I am a proud owner of a top of the line, CIELO GLX, manual transmission, power steering, with tilt option and air bag, 6 CD changer with power antenna, power windows, central locking, illuminated window switches on door panels, child lock, reading light, rear spoiler, velvet upholstery, fog lamps, brightness control for tail lights, time control on intermittent wiper, seat belt warning, headlights warning, rear heated window, remote boot and filler cap, etc. All original Factory fitted, mind you!
The features that this car offers for the price I paid for it out almost makes me think of it as a steal, rather a bargain.
I bought it second-hand 3 years ago with the odometer reading at approx. 50, 000 kms and have driven about 30, 000 kms till now.
I only major work that I have had done so far, is the suspension, new shockers, replacement of the oil seal on the steering pump, etc and the small stuff has been the new front brake pads, ignition coil and ignition cables and the timing belt.
Amazingly the cost of the parts and the labour is barely more than for the similar parts that I would pay for the esteem.
The mileage I get is almost 9.5 to 10 kms to a litre with the a/c, which is probably one of the best air conditioning cooling systems. Its heating system is as good and does not pose the problem of having to change the heating elements unlike many other cars of this class.
The ride, the comfort, the safely and the economy as compared to most cars is most comparable, if not better.
It sure is a pity that the Cielo was made to die a death it did not deserve. With the Optra being the competing replacement car, it might not be in the interest of GM to offer parts for the Cielo, but there are a lot of Cielo cars around even now, making it feasible for the importers to import and distribute the parts. There are also plenty of local manufacturers too who are supplying some parts. For example, local cables, brake pads, hoses, etc, are freely available and of course many parts are inter changeable with the current cars.
So it is not that spare parts are not available, it is just that they are not available at most stores. There are few select stores where you can get the parts but not at the inflated price that most people seem to have an apprehension about.