2004 Chevrolet Optra Preview

Introduced in 1981 as a 1982 model, the Chevy Cavalier has served GM well as an entry-level vehicle and fleet unit. After a twenty-plus year run, the old platform has fallen behind the refinement offered by competing models from Japanese manufacturers. The result has caused General Motors to rapidly lose ground in the compact segment of the market, making a huge investment to reverse the hemorrhaging inevitable.