|
The magic hat is pulled over front and back and on the inside it is not completely faced yet. A short, exclusive glimpse was all the Korean producer GM Daewoo let some single chosen motor-jounalists have of the Evanda-follower at a closed off secret test track in the south of Korea. And actually the appearance of the middle-class-limousine is still kept a secret. Very likely the new car will be launched in Europe in April 2006 under the brand of Chevrolet and named 'Epica'.
The Epica will directly compete with the Hyundai Sonata and should attract new customers in the competitive market segment of VWs Passat & Co with its appealing design and good pricing. The limousine will be offered at the beginning with two 6-cylinder petrol engines which make 144 PS resp. 154 PS, optional with 5-speed manual gear box or automatic transmission. Later a version with the first home made diesel powerplant of the Koreans with Common-Rail, 150 hp at 4000/min and 310 Nm at 2000/min will follow. At the moment its being carefully tested at the works in the South-Korean town of Bupyand.
At the first exclusive test drives with the Epica the obviously too soft chassis is very noticeable (despite of Europe-attuning), which suggests American travel comfort, but gets the rear to easily breakaway at quick load transitions. Thanks to quite luxuriant space inside it is quite comfortable also in the second row. The backseat has a middle armrest, but it cannot be folded down to make for a larger trunk. Cockpit and fittings look tidy and well processed, the height-shifting of the girths seems to be attuned to Korean dimensions. Taller Europeans would need about 10 centimeters more margin.
One eye-catcher, which seems to base on the model of Mercedes, can be found at the anterior doorhandles: The Swabian model allows to shift the seat in every direction with the help of a schematic chair model. At the Epica, with the same optics, hear only the standard fitting heating of the seats can be switched on and off.
In March 2006 the Chevrolet Epica will have its official world premiere at the Motor Show in Geneva.
| 
Traduccion
