(From top) The SRV’s lines are rounded and its almond-shaped headlights only enhance the overall soft look; the SRV sports a bustleback , which is essentially a hatch designed along the lines of a saloon

The revolution according to General Motors is truly underway in India. Earlier this year, the American car giant marked its shift away from the overpriced Opel marque by announcing the beginning of a revolution with three new cars ? the Aveo U-VA hatchback, (pronounced Yuva, as in youth), the Optra SRV and the Aveo saloon under the Chevrolet umbrella. And all these are cars for the common man.

The first on the road was the Aveo saloon. Now, the company has launched the second car ? the SRV. The Optra name has been dropped as GM obviously feels that just SRV is good enough for this bustleback (ie a hatchback that looks like a saloon). Other bustlebacks include the Skoda Octavia and the Hyundai Accent Viva. The SRV sells as the Chevrolet and Daewoo Lacetti in other parts of the world. General Motors insists that it’s India’s first premium sportsback (a bustleback with sporty lines). Apparently, the market is now ripe for such cars.

The SRV has been styled in Turin, Italy by Ital Design, which is the name of Giorgetto Giugiaro’s studio. The SRV’s lines are rounded and consequently the overall look is quite soft. The softness is also due to, according to GM, the “almond shaped headlights”, which feature clear glass lenses with black tinting around the edge, a bit like the Cedia Sport. The car sits low and that accentuates the sense of purpose ? all out sporty.

In fact, the car’s overall height is just 1455mm, while the length is 4295mm and the width is 1725mm. The wheelbase is interesting because at 2600mm, it is the equivalent of cars like bigger brother Optra as well as the Hyundai Elantra, the Mitsubishi Lancer Cedia and the Toyota Corolla. That translates to a lot of cabin space and GM proudly states that there’s 932mm of leg space at the rear of the car.

What are the standard features in the SRV? Consider power windows, central locking, a height-adjustable driver’s seat as well as a centre armrest that includes a utility box. The door mirrors are electrically adjustable, the glove box is cooled, so you can keep your Cadburys in there for longer than normal, and a radio cum MP3 audio system along with six speakers can be fitted at the dealer’s on request.

But then again, all that is par for the course for most cars near the Rs 7 lakh mark. What’s different about the SRV is that for those inclined, there is an option pack available. This includes a four-spoke leather wrapped steering wheel and matching leather-wrapped gear knob, an Alpine 2DIN radio cassette cum MP3 player with remote control, and 15-inch alloy wheels with 195/60 R15 tyres ? standard issue on the SRV being 185/65 R14 tyres on steel wheels.

On the safety side, the driver gets an airbag (the poor passenger be damned?) and 8kph bumper in front. Sounds exciting until one looks at what comes as accessories for the Lacetti in Germany ? at least three different styles in alloys, a 10-CD changer and eight different options in upholstery. Having said that, the SRV’s cabin interior comes in a spiffy black and grey look.

All this talk of the car’s exterior may be very well, but what really matters is beneath the bonnet and it this that makes the SRV a sizzling hot buy. A 1598cc DOHC unit, it develops 100bhp of power and 140Nm of torque. This is a E-Tec II unit, which is said to be a completely revised and revamped derivation of the D-Tec unit that featured in the Daewoo Nexia.

The engine features a variable geometry intake system (VGIS), which basically uses the principles of physics to ensure the engine breathes properly at all revs and gets enough oxygen to burn the fuel as efficiently as possible. That’s mostly about going forward but when it comes to stopping power, the SRV relies on the good old disc/drum combination at the front and rear.

For ride and handling, the SRV has MacPherson strut suspension at both front and rear with the rears aided by a dual link. Damping comes from twin tube gas-charged units at both front and rear

So what is the SRV up against? Well, if one looks at other 1.6-litre contenders, there is the Hyundai Accent Viva at Rs 6.87 lakh that develops 103bhp and 141Nm of power and torque respectively. Then there’s the Fiat Palio 1.6 Sport (Rs 5 lakh) offering a 100bhp, 137NM engine in what is India’s first hot hatch (Sorry GM, but the Italians beat you to it). There’s also, in the near future, the Swift with the 1.6-litre Baleno engine. In the Baleno it develops 94bhp and 131Nm. In the Swift, it should make for quite a favourable power- to-weight ratio.

Suddenly, the 1.6-litre segment has become worth talking about again. The question remains, why, if this is a hot hatch, did GM not use the 1.8-litre Holden engine? One suspects it was a matter of keeping costs down.

Photographs by the author

My dream car

Ramesh Javvaji,
Executive chef, ITC Sonar Bangla

I’m the type of person who believes in quality of the highest order, and when it comes to cars, you can’t really top the Mercedes. More specifically, my dream car would be the 12-cylinder Mercedes Convertible. The reason: it represents a flawless blend of man and machine. Even though it’s one mean machine, the Mercedes Convertible also manages to aesthetically merge with the environment and the human element. No wonder it’s a car synonymous with excellence. If I were to buy one, I’d love to have a flashy red model.

According to me, the runner-up for the dream car trophy would be the BMW. German auto engineering is known to be superior and so naturally, the BMW is an extremely powerful car. Yet what I love about it is that it’s a subtle power.