Epica a big car

Dec 15 2008 Peter Hayward

ONE of Chevrolet's latest releases in Europe is the Mondeo-size Epica - a traditional saloon with a huge interior at a price that's cheap as chips.

It's available with 2.0-litre petrol or diesel engines and five speed manual or six speed automatic gearboxes.

I drove the manual diesel which had decent acceleration, without ever being startling, and which was also slightly noisier than the best oil burners these days.

The ride is excellent over all kinds of surface and it even takes a twisty back road in its stride, with good grip and well controlled roll.

But it is a big car and the size and weight eventually affect composure more than they would say in a Mondeo or a Citroen C5.

The base LS comes very well equipped and the high quality of fit and finish inside and out is a good pointer to the way the car should last.

Interior

Safety is very high on the agenda but only the LT trim has stability control. The driving position is not bad but the wheel only adjusts for height.

Kit includes aircon, cruise, electric windows and remote locking, a CD/MP3 player, alloys and electric mirrors.

FAST FACTS

Chevrolet Epica 2.0 LS Diesel

Price : £14,730

Mechanical : 148bhp, 1,991cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 5spd manual gearbox

Max speed : 124mph

0-62mph : 9.7 secs

Combined mpg : 46.3

Insurance group : 9

CO2 emissions : 169g/km

BiK rating : 23%

Warranty : 3yrs/ 60,000 miles, 5yrs paint, 6yrs anti-rust

Marks : 9/10

Main rival : Ford Mondeo