TEST DRIVE: CHEVROLET ORLANDO, THE CHAMELEON CAR

By Dana Verdes, Business Review - What have the European branch of Chevrolet and politics got in common? Both have to deal with a "heavy" heritage. In the carmaker's case this tradition was represented by models more or less akin to the Daewoo, a tradition which Chevrolet has shaken off rapidly and successfully. So, starting with the new Spark, the Cruze, and recently the Orlando, Chevrolet offers a modern and attractive design line. The Orlando is a very large multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), with seven seats. Its design is a twist on the family car theme, being similar to an SUV in certain features, such as for instance high driving position. This certainly represents an advantage, cleverly solving the "status" issue - a big deal in Romania.

At first sight, the Orlando boasts a bold design, with a modern interior - perhaps in this regard the interior gets more points. The frontal design of the car, including the exterior illuminating system, has a quiet aspect when compared to the prototype model presented at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. The interior features some cheap materials the carmaker has selected in order to save money, such as the plastic used on certain parts, which is of lower quality.

However, the board's piano black finish compensates for this as it has a nice and modern aspect, and the massive center console clearly separates the driver's space from the passenger's seat on the right. Assembly is also a strong point of the model, borrowing German rigor and firmness. The trunk is large enough if the third row of seats is folded down, but if they are used it is practically nonexistent. With all seven passengers it is clear that there would not be enough space left for the luggage.

In terms of driving behavior, the car shows its heaviness: acceleration is reasonable, while braking requires some accommodation in advance as it is soft. Consumption is at the normal level for the class, the tested car having a petrol engine of 1800cmc and 141 HP. Under normal driving conditions the car uses an average of 9 liters/100km consumption. However, given Romanians' Latin spirit and the fact that most local drivers accelerate even when they see a red traffic light ahead, a significant increase in consumption is to be expected. The model's price positioning seems very well chosen, undercutting similar models by the competition - the Renault Grand Scenic and Ford C-Max - but higher than the cheapest alternative with seven seats available on this market, the Dacia Logan MCV.