Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
Giving the boot the boot
|
Currently the largest hatchback in India, the SRV is a Chevrolet Optra without the dickey. Wheels checks out GM's latest offering
|
NO SPORTY SPICE The SRV might have the right kind of looks, but it lacks the one essence of a serious sports car - a peppy engine
If the Suzuki Swift can be the biggest small thing around today, GM India reckon they have something bigger for you - the SRV. Pulled out of the GMDAT's portfolio, like the Aveo and the Optra, GM hopes this ultra-large hatchback will put some new zip into the Chevy brand and entice sportily-inclined buyers into its fold.
Styling and exteriors
From any angle, the SRV comes across as a fresh design, but is really is a re-skinned Optra without a boot. The body lines are a lot less business-like than the crisply creased Optra, and the styling, executed by master-craftsman Giorgietto Guigiaro, definitely comes across as strikingly sporty, in an Alfa Romeo kind of way. The rear of the car is especially a visual delight with elongated, horizontal taillamps that wrap around the hatch and the fender. The nose is sporty enough, but lacks standout character - from front-on, the SRV could be mistaken for just about any other vehicle produced on this planet. Although the car comes mounted with smart alloys, wider rubber would have added to its sporty looks.
Interior appointment
Definitely securing our vote for the most handsome hatch in the market today, the interiors have a different story to tell. What is rather shocking is low-rent plastic for the dashboard. The Optra sedan is a delight in comparison. Another gripe is that active safety has been sacrificed in the name of cost - this `driver's car' gets no anti-lock brakes - not as an optional extra, even! Steering wheel adjustments are also non-existent. The only saving grace is a driver airbag.
A double-DIN Alpine player with a whole lot of complex control options, but good sound quality, allows you to play cassettes, compact discs and MP3s. Below the central console is a deep and useful cubbyhole, along with an elbow box and cup holders for knick knacks. Built on the same 2,600 mm wheelbase as the Optra, the SRV has plenty of space inside with massive interior width and ample legroom. The driver's seat is a good place to be, with decent lower back support and ample width. Rear seat passengers sit lower than in the Optra, due to the sloping roof at the rear, but the seat comfort is good due to the well contoured seats - that is, if you discount the excessive backward cant of the seatbacks that make passengers lean back more than is usual.
Engine and performance
Daewoo's 1.6-litre E-Tech II unit provides power to the front wheels. Rated at 101 bhp, this powerplant comes in a similar state of tune as the Aveo compact sedan. And this means that fuel flow is strictly controlled to keep the car's fuel efficiency up. The Aveo and the Optra's lack of performance is easily forgiven, given the higher power-to-weight and their focus as family sedans, but in the SRV, the lethargic motor is a letdown. A 0-100kph comes in a tardy 13.1 seconds and the much-vaunted VGIS (or variable geometry intake system) seems to be sadly set up to extract the maximum fuel economy possible from the engine - sadly, at the cost of outright performance and low-speed driveability.
Ride and handling
The SRV has a firm ride but soaks up the bumps well. Its all-independent suspension has an immense ability to level poor roads, especially at speed - we have no complaints in this department. However, the steering lacks the directness and accuracy expected, while the brakes work well but lock the wheels easily - ABS is sorely missed, especially on wet roads.
The SRV is undoubtedly a head turner. However, the driving experience isn't anything to write home about. The average engine, clunky gearbox and unresponsive steering don't make driving the car fun. Besides, tacky interiors and lack of options such as twin airbags and ABS don't work in its favour either.
With tonnes of interior space and a decent sized boot the car is just about perfect for ferrying your golf paraphernalia to the club. Service and spares won't burn a hole in your pocket and like the Optra, the SRV, priced at Rs 7.92 lakh, is pretty reliable.
Really, a good choice if you're not expecting pep, but want a big car without a boot.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
|
