Chevrolet Epica 2.0

The Only Thing Chevy's Six-Speed Epica will not Stretch is Your Budget

The car is softly sprung. Even the control stalks appear spongy - light and vague. It is perhaps an attempt by Chevrolet to infuse the car with old-school Americana: easy, effortless elbow on the window sill driving.

It is fine if you have hundreds of kilometres of straight roads, on which the Epica's steering-mounted cruise control will come in handy.

Chevy could have intended the Korean-made Epica to be more Continental. Towards this end, it already has one thing going for it: its gutsy inline-six engine, a configuration favoured by BMW.

Even if it not the best example of a straight six, you have to admit that such a power unit is exotic in the 2-litre segment.

The Epica is also rather handsome, especially in black. The 2009 edition sees it wearing a new radiator grille and its tail-lamp clusters joined by a read reflector strip instead of chrome.

The styling has hints of Cadillac and BMW, which is not a bad thing. And its equipment level is pretty high: motorised seat adjustments, climate control, an LED console with digital readings and compass, and anto-glare rear-view mirror.

Finally, the sixth cog allows it to cruise in a more relaxed manner. On the highway, it is more frugal than its predecessor. In mixed driving, the test-car averaged 10.5 litres per 100km.

Chevrolet Epica 2.0 Facts:
Engine: 1993cc with 24-valve inline-6.
Transmission: Six-speed automatic with quick shift.
Power: 143hp at 6400 rpm.
Torque: 195Nm at 4600rmp.
0-100kmh: 11.5 secs.
Top speed: 195kmh.
Fuel consumption: 9.2 litres/100km (city-highway).