Chevrolet Epica 2.0d LT

Road Test

Your Say

Test date 30 April 2008 Price as tested £17,360

For Lots of space for the money, generously equipped, respectable dynamics

AgainstLack of refinement, dated fascia, bland looks, braking below par in the wet

The design, engineering and manufacturing facilities that created this car were once part of Korean giant Daewoo. GM picked up the pieces of this failing car company in 2002, as part of its plan to turn previously US-centric Chevrolet into a global brand.

The strategy is working too, not least due to the dynamism of the Korean GM hub that has developed this Epica, though it’s only since 2005 that Chevrolet has been seriously marketed in Europe.

The transition initially saw Daewoos relabelled as Chevrolets, but a new generation of models designed by Daewoo Auto Technologies and masterminded by GM is breaking cover, the large Epica saloon (and soon the new Aveo supermini) joining the recently launched Captiva SUV.

That leaves the Epica with few direct competitors besides the better-finished Skoda Octavia and Kia’s Magentis, both pricier than the Epica, but there are plenty of mainstream models, including the Ford Mondeo and Peugeot 407, that offer similar formats at higher prices. The issue here is what trade-offs the cheaper Epica imposes, and whether they’re worth the saving.