The Chevrolet Lumina gets a makeover for 2007 and is eager to burn rubber
By Tushal Bhadang
Rear-wheel-drive sedans have a different feel to them. They’re ready to swing their rears out even at the slightest tap of your right foot. They’re merciless. We received the latest Chevy Lumina LTZ trim for a test and she looked dazzling in white. Her low roofline and creased bonnet lines, side profile…oh so delicious. It’s a big change from the curvaceous last gen model. The wheels are placed far and wide, it rides low and makes its presence felt (we got quite a number of looks). The long wheelbase (2916 mm) benefits it immensely, creating a roomy interior and equally deep boot space. This design form also lends it stability on high speeds. The pronounced flared wheel arches ooze aggression and authority. Meaty 225/55R17 Yokohama high performance tyres mounted on 17” buffed aluminium alloy rims add sparkle to the ride.
At the heart of all the horsepower is a 3.6 litre V6 powerplant churning out a healthy 240hp @ 6000 RPM. Torque starts at an exciting 2600 RPM with a 335 Nm output which will leave a trail of black strips across the white line. Mated to an all-new 4-speed auto box with enhanced gear ratios and a new input speed sensor that matches the engine revs to the gear changes. She is ready to pounce with the slightest tap, in a way the power rushes through very suddenly and before you know it, it’s doing over 100 kph, which comes up in under 7.8 seconds! Handling is precise and the turn-ins are sharp but oversteer is positive, traction control struggling hard to keep it in a straight line. The car is a joy to throw around corners and feedback from the steering is positive. Actually, this car is so crazy, it’s a silent mile-muncher on the highways and city streets, but at the same time, a little prodding and it will rival an equally powerful sports coupe with a sensational exhaust note that starts from as low as 3000 RPM. A multi-link rear suspension system allows for outstanding handling without sacrificing ride comfort for occupants. A “Sport Shift” button does extremely well in revving the engine to the red line through shifts for maximum performance.
The 2007 model range has been designed and created at GM Holden's US$4.5 million state-of-the-art design studio in Port Melbourne, Australia. The facility is part of a GM global centre for rear wheel drive vehicle excellence and has earned its reputation and position through delivering internationally successful production cars as well as breathtaking concept cars over the past few years. But even this amount of investment in the facilities couldn’t make the interiors top notch. Yes, it is smart but lacks finesse. The Lumina uses an intuitive, simple-to-use driver information centre (DIC) which comes as standard across the model range. The primary interface for the DIC is located on the new-look steering wheel and includes mouse like scroll wheels and easy-to-use buttons. Primary data is located in the centre of the instrument cluster. A secondary set of controls and display is located on the centre of the instrument panel. Dual zone climate control, electric seats, and Blaupunkt 6-disc in-dash CD changer with auxiliary input jack and parking sensors are added goodies. The leather wrapped steering wheel is super sized for this car, a smaller one would be better. The boot-lid is opened via a button that’s placed behind the glove box lid, why would you hide it Chevy?
The LTZ comes with four airbags (driver, passenger and side impact) as standard. The brakes are on the spongier side but getting used to them didn’t take long. Discs on all four wheels with ABS, EBD and TCS are standard. Traction control can be switched off for drifting fun at the BIC via a switch on the centre console.
Last word
The Chevy Lumina is a one of a kind multi-national car, why? Its designed and built in Australia with parts from Canada, Germany and Brazil (etc.) put together by an American company. Looks and performance apart, she comfortably seats 5 passengers and returns reasonable mileage (provided you don’t have a lead foot) for its power output. The interiors are standard fare, lots of aluminium-finished plastic and glossy wood trim, but the fit and finish leave a lot to be desired, they don’t feel that upmarket. The SS trim level comes with an eat-your-heart-out 6 litre V8 monster spitting out 360 hp with 530 Nm of torque to boot. With many more goodies like crash avoidance technology, Sat-Nav, leather interiors, aluminum pedals and (hold your breath), a 6-speed manual transmission! Built for the red light racer! Buckle up and don’t over-speed though.
Rating 3/5
Car supplied by National Motor Company, Kingdom of Bahrain.
By Tushal Bhadang
Rear-wheel-drive sedans have a different feel to them. They’re ready to swing their rears out even at the slightest tap of your right foot. They’re merciless. We received the latest Chevy Lumina LTZ trim for a test and she looked dazzling in white. Her low roofline and creased bonnet lines, side profile…oh so delicious. It’s a big change from the curvaceous last gen model. The wheels are placed far and wide, it rides low and makes its presence felt (we got quite a number of looks). The long wheelbase (2916 mm) benefits it immensely, creating a roomy interior and equally deep boot space. This design form also lends it stability on high speeds. The pronounced flared wheel arches ooze aggression and authority. Meaty 225/55R17 Yokohama high performance tyres mounted on 17” buffed aluminium alloy rims add sparkle to the ride.
At the heart of all the horsepower is a 3.6 litre V6 powerplant churning out a healthy 240hp @ 6000 RPM. Torque starts at an exciting 2600 RPM with a 335 Nm output which will leave a trail of black strips across the white line. Mated to an all-new 4-speed auto box with enhanced gear ratios and a new input speed sensor that matches the engine revs to the gear changes. She is ready to pounce with the slightest tap, in a way the power rushes through very suddenly and before you know it, it’s doing over 100 kph, which comes up in under 7.8 seconds! Handling is precise and the turn-ins are sharp but oversteer is positive, traction control struggling hard to keep it in a straight line. The car is a joy to throw around corners and feedback from the steering is positive. Actually, this car is so crazy, it’s a silent mile-muncher on the highways and city streets, but at the same time, a little prodding and it will rival an equally powerful sports coupe with a sensational exhaust note that starts from as low as 3000 RPM. A multi-link rear suspension system allows for outstanding handling without sacrificing ride comfort for occupants. A “Sport Shift” button does extremely well in revving the engine to the red line through shifts for maximum performance.
The 2007 model range has been designed and created at GM Holden's US$4.5 million state-of-the-art design studio in Port Melbourne, Australia. The facility is part of a GM global centre for rear wheel drive vehicle excellence and has earned its reputation and position through delivering internationally successful production cars as well as breathtaking concept cars over the past few years. But even this amount of investment in the facilities couldn’t make the interiors top notch. Yes, it is smart but lacks finesse. The Lumina uses an intuitive, simple-to-use driver information centre (DIC) which comes as standard across the model range. The primary interface for the DIC is located on the new-look steering wheel and includes mouse like scroll wheels and easy-to-use buttons. Primary data is located in the centre of the instrument cluster. A secondary set of controls and display is located on the centre of the instrument panel. Dual zone climate control, electric seats, and Blaupunkt 6-disc in-dash CD changer with auxiliary input jack and parking sensors are added goodies. The leather wrapped steering wheel is super sized for this car, a smaller one would be better. The boot-lid is opened via a button that’s placed behind the glove box lid, why would you hide it Chevy?
The LTZ comes with four airbags (driver, passenger and side impact) as standard. The brakes are on the spongier side but getting used to them didn’t take long. Discs on all four wheels with ABS, EBD and TCS are standard. Traction control can be switched off for drifting fun at the BIC via a switch on the centre console.
Last word
The Chevy Lumina is a one of a kind multi-national car, why? Its designed and built in Australia with parts from Canada, Germany and Brazil (etc.) put together by an American company. Looks and performance apart, she comfortably seats 5 passengers and returns reasonable mileage (provided you don’t have a lead foot) for its power output. The interiors are standard fare, lots of aluminium-finished plastic and glossy wood trim, but the fit and finish leave a lot to be desired, they don’t feel that upmarket. The SS trim level comes with an eat-your-heart-out 6 litre V8 monster spitting out 360 hp with 530 Nm of torque to boot. With many more goodies like crash avoidance technology, Sat-Nav, leather interiors, aluminum pedals and (hold your breath), a 6-speed manual transmission! Built for the red light racer! Buckle up and don’t over-speed though.
Rating 3/5
Car supplied by National Motor Company, Kingdom of Bahrain.
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