There's a lot of generic GM in the Lumina's new look, but it's hard not to see this as an improvement. Chevrolet designers have rounded off the Lurnina's hard edges, giving it a smoother, more contemporary appearance all around.There's also more Lumina in general. The new sedan is longer, which means there's more of it protruding beyond the front and rear axles. Even though most of the increased length is at the rear of the car, this sense of excess overhang is most apparent up front. The new Lumina is also a tad wider than the old, with a wider track, so the wheels extend to the edges of the wheel wells. This gives the car a more aggressive stance than some current GM products, and also adds a subtle improvement to straight-line stability. Besides helping to bring the Lumina's styling up-to-date, the flowing lines, flush-mounted glass and sloping hood line conspire to provide improved aerodynamic efficiency. Although this isn't measurable in terms of fuel economy-EPA projections are a respectable 19 mpg in the city, 29 on the highway, same as the previous Lumina-it does contribute to the new Lumina's most striking improvement: reduced interior noise.
Elegant, functional simplicity sums up the Lumina's new dashboard and controls. In addition to incorporating dual air bags, an installation that brings the Lumina up-to-date in terms of passive safety features, Chevy's design team has worked hard to make secondary controls easy to find and operate. The most welcome example is the climate controls, which are mounted high in the center of the dash so the driver can locate them with scarcely a glance away from the road. The switches are rotary knobs, rather than push-buttons or slides, making them easy to operate even if you're wearing gloves. Audio controls are backlit for easy operation after dark, and also sized quite generously, again anticipating gloved fingers. The king-size theme carries through to the instrumentation panels, which have large numbers that are readable at a glance through the nicely padded tilt steering wheel. Still another plus is the Lumina's collection of storage bins and cubbyholes: map pockets molded into the door panels, a large binnacle below the sound system, a deep bin in the center console, a good-sized lockable glove box and a sizable cupholder mounted atop the center console, free from any interference. About the only puzzling note here is the Lumina's overall interior volume versus its sizable exterior. The new cars extra wi 'dth translates as generous hip and shoulder room, and there's plenty of front-seat legroom. However, rear-seat legroom has actually been reduced by a fraction of an inch. The Ford Taurus, though shorter by some nine inches, manages to offer more rear-seat legroom, as well as a bigger trunk. Still, no one could call the Lumina cramped. The sum of the interior redesign is improved comfort, and a significant leap forward in operating convenience. |
