Chevrolet Epica (2008 – 2010) Review
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Chevrolet Epica (2008 – 2010) At A Glance
Extremely well kitted out for comfort and safety. Huge boot. Keen value. 6-speed diesel auto. 2.0 straight six petrol is chain cam.
Curious feel-free and heavily self-centering steering. Quite a lot ended up as taxis.
Mondeo sized. With a choice of 5-speed manual diesel, 6-speed automatic diesel, or 5-speed manual transverse straight-six petrol. Badged ‘Chevrolet', yet built in South Korea.
The straight six LS model will set you back a startlingly reasonable £13,595. This is for a big car 15' 9" long with a colossal 480 litre boot and bags of room in the back seat. Usefully, the seatbacks fold down 60/40 so you can carry long loads if you want to.
So what's it like? You can judge for yourself how it looks from the snapshots. I'd stay slightly ungainly. A bit too high off the ground. Though there is a bodykit to address that if you so wish.
Reviews for Chevrolet Epica (2008 – 2010)'s top 3 rivals
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Chevrolet Epica (2008 – 2010) handling and engines
- Engines range from 2.0 VCDi to 2.0
- Readers report Real MPG to be between 24–50 mpg
The 1,993cc six-cylinder engine is double overhead chain cam, puts out 141bhp and 195Nm torque and pulls the car to 60 in 9.6 seconds before running on to a top speed of 129mph.
You pay at the pumps, of course, but not that heavily at 34.5mpg combined. Though the 205g/km emissions will put you onto £300 a year tax next year and £310 the year after. Anyone wanting one on the company faces BIK on 29% of the car's list price, but since the price is only £13,595 you pay tax on a reasonable £3,943, 40% of which is £1,577.
I wouldn't say the engine is silky smooth, but its smooth enough, offering a pleasant drive with decent torque from low revs. No sportscar, but no dullard either.
Handling isn't brilliant, with fairly heavy self-centering that robs the steering of feel when cornering, but it's far from a disaster. It's not floppy and hopelessly light as you might have expected.
The diesel is belt rather than chain cam, four rather than six cylinders, slightly quicker to 60 and with a slightly lower top speed. Naturally, fuel economy is much better at 46.3mpg combined, and though CO2 is a tad high for a diesel at 169g/km, meaning tax on 25% of £14,595 for the LS, which translates to £1,460 for a 40 percenter. Next year's annual VED will be £175.
We didn't drive that one, which I predict will become a favourite airport taxi, combining a diesel engine with big 5-seater body and a large boot. Instead we took the 6-speed diesel auto in LT trim that for £17,695 brings the additional kit of electronic climate control, rear parking sensors, full leather seats, CD autochanger, electrochromatic rear view mirror, electric driver's seat, trip computer, 17" alloys and electronic stability control.
The problem is it chunders out 210g/km CO2, putting it in the £300 VED bracket next year and 33% BIK: a not so cheap £2,336 in tax for a company driver. It's not that great on the juice, either, offering just 37.2mpg combined on expensive diesel, a full 24% worse than the manual (a factor that people often forget when buying a diesel auto for ‘economy').
The autobox and engine are well suited, the 6-gears, decisively making the most of the diesel's relatively narrow torque band. But the steering was the strangest I've felt for a long time.
It had the same self-centring effect as the petrol car on its smaller wheels and narrower tyres. But in this car the centring required muscle to get the car round a corner and as soon as the wheel was turned off-centre, all steering feel was lost. Maybe that particular car needed a visit to alignmycar.co.uk, but it had the same characteristic as the petrol cars, only much more exaggerated. The only advantage of the steering I could see was a tight turning circle for such a big car.
Oddball new cars, then, with faults. And the best buy is undoubtedly the cheapest, with its unique 2.0 litre chain cam six-cylinder petrol engine. Though I can see cabbies going for the base model diesel too.
Chevrolet does not expect to sell more than 500 Epicas in the UK over the rest of 2008. That's not an ambitions target, so I don't see why it won't.
| Engine | MPG | 0-62 | CO2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 | 35 mpg | 9.9 s | 199 g/km |
| 2.0 VCDi | 37–46 mpg | 9.7–10.6 s | 169–210 g/km |
Real MPG average for the Chevrolet Epica (2008 – 2010)
Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.
Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.
Average performance
96%
Real MPG
24–50 mpg
MPGs submitted
16
Chevrolet Epica (2008 – 2010) interior
- Boot space is 480 litres
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4805 mm |
| Width | 1810 mm |
| Height | 1450 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2700 mm |
You get a stack of kit, including air conditioning, 16" alloy wheels, cruise control, electric front and rear windows, electric mirrors, double DIN CD radio with MP3 socket, steering wheel radio controls, front, side and curtain airbags, leather covered steering wheel, and even part-leather seats.
Chevrolet Epica (2008 – 2010) models and specs
| Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Length | 4805 mm |
| Width | 1810 mm |
| Height | 1450 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2700 mm |
| Miscellaneous | |
|---|---|
| Kerb Weight | 1460–1560 kg |
| Boot Space | 480 L |
| Warranty | 3 years / 60000 miles |
| Servicing | 10000 miles |
| Costs | |
|---|---|
| List Price | £14,595–£17,745 |
| Insurance Groups | 24–25 |
| Road Tax Bands | H–K |
| Official MPG | 34.5–46.3 mpg |
| Euro NCAP Safety Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Adult | - |
| Child | - |
| Pedestrian | - |
| Overall | - |
| Saloon | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | List Price | MPG | 0-62 |
| 2.0 LS 4dr | £14,595 | 34.5 mpg | 9.9 s |
| 2.0 VCDi LS 4dr | £15,695 | 46.3 mpg | 9.7 s |
| 2.0 VCDi LT 4dr | £17,745 | 46.3 mpg | 9.7 s |
| 2.0 VCDi LT 4dr Auto | £17,745 | 37.2 mpg | 10.6 s |
Model History
March 2006
World premiere of Epica
Mid-size 5-seater front-drive saloon with new transverse 2.0 litre six cylinder petrol or 2.0 litre common rail diesel engines. 4,805mm long by 1,810mm wide by 1,450mm high. Wheelbase 2,700 mm.
Comprehensive range of comfort and safety equipment as standard and exceptional value for money. Interior features high quality soft feel moldings with chrome highlights, luxurious leather seat facings, climate control air conditioning and a high power FM tuner/CD system all giving the car a sense of executive luxury but at a bargain price. Enormous boot swallows up plenty of holiday luggage or the weekend shop with space to spare. Styling features rising, wedge-shaped side contours, pull-type door handles, chrome grille with cross bar carrying the bold Chevrolet bow-tie emblem, large headlamps that sweep into the front wings and equally striking rear lamps. Standard safety features include ABS, driver and passenger airbags and side and head airbags.
2.0 litre 142PS six cylinder chain cam petrol engine or a 150PS version of Chevrolet’s all-new common rail belt cam 2.0 litre turbo diesel engine. Chevrolet believes the six cylinder petrol engine to be the shortest six cylinder available in the world, enabling the whole power unit to be neatly packaged in a lightweight transverse configuration. Both engine types are available with a five-speed manual or a sophisticated new five-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission.
April 2008
Goes on sale in the UK
Priced from only £13,595 on-the-road. Available in two trim levels, LS and LT. Both have good standard equipment. 2.0LS petrol has a 6 cylinder straight six chain cam engine, air conditioning, cruise control, electric front and rear windows, a CD-stereo with MP3 input socket, remote audio controls, front fog lamps, 16-inch alloy wheels, front, side and curtain airbags and power-adjustable mirrors.
The LS diesel offers the same specification as the petrol at £14,595, while LT spec cars add electronic climate control, rear parking sensors, leather seat trim, heated front seats, rain sensitive wipers, a CD autochanger, electrochromatic rear view mirror, power-adjustable driver’s seat, trip computer, electronic stability control and 17-inch alloys. LT models are diesel only at £16,595 with a five-speed manual gearbox, or £17,695 as an automatic.
What to watch out for
Backroomer reported, "I have one and use daily, been a good car but high maintenance, by 109,000 I have replaced all the following: check dual mass flywheel, cost about £1,000, track rod ends and the hub as where the track rod end goes through the hub this wears badly (Chevrolet have superseded the part and a new one costs £211 and you will need two), steering rack, all ball joints, diesel particulate filter does not regen (problem in many chevy and vauxs, brake fluid as there is a recall on this, cv gaitors are not flexible enough and wear badly you can replace these with a more flexible gaitor, rear brake calipers are prone to bind, handbrake adjust, all rear suspension bushes and wishbones all round. Lots of costs here to be aware of."
