The Hindu Business Line : Will it be a Magnum opus for GM?

With more than enough peak power available at low rpm and loads of torque too, the new Optra Magnum diesel is fun to drive. GM seems to have got the three Ps — performance, price and positioning — bang-on with
this sedan.

— S. Muralidhar

Optra Magnum diesel: Major changes outside and inside.

There is a new acronym in Motown and it reads as TCDi. After CDI, CRDi, Dicor, TDCi and DDiS, comes the new TCDi from General Motors. The engine that wears the new acronym is a first for GM in India, just like the technology itself. It is the first diesel saloon from GM India and this could well be a new benchmark for the segment.

General Motors’ new Chevrolet Optra Magnum diesel joins the Spark and the Aveo U-VA to form a new trio of vehicles that could spell success for the company. And like the Spark and the Aveo U-VA, the Optra Magnum diesel also sports the identical, internationally the latest, current generation looks of the model.

The new Optra Magnum diesel joins GM India’s fleet just when the company’s existing sedans have started to seem a bit fatigued or familiar in the minds of the buyers. With the lure of diesel still being a big draw amongst customers in the premium sedan segment, the Optra Magnum should find that its target customers could be sizeable.

Familiar, but new looks

— S. Muralidhar

Optra Magnum diesel: Major changes outside and inside.

GM has given the Optra Magnum a very noticeable makeover at the front, while the rear pretty much continues to be the same, a carry forward from the original Chevy Optra. At the front, the original’s round-edged rectangular headlamps are gone and in place are sleeker, almond-shaped headlamps first featured in the Chevy SRV.

The latest Optra also gets a new, more aggressive bonnet grille which, together with the new headlamps, manages to completely alter the front view of this sedan. The beige Chevy bow tie now sits in between two bold, chrome-edged slats that form the bonnet grille.

A large air dam and round fog lamps integrated into the front bumper complete the changes to the front. Considerable changes have also been made to the sides of the new Optra Magnum, with much of it being to the body panels. The flared wheel arches remain, but the outside rear-view mirrors now sport integrated LED turn indicators and the door handles are now grip type with chrome finish.

— S. Muralidhar

Optra Magnum diesel: Major changes outside and inside.

Body side moulding now comes with chrome inserts and the 15-inch alloy wheels also sport a new style. The rear of the new Optra retains all of the original’s features and design lines. The only additions are the Magnum and TDCi badges. Bumpers, both at the front and rear, are impact resistant up to a speed of about 12 kmph.

Interiors and safety

For the interiors, GM has again decided to retain the same basic design theme of the original Optra. The dual tone beige and camel colour theme has also been carried forward which, together with the large glass area, gives the new Magnum’s interiors an airy, well-lit feel. The changes in the interiors include leather seats, the leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob and the all-new 2-DIN CD, MP3 music player.

Another change is the new, circular air-conditioner vents with matt-silver finish. However, some of the features that have been carried forward include the turn indicator stalks located to the left of the steering wheel and the horn buttons on two of the steering wheels spokes, both of which will take a bit of getting used to while driving the car.

The other features are the fake wood inserts on the dashboard centre console, circular air-conditioner control knobs, rear seat armrest with cup holders, under-seat storage tray at the front, tilt steering, cooled glove box and added lumbar support for the two bucket seats in the front. A prominent instrument cluster with three circular dials display the speedometer, rpm-meter and the fuel and engine temperature gauges.

Safety features in the car’s top-end variants include dual airbags, anti-lock brakes and remote keyless entry with burglar alarm. The Magnum diesel comes in three trim variants — Max, LS and LT.

Engine and transmission

But the heart of the matter in the Magnum diesel is the new two-litre TCDi engine. Packed neatly into the bonnet, the engine features a second-generation Bosch common rail direct injection technology. The four cylinder, 16-valve, SOHC, 1,991cc turbocharged diesel engine generates a peak power of 120.5 PS at 3,000 rpm and sumptuous peak torque of 314 Nm starting from an engine rpm-level of 2,125. The Magnum’s turbocharged common-rail direct injected (TCDi) diesel’s performance receives a boost from the fixed geometry turbocharger that has been teamed with it. The turbocharger is an electric vacuum-controlled unit that has also been clubbed with an intercooler for improved performance. While the turbocharger boosts power and reduces fuel consumption and emissions, another technology feature that works to lower the car’s emissions is the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) cooler, which enables quick warm-up and improved combustion, thereby helping in lowering un-burnt fuel.

The bottom-line is that the new diesel is fun to drive. With more than enough peak power available at as low as 3,000 rpm and loads of torque also from about 1,800 to 2,000 rpm, the engine can be very engaging to the most demanding of drivers. Except for a split second of delay when the turbocharger loops up and the engine seems to experience a bit of a lull, there is not much of an interference due to turbo-lag.

But with nearly 121 PS on tap, the Optra Magnum diesel gave us an adrenalin-rush every time we floored the throttle. On the outside the TCDi engine’s characteristic diesel rat-a-tat is very evident during idling. But at high revs, the rattle turns into a deep-throated growl.

With effective insulation and NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) packaging, the passenger cabin is relatively quite. Again, except for the idling cycle, the noise of the engine is barely higher than a similar-sized petrol mill. To aid in reducing the vibrations transfer from the engine, a dual mass flywheel in the TCDi engine comes with a counter balancer. With a second stage arc spring, this feature manages to keep vibrations low at the crankshaft and the engine.

The Magnum diesel comes with a five-speed manual transmission. The gearbox is easy to use and features a short shift-stick. Shift feel is good with the slotting being just a touch evident.

The Optra Magnum diesel should be a good option for buyers looking for a performance sedan in the Rs 9-lakh category. The fact that it is a diesel is beside the point and only makes it that much more attractive. GM has the three Ps, performance-price-positioning, bang-on with this one.

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