Premier

"In production from 2004 to 2010, the Declasse Premier never gained traction in the US market but was insanely popular in Canada. Why? Nobody knows... It's a national psyche that defies analysis."

- Southernsanandreassuperautos.com description.

The Declasse Premier is a compact 4-door sedan featured in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto V. In GTA San Andreas, it is the civilian version of the Taxi and the Police Car, it also appears to be a "cousin" of the bulkier Elegant but the older brother of the Asea.

3D Universe


The Premier strongly resembles a 1993-1994 Chevrolet Caprice, meaning it was likely a brand new model (the game is set in 1992, model years are generally one year ahead). the taillights, which are rectangular in shape as opposed to the Caprice's rounder taillights, might have some influence from 1992-1994 Ford Crown Victoria's. Its very boxy greenhouse looks closer to the Australian Holden VK Commodore but this may be to conserve graphics, this may in fact be the likely cause since a beta Police Car had a more detailed resemblance to a Caprice.

The Premier is the base car for San Andreas' Taxi and the San Fierro Police Department and Los Santos Police Department's Police Cars.

HD Universe
In GTA IV and V, the Declasse-manufactured Premier is redesigned as a more modernized compact design, which is more suited for urban city streets. It is resembling a cross between Chevrolet Cobalt and Daewoo Lacetti with some details that resembles a 2005-2011 T250 Chevrolet Aveo sedan (obviously for its four-door design but also for its taillight design). The front of the car appears similar to Chevrolet Cobalt sedan and the 2001-2006 Toyota Corolla E120. With its enlarged grille located in the bumper region, the car bears an eerie resemblance to the 9th generation Chevrolet Impala. The taillights appear similar to the 2005-2011 Chevrolet Aveo tailights, and are reminiscent of the taillights of the 2006-2009 Ford Fusion. Its front and rear are also similar to the 2001-2007 Citroen C5

The description on Southernsanandreassuperautos.com mentions that it was popular in Canada but not the United States, likely as the compact car category makes up a bigger proportion of Canadian auto sales, and also as the Daewoo Lacetti was sold under a mainstream brand in Canada (as the Chevrolet Optra) as opposed to an obscure brand in the US (as the Suzuki Reno/Forenza).. It is also mentioned that the Premier stopped production in 2010, after six years on the market.

GTA San Andreas
In GTA San Andreas, its acceleration, speed, and handling are all quite impressive, while the sturdiness and bulk of the chassis render the Premier capable of withstanding heavy damage, making this front-engine, rear-drive beast simply one of the best passenger vehicles in the game. The strong engine, responsive handling, and sturdy frame also make the Premier an ideal car for performing the PIT maneuver and for ramming other vehicles, hence its use as a police car. You also use the Police Car version, to learn how to do the PIT maneuver in Driving School. The only downside is its below average grip on road. The Premier is likely to be powered by a large V6. Premier's Drag Multiplier is 1.8, which is more aerodynamic than any other top end supercar, except for the Infernus where the Drag Multiplier is 1. It is officially the third most aerodynamic car in the game.

Police and taxi variants
One interesting note is that performance aspects for the Premier come in in three variations in GTA San Andreas: mediocre, impressive, and fantastic. The version of the Premier with the worst performance is the Taxi, with modest acceleration and speed, and a heavy, lumbering frame. Next is the civilian version, with its outstanding performance and lighter chassis. Last is the Police version, which is the civilian Premier with a slightly more powerful engine and increased durability, and truly one of the best vehicles in the game.

Other variations include the fact that the Taxi is the only front-wheel drive version of the Premier, partly explaining its comparatively poor performance. Furthermore, the San Fierro police car enjoys improved suspension over that of the police car in Los Santos (most likely due to San Fierro's hilly streets).

GTA IV
The Premier in GTA IV has a 4.0L V6 coupled to a 5 speed automatic gearbox in a rear-wheel drive layout. The engine itself is responsive, propelling the vehicle off the line quickly, and giving it an outstanding top speed of 179 mph for an everyday sedan, but its gear ratio kills acceleration, since the gears are apparently very far apart, accurately representing the stereotypical of an automatic transmission in most compact cars. Handling is rather good for a car in the compact 4 door class, keeping the Premier stable in most turns, though some oversteer can be felt. The suspension is rather soft however, giving way to body roll. Braking is adequate, though not as good as other, larger sedans. Crash deformation is below average, with the Premier stalling after only a few collisions. Overall, the Premier's performance traits are similar to that of its mid-sized counterpart, the Merit.

GTA V
The Premier in GTA V seems to have had a power upgrade as the car has a lot more get up and go than the previous rendition. Handling has also been improved thanks to the more realistic FWD like its real-life counterpart. It is responsive and quick, and handles very well on tight corners, in par with the more expensive, larger sedans in the game. Damage deformation, however, is quite poor, as crashing headlong int he front even at moderate speeds can significantly degrade its speed, resulting it in becoming sluggish. Further collisions mean lower speeds can make evading cops a challenge.

Modifications (GTA San Andreas)

 * The Premier can only be modified in a TransFender garage.

Notable Owners

 * Michael De Santa temporarily drives a red Premier as his new primary vehicle (possibly a rental) after his son takes his original car. Can be customized and retain all the modifications during the time Michael possess it. When he recovers his personal Tailgater after the mission Monkey Business, Michael will lose this Premier permanently.
 * Nigel owns a blue premier in Vinewood Souvenirs - Al Di Napoli and Vinewood Souvenirs - The Last Act.
 * Mr. Kenneth (possibly)

GTA San Andreas

 * Spawns commonly at Market and Commerce.
 * Spawns commonly at the southern areas of San Fierro.
 * Rarely seen at Jefferson.

GTA IV + Episodes from Liberty City

 * Whilst driving a Banshee around Alderney, it may be spawned.
 * Most common around Dukes and areas all over Alderney.

GTA V

 * Very common in Los Santos and can be found in parking garages around the city.
 * Spawns at Michael's house after Did Somebody Say Yoga? until Caida Libre, then at Trevor's trailer between Minor Turbulence and Monkey Business.

General

 * The Premier plays the following radio stations by default when entered:
 * GTA San Andreas: CSR 103.9.
 * GTA IV: Electro-Choc or Radio Broker.
 * GTA V: Rebel Radio
 * The Premier features the "Door Ajar" Chime, which can be heard with the driver's door open in quiet areas.
 * Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries, states and sub-national governments. (e.g. Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Premier of the Soviet Union).

GTA IV - GTA V

 * The Premier in GTA IV features dual exhaust tips, however, there is a glitch, that the left pipe spews out fumes, while the right one doesn't.
 * In GTA IV, the 4.0L V6 and RWD drivetrain is clearly unrealistic for such a compact car, this is likely due to developer oversight, as its real life counterpart is FWD. However, this was fixed in GTA V.
 * Its HD Universe iteration is stated to have been produced from 2004 to 2010, referring to the real life Chevrolet Cobalt.
 * In GTA V, the Premier has a transversely-mounted four-cylinder engine, as seen if the hood is open. This is similar to the Bobcat in GTA San Andreas.
 * Despite different design and class, the Premier is comparable to the Dinka Blista in GTA V in terms of performance and handling characteristics.
 * Coincidentally, the car shares its name with the Premier, which was a full-size four-door sedan produced in Australia by General Motors subsidiary Holden from the 1960s to 1980. It was the slightly higher spec version of the Holden Kingswood upon which the Cheval Picador Ute is based.

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