2006(?) Chevrolet Epica

[HarleyEarl]

2006(?) Chevrolet Epica exposed:

[AAS]

looks interesting... where are the pics from? what's it supposed to be? (I see it says Epica, but what does that mean to us, if anything)

[CadillacCTS]

Im really liking that back end and the headlights look pretty nice too !

[CadillacCTS]

looks interesting... where are the pics from?  what's it supposed to be? (I see it says Epica, but what does that mean to us, if anything)

[post="21554"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

The Epica is sold in Canada. It is a rebadged Daewoo.

[AAS]

The Epica is sold in Canada.  It is a rebadged Daewoo.

[post="21651"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Is it anything we could expect in the US? Maybe badged as something other then a Chevy?

I can't tell what size it is... but the headlights and tail lamps look kind of upscale. It looks like it could make a nice entry level Buick.

[Satty]

The next Suzuki Forenza?

[HarleyEarl]

The little that one can see of this Chevy...it really shows promise. I think this car will be sold under a variety of badges.

[ToniCipriani]

Lose the Chevrolet word badge. Right now only the Daewoo models get that word badge, and it looks a bit cheap. The gold bowtie should be sufficient.

[Sixty8panther]

How about a Pontiac Sunfire? *crickets chirping* ...I got nothing.

[daves87rs]

Pretty nice....

[Cadillacfan]

I'm getting a really strong Kia Optima vibe from the rear of this vehicle.

Edited September 29, 2005 by Cadillacfan85

[Satty]

The rear remindes me a lot of the L300, the headlights look like Hyundai Sonata/generic lights.

[BlkHhr104]

It looks like they took the L300 and slapped on 06 9-5 headlights.

[dre]

2006(?) Chevrolet Epica exposed:

[post="21547"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

This would be the US Suzuki Verona replacement, correct?

[thegriffon]

Yes The V200 is known as the Daewoo Magnus, Formosa Magnus, Suzuki Verona, Chevrolet Evanda (Europe) and Chevrolet Epica. With the switch to the V250 more European markets will change the name to Chevrolet Epica. The platform is unchanged, but interior and exterior are completely new and vey competitive. Edited September 29, 2005 by thegriffon

[daves87rs]

I'm getting a really strong Kia Optima vibe from the rear of this vehicle.

[post="21834"][/post]

I was thinking that too.

[daves87rs]

Yes

The V200 is known as the Daewoo Magnus, Formosa Magnus, Suzuki Verona, Chevrolet Evanda (Europe) and Chevrolet Epica. With the switch to the V250 more European markets will change the name to Chevrolet Epica. The platform is unchanged, but interior and exterior are completely new and vey competitive.

[post="22221"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I wonder what the Verona will look like...I know the front end gets a nice change..

[dre]

Yes

The V200 is known as the Daewoo Magnus, Formosa Magnus, Suzuki Verona, Chevrolet Evanda (Europe) and Chevrolet Epica. With the switch to the V250 more European markets will change the name to Chevrolet Epica. The platform is unchanged, but interior and exterior are completely new and vey competitive.

[post="22221"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Cool. I'm also hoping for a new engine or two. The current Verona is already (IMO) a handsome car, but the fuel economy is awful for only getting 155 hp out of a 6-cylinder. :P

[Flybrian]

Cool.  I'm also hoping for a new engine or two.  The current Verona is already (IMO) a handsome car, but the fuel economy is awful for only getting 155 hp out of a 6-cylinder.  :P

[post="22407"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Yeah, that's the largest turnoff for me. Mileage would be acceptable if the engine had some guts, conversely the lack of power would be acceptable if it were efficient. Its sadly and quizzically neither.

[ToniCipriani]

They should really consider the 2.4 ECOTEC in it.

[91z4me]

Hmmm... This thing looks really good. Let me talk something out here: Malibu gets bigger on next verion of Epsilon, right? Impala moves to large RWD or CHI with next refresh, right? That would leave a small midsize sedan gap in Chevy's lineup. Just above Cobalt and below Malibu. Could we see this in the states? The strategy works well in Chevy Canada now imagine if the 'Bu moves up AND so does Impala.

[Robert Hall]

Odd how the rear badging is reversed..should say 'Chevrolet' on the left and 'Epica' on the right..reads backwards the way it is...

[Cory Wolfe]

Interesting.. Rear looks like a Saturn L-series...

[ShadowDog]

Not too keen on the rear styling over the present. Until I see anything else, there's not much to comment on.

Greg Wilson - CanadianDriver



For clairy sake, in Europe, the Magnus/Epica is called the Evanda, while in Canada and the U.S., the Magnus/Epica/Evanda is also sold as the Suzuki Verona (Suzuki holds a 14.9-per-cent interest in the new GM Daewoo). The U.S., however, doesn't get the Chevrolet Epica version that Canada does.

I guess it could be considered a Daewoo rebadge; however, the cars out of GMDAT really have no official make/model designation by being spread across the global automaker spectrum. Heck, it's styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign studios in Turin, Italy.

The engine is a weak point for certain. At 2.5 litres, the straight six 155 horsepower @ 5,800 r.p.m. and 177 pound-feet of torque @ 4,000 r.p.m. fails to deliver a competative edge.

I don't think anything less than a V6 would do in this car. I think people make the mistake of thinking it's a smaller car. It's size is not unlike the Malibu, and weighs in at nearly 3400 lbs.

The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, in testing at this year's Car of the Year event, recorded a 0-100 km/h time of 12.3 seconds. Passing from 80 to 120 km/h took a rather leisurely 9.7 seconds. It's been noted that a healthy contributor of the problem is the lazy four-speed transmission. The gas mileage is extremely poor as well. The 3.5 and 3.8 V6 engines fare better - MUCH better. About the only thing the engine has to offer is smooth and quiet operation, aided by the car's good sound suppression.

It handles like a Camry, which is to say, it's soft, rolls in corners, and suffers from excessive understeer. The 4-wheel disk brakes seemed to perform well. It's a family commuter for certain, not a sport-sedan; although, they never intended it to be one anyway.

For the price, which is not too far from the Malibu, there is a lot missing; however, its standard options list is quite long. At the LS trim level, alongside the Malibu, the Epica also comes with heated mirrors, fog lights, rear disc brakes, eight-way power seat, and a few other creature comforts; as well as a 5 year - 100,000 km powertrain warranty.

Edited October 1, 2005 by ShadowDog

[Mule Bakersdozen LS]

They should really consider the 2.4 ECOTEC in it.

[post="22443"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Agreed-also toss in the 2.8-liter DOHC High Feature 210hp V-6-standard LT, optional Base/LS. Its a nice car with a great interior and great price to equipment ratio, decent passenger room (according to the specs, more cargo room should be in order with more power), but it could use a little imaginativity to it as well-like in the badging for example-exact same badging style as the dead Cavalier, Aveo, and Optra, and Uplander. Come on. Its a small detail, but still-I think even the smallest things can make a difference. And what gap would this leave in the lineup? I don't think it would leave any-Aveo covers the subcompact class, Cobalt the compact class (it desperately needs more room though), and Malibu for mid-sizers, at least on the front-drive sides.

[ToniCipriani]

Agreed-also toss in the 2.8-liter DOHC High Feature 210hp V-6-standard LT, optional Base/LS. Its a nice car with a great interior and great price to equipment ratio, decent passenger room (according to the specs, more cargo room should be in order with more power), but it could use a little imaginativity to it as well-like in the badging for example-exact same badging style as the dead Cavalier, Aveo, and Optra, and Uplander. Come on. Its a small detail, but still-I think even the smallest things can make a difference. And what gap would this leave in the lineup? I don't think it would leave any-Aveo covers the subcompact class, Cobalt the compact class (it desperately needs more room though), and Malibu for mid-sizers, at least on the front-drive sides.

[post="23070"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

No, that would make it too expensive. This car is UNDER the Malibu.

[ToniCipriani]

Odd how the rear badging is reversed..should say 'Chevrolet' on the left and 'Epica' on the right..reads backwards the way it is...

[post="22541"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

They should lose the word Chevrolet altogether. With the bowtie in place, who doesn't know it's a Chevy...

[Mule Bakersdozen LS]

How is this car under the Malibu? Same class, same potential buyers.

[Robert Hall]

How is this car under the Malibu? Same class, same potential buyers.

I'm not sure why Chevy sells both the Epica and Malibu in Canada... there doesn't seem to be much price difference..they seem redundant with each other...

[HarleyEarl]

I agree, the I don't see the need for Epica in Canada, Chevy's array of models in Canada is almost confusing...plus Pontiac has so many as well.