Chevy Optra at the Tokyo Motor Show

At the 37th Tokyo Motor Show, mixing it up in a crowd of gee-whiz vehicles was one car that’s increasingly getting popular locally. Chevrolet’s passenger car bet in the local market, the Optra, was displayed at a prominent spot in the General Motors booth, where it stood alongside GM products like the Cadillac XLR luxury roadster, a screaming yellow Hummer H2 that’s perched above people’s heads, a baaaad Corvette and a Saab 9-3 Cabriolet Aero.

Penned by world-renowned Italian design house Pininfarina — who as most everybody knows is responsible for those seductive Ferraris through the years — the Optra offers a spacious interior, competitive features and efficient performance wrapped inside a stylish package that smacks of European flair.

The Optra is powered by a 1.6-liter, DOHC 16-valve engine that makes a respectable 110 horsepower at 5800 rpm. Buyers can opt for either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic transmission to go with it. Whichever the choice, the car rolls on large 16-inch wheels shod with fairly aggressive rubbers; 195/55 R16 to be exact.

Inside, the Optra boasts of all the power equipment like door locks, mirrors, windows and trunk opener, and its side mirrors are power-folding too. The seats look plush and comfortable finished in elegantly restrained tones. What is not subtle, though, is the five-disc CD player whose six-speaker system begs to be cranked hard.

Best thing about the whole Optra deal, too, is for all the goodies it has, the car is priced at only P635,000 for the manual and P675,000 for the automatic. With a three-year warranty to boot. Ain’t bad at all.

Which, judging from the audience, many at the Tokyo Show thought so too. — Brian Afuang