monster.It looks pretty good in grey too. How much Fuel efficiency she's delivering now ?

This is just an Anti-rust compound coating done at its metal joint surfaces which are held together by welding. These are very much effective in preventing rust at that surfaces.

Thank you! I haven't done any FE calculations just yet. And thanks for clearing that doubt I had about the streaks under the bonnet!

***UPDATE***

Heavy rain drive - Drove through the city today, mostly on the nice open ring road bypass and CP area in Delhi. It was pouring pretty heavily all through. Here's some quick notes on what I went through.

1. The windshield anti-fogger button didn't really do much. I appreciate the whole single button provision, instead of manually shifting air flow to the dash, managing temp. etc. But here, it just seemed to make it even more foggy, and the wiper just kept wiping away the fog from the outside with every stroke. Maybe I'm doing something wrong here?
2. Seat position is absolutely wonderful for me. I'm much more laid back in this car, unlike my palio stile where I have a slightly more erect, aggressive position. In the Optra, I'm quite leaned back, one hand on the arm rest, wonderful.
3. Rear de-fogger works well to keep rear visibilty clear during rain.
4. Intermittent wiper speed controls are helpful during drizzle.
5. Auto climate control set to 24 Degrees inside. Heaven. Usually, I freeze when the car doesn't have a decent temp. control.
6. Felt completely in control for the whole drive. Heavy rain too!

Thanks guys.

[Jakku]

Originally Posted by ByDesign

1. The windshield anti-fogger button didn't really do much. I appreciate the whole single button provision, instead of manually shifting air flow to the dash, managing temp. etc. But here, it just seemed to make it even more foggy, and the wiper just kept wiping away the fog from the outside with every stroke. Maybe I'm doing something wrong here?
2. Seat position is absolutely wonderful for me. I'm much more laid back in this car, unlike my palio stile where I have a slightly more erect, aggressive position. In the Optra, I'm quite leaned back, one hand on the arm rest, wonderful.
3. Rear de-fogger works well to keep rear visibilty clear during rain.
4. Intermittent wiper speed controls are helpful during drizzle.
5. Auto climate control set to 24 Degrees inside. Heaven. Usually, I freeze when the car doesn't have a decent temp. control.
6. Felt completely in control for the whole drive. Heavy rain too!

Thanks guys.

Thanks for this post, this is really inspiring for the prospective buyers like me. I think Team-BHPians are doing more advt. for this beast more than GM does !!!.

On the fogging front. Don't you have a selector switch to direct the airflow to the windshield or were you relying on the ACC to do the work?

[Poitive]

Originally Posted by ByDesign

Getting back to the story, the only other diesel sedan they had was the long elegant optra magnum. They didn't have a car in the showroom, but the showroom owner had one, and that was parked outside. The car looks splendid from the outside, like a torpedo. Very elegant body line, and the rear lights are really chiseled and sporty looking. For some reason the word Pininfarina popped up in my head. Maybe somewhere I'd heard that the Optra was his design? Someone enlighten me on this please.

Wikipedia page on Daewoo Lancetti, which really what the Optra Magnum was derived from. - Daewoo Lacetti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You also see it the following link under 2002-
Pininfarina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally Posted by Poitive

Congrats mate! Good choice, I'd say. Nice writeup, especially the "The Drive" part

If you have driven the Old Magnum (read pre BS IV), would be good if you wrote a brief writeup comparing that to the new (post BS IV) one - Here or at the Choosing a Diesel Sedan thread where you discussed the selection before ( http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedans...-upto-12l.html )

Thanks mate.

And ahh, I nearly forgot - Did you check on the power and torque stats? There was talk about them changing from 120bph to 125 bhp (albeit at a higher 3800 RPM) and from 314NM to 305 (now at a lower 2000 RMP) after the BS IV changes. I think the manual still shows the 120/314 figures. You may want to check with the company with your VIN/Chassis no. on this (doubt the dealer would really know).

Originally Posted by ByDesign

Thank you! And no, I haven't driven the older version of the Optra I'm afraid. Sorry about that. I don't know about the power and torque stats. I'll have to take some time out to follow up on that query of yours. Will keep the thread updated.

(assumption: all TD Optras in Delhi are pre-BS4)
So you DID buy it without a TD! It takes most people a TD to even consider this beast seriously enough.

Would look forward to your the power and torque figures. Guess you'd need to write to GM ( gmi.cac@gm.com )

[Torquedo]

Many a Congratulations ByDesign on a fantastic buy and at mouth watering Price !!.

Wishing you many a happy miles with her.

A couple of questions though -

1) How long do you intend to keep her in the running in period?
2) Did you confirm on the month of manufacture from the VIN?

Enjoy the Beast Mate !!

[bansal98]

Originally Posted by Poitive

Wikipedia page on Daewoo Lancetti, which really what the Optra Magnum was derived from. - Daewoo Lacetti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You also see it the following link under 2002-
Pininfarina - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As per this Wikipedia article, Optra Magnum diesel was launched in 2007 in India. That doesn't make the car old enough to talk about its replacement, at least not the way these rumors have been going around since 2009 itself.

[NoRules]

Many congrats, By Design. You have a beast on your hands. Handle her safely.

I agree with you that the HU is hideous looking. If and when I buy this car I will most certainly replace the ICE immediately.

Can you please give a break up of the prices?

[WhiteKnight]

Congrats on the purchase. That is one car I almost bought, but didn't have the guts to put so much money.

One quick question. How do you find the rear seat height. I find then a shade too low for comfort. Then it is a wrong question to ask a Accent owner

Originally Posted by ByDesign

1. The windshield anti-fogger button didn't really do much. I appreciate the whole single button provision, instead of manually shifting air flow to the dash, managing temp. etc. But here, it just seemed to make it even more foggy, and the wiper just kept wiping away the fog from the outside with every stroke. Maybe I'm doing something wrong here?

If the fog is outside, it means the interior is cooler. No point in directing the airflow then. Just use the wiper instead

[Jakku]

Originally Posted by Poitive

Would be surprised if the MID worked for the Optra, as I don't think it has one

All this may be a lot simpler in the Optra, as it seems to have a normal Double-DIN slot and should be able to take any standard Double-DIN unit (experts, please comment).

And mate, I would not suggest you put in some vague Chinese 'brand' ICE. It is unlikely that any such unit will give you good balanced sound. Clarion (which the Optra comes with) is meant to be a descent company to start with, though it's 'features' are limited to the Aux-in (besides the 6CD player in the LT).

Hey Poitive. I looked into that unit on web, it is known as CASKA - here is the link for the their website. One of our fellow T-BHPian have mentioned this integrates very well into the existing system of Cruze and he have installed it in his car. I browsed through the site, but they do not have a product that gets "integrated" with Optra (probably there is nothing to integrate other than CD Changer !!!). From the site, it does'nt seem to be a Chineese product, but has real quality.

[charthom]

ByDesign,

Excellent review of a fantastic car.

I had a tinge of regret for not having test driven the Cruze,during my recent car hunt- my reason was dark interiors.Now I am feeling relieved.The rear seat comfort was my no.1 priority.

I had considered Optra magnum-but had the impression that the engine is a bit outdated.Also I had read that the gears are a bit vague.But from your post it appears that the engine is very good and the gear shift is a joy!!

Your experiences at Hyundai and Toyota made very amused reading.During the pursuit of my ideal car,my experience was ditto.Even I had almost wed the ANHV as my next.The rear seat really needs re-designing.

Waiting for your promised treat of HD photos.

Cheers,charthom.

[Poitive]

Originally Posted by bansal98

As per this Wikipedia article, Optra Magnum diesel was launched in 2007 in India. That doesn't make the car old enough to talk about its replacement, at least not the way these rumors have been going around since 2009 itself.

Mate, the Optra was introduced sometime in the early 2000's in India, from what I remember. It was later updated with the front being changed (similar to SRV), the interiors being modified and with the option of this 2.0 litre diesel engine. The petrol version had some ECU changes to make it more fuel efficient probably around this time. This new avatar was called the Optra Magnum. So in a sense, it is not old. In a sense it is.

Originally Posted by Jakku

Hey Poitive. I looked into that unit on web, it is known as CASKA - here is the link for the their website. One of our fellow T-BHPian have mentioned this integrates very well into the existing system of Cruze and he have installed it in his car. I browsed through the site, but they do not have a product that gets "integrated" with Optra (probably there is nothing to integrate other than CD Changer !!!). From the site, it does'nt seem to be a Chineese product, but has real quality.

@Jakku, Thanks for the link. As this is OT here, we should probably be discussing this in the ICE section of the forum or atleast in the Spacious Diesel Sedan thread. Briefly- what is good about the Optra is the 'Standard Double-DIN' (that is how it looked- pls confirm before you invest) and you can buy any standard Double-DIN ICE to use with it. Less hassle. Better price. More variety. For me the sound quality is paramount in ICE selection. I love your enthusiasm mate

[ashish22]

Congrats ByDesign, hope the beast serves you well!

As far as the horrendous looking OEM music system is concerned you can always replace it with a 2-DIN music player or a touchscreen player. Somehow the leather in your pics seems to be of a better quality then what i have in my cruze.

Always have liked the plush feel of the optra!

[ByDesign]

Originally Posted by Jakku

Thanks for this post, this is really inspiring for the prospective buyers like me. I think Team-BHPians are doing more advt. for this beast more than GM does !!!.

On the fogging front. Don't you have a selector switch to direct the airflow to the windshield or were you relying on the ACC to do the work?

You're welcome. And with regard to your other query, I've seen the same front defogger option on the Civic too. Simple push of a button, fog in the front vanishes. I'm not sure if the ACC is capable of varying the temperature depending on whether the fog is inside or out.

Originally Posted by Poitive

(assumption: all TD Optras in Delhi are pre-BS4)
So you DID buy it without a TD! It takes most people a TD to even consider this beast seriously enough.

Would look forward to your the power and torque figures. Guess you'd need to write to GM ( gmi.cac@gm.com )

Hmm, I did TD the Optra, I think I mentioned it in the main review. It wasn't the magnum though, so you're right there! Will see what the engine spec figures are in due time.

Originally Posted by Torquedo

Many a Congratulations ByDesign on a fantastic buy and at mouth watering Price !!.

Wishing you many a happy miles with her.

A couple of questions though -

1) How long do you intend to keep her in the running in period?
2) Did you confirm on the month of manufacture from the VIN?

Enjoy the Beast Mate !!

Thanks Torq! What's running in period? You mean below 60? If yes, then probably till the first service. Let's say approximately a thousand kilos. I didn't confirm the month of manufacture either. And here I was thinking I did a thorough PDI.

Originally Posted by NoRules

Many congrats, By Design. You have a beast on your hands. Handle her safely.

I agree with you that the HU is hideous looking. If and when I buy this car I will most certainly replace the ICE immediately.

Can you please give a break up of the prices?

Nothing much to break up here. 10 point something OTR according to dealer, minus 30k cash discount, comes to 9.7 something, then add 12k for the Vkool tints, thats about it.

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

Congrats on the purchase. That is one car I almost bought, but didn't have the guts to put so much money.

One quick question. How do you find the rear seat height. I find then a shade too low for comfort. Then it is a wrong question to ask a Accent owner

If the fog is outside, it means the interior is cooler. No point in directing the airflow then. Just use the wiper instead

See, sometimes the fog is inside, and then the defogger function works best. And I find the seat height higher than the Accent. So yes, wrong person to ask here!

Originally Posted by charthom

ByDesign,

Excellent review of a fantastic car.

I had a tinge of regret for not having test driven the Cruze,during my recent car hunt- my reason was dark interiors.Now I am feeling relieved.The rear seat comfort was my no.1 priority.

I had considered Optra magnum-but had the impression that the engine is a bit outdated.Also I had read that the gears are a bit vague.But from your post it appears that the engine is very good and the gear shift is a joy!!

Your experiences at Hyundai and Toyota made very amused reading.During the pursuit of my ideal car,my experience was ditto.Even I had almost wed the ANHV as my next.The rear seat really needs re-designing.

Waiting for your promised treat of HD photos.

Cheers,charthom.

Thank you! And well, they do call me the comedian.

Originally Posted by ashish22

Congrats ByDesign, hope the beast serves you well!

As far as the horrendous looking OEM music system is concerned you can always replace it with a 2-DIN music player or a touchscreen player. Somehow the leather in your pics seems to be of a better quality then what i have in my cruze.

Always have liked the plush feel of the optra!

Replacing stock parts is off the charts for now. Will see how that goes after she's clocked a good few.

Thanks folks!

[Torquedo]

Originally Posted by ByDesign

Thanks Torq! What's running in period? You mean below 60? If yes, then probably till the first service. Let's say approximately a thousand kilos. I didn't confirm the month of manufacture either. And here I was thinking I did a thorough PDI.

Running In period has different definitions for different people.

You are right in your own sense when you say below the 60 KMPH mark.

I am no guru here and looking at your ownerships in the past, you pretty much are aware of how to maintain diesels, my 2 cents though.

1) On a cold start, idle the engine for a minute or two and let the engine settle down, this would help oil the turbocharger as well.

2) I would be suggestive of doing what is mentioned above while shutting down the car as well.

3) Stick to the 5K maintenance schedule.

4) Do not exceed 2.5K or better 2K RPM mark for the 1st 2~3K odd kms. I know this will be really really hard. My definition of the running in period.

5) Go for premium Diesel as suggested on the sticker towards the right of the steering wheel.

6) My personal suggestion, do not let the fuel levels at any point in time drop below the minimum 5-7 lt mark.

These are the things off the top off my head at this point in time, shall keep you posted as they flow.

If you are not apprehensive about sharing your VIN (17 digit code, it can be found when you lift the bonnet of your car, it'll be engraved on the white paint that you'll have beneath the wipers (under the hood though))via the PM, I shall let you know the month of manufacture.

Cheers Mate.