2006 CHEVROLET Epica 2.0i 5AT (145 HP)

Vehicle Overview

After taking over the Korean automaker Daewoo, General Motors tried to take its place in the European market by filling the gap with Chevrolet-branded Daewoo models, such as the 2006 Epica.

The car was already created by the Korean automaker, and it was intended to replace the Daewoo Magnus. So, instead of getting that model, the Europeans received the Chevy Epica while Holden sold the Epica in Australia and New Zeeland. But basically, it was the same car. Chevrolet unveiled this model at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, and it tried to get an important part of the market. Maybe, after all, its effort could have paid off, but then the world financial crisis burst and GM was one of the first to take a serious hit that made it step back from the Old Continent.

With a conservative styling, the Epica still featured some interesting highlights, such as the wrap-around headlamps, the projector-type bulbs, and the grille.

The midsize sedan had a great advantage over some of its competitors, besides the competitive price. It was well loaded with lots of goodies such as a standard MP3 CD player, and steering wheel mounted controls.

The Epic was available in two trim levels, the CDX, and the CDXi. While the CDX version was not equipped with many features, the price difference between the two was not impressive. Thus the CDXi was the best option.

With the CDXi, the Epica came equipped with 17-inch alloys, a sports body kit, fog lamps, leather upholstery, air-conditioning, an 8-speaker audio system, and curtain airbags.

Safety-wise, the Epica was equipped with ABS and Traction Control. However, no Electronic Stability Program was offered.