LOCALLY, Chevrolet offers vehicles of virtually all shapes and sizes. From its entry-level hatchback, the Spark Lite, to its Cruze family saloon, Captiva SUV, Corsa Utility pick-up and performance-oriented Lumina SS, there seems to be a Chevy to suit all tastes. However, buyers who were in the market for an MPV had to go elsewhere … Until now.
The Orlando doesn’t look like a typical frumpy MPV, thanks to a chunky overall design, slim glasshouse, rearward-sloping roofline and pronounced bonnet. There is an obvious family resemblance at the front (especially to the Cruze saloon), with the most distinguishing feature a large dual-port grille that houses an enormous bowtie. The general opinion among members of the CAR team is that, because the Orlando’s bold lines aren’t as soft as those of the current crop of MPVs, it should have some appeal for male drivers, too.
With any MPV, space and its utilisation are major selling points. The Orlando has a roomy cabin that can seat seven occupants. Head- and legroom are ample for the two people seated at the front, with a wide variety of adjustment available. The second row, however, has no fore or aft adjustment, which has an adverse effect on legroom. Generally in MPVs of this size, the third row is useable only for transporting little ones, but one of our taller staffers commented that he found this row to be more accommodating than the one in front of it.
To gain access to these extra two seats, the second row tumbles forward, which allows just enough space to squeeze through. The third row can fold completely flat to provide more luggage space, which is fortuitous because, when seats six and seven are in use, there’s obviously not a lot of packing space for shopping and/or kit. From behind the steering wheel, the instrumentation and layout of all the controls will be pleasingly familiar to those who are accustomed to current-generation Chevrolet products, many of which sport the so-called “dual-cockpit” configuration. However, some controls feel out of the driver’s reach, but this is not necessarily an inconvenience because a number of functions can also be controlled from the steering wheel.
Standard features are broadly impressive, with power steering, electric windows and mirrors, heated side mirrors, cruise control, rear PDC and an MP3-compatible audio system with auxiliary input. Finding the auxiliary audio input, however, proved to be a bit of a mission. Eventually, one of the testers happened to push what appeared to be a decorative trinket next to the CD eject button and the entire audio-system interface flipped backwards into the facia to reveal extra storage space and the missing plug-in.
Cabin materials are a hit-andmiss affair. Soft-touch surfaces are conspicuous in their absence, the cutlines on some plastic panels on our test vehicle were rough and the mismatched inner and outer air vents look untidy. However, the overall feel is one of solidity, with nary a rattle or squeak.
Under the stubby bonnet lies Chevrolet’s 1,8-litre petrol engine. It has a maximum power figure of 104 kW at 6 200 r/min and 176 N.m of torque at 3 800 r/min, which is transferred to the front axle through a five-speed manual gearbox. Recent experience with vehicles from this manufacturer has made us very sceptical of its gearboxes. And the Orlando didn’t do anything to change our minds … The ‘box desperately needs a sixth gear to calm down the engine at highway speeds, while many testers expressed dismay with the difficulty of smoothly changing from second to third, often hitting the gate on the upshift.
Performance-wise, the Orlando is a mixed bag. Chevrolet claims a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 12,0 seconds and we weren’t too far off with 12,32 seconds. Uphill, the Orlando feels as heavy as it looks and a number of testers noted that they had to gear down once or (too often) twice to maintain momentum.
Dynamically, the Orlando puts in a stronger showing than in our performance testing. The steering feel is impressive, even if it has a smidgeon too much play around the straight-ahead, while roll is well supressed when corners are enthusiastically tackled. The suspension setup of MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam at the rear is fairly unforgiving, however: backseat passengers often complained about a lack of compliance.
The Orlando’s ability to safely stop from 100 km/h is impressive; we achieved an average stopping time of 3,0 seconds after 10 runs. The brakes are aided by ABS with EBD and brake assist. Other driver aids include ESP and traction control.
If you’re planning to cart your family around in the Orlando, rest assured that passive safety is well taken care of. Standard features include driver, passenger, side and curtain airbags, and Isofix anchorages for child seats.
TEST SUMMARY
At the time of penning this test, Chevrolet had not yet established a final retail price, but the manufacturer has stated this LS model will retail at about R250 000. At this price, the Orlando offers above-average value for money, especially considering its long features list, levels of practicality and three-year/60 000 km service plan and five-year/120 000 km warranty. The engine and transmission may loathe one another, but we can’t help but feel this won’t bother Orlando owners too much. It would, however, benefit from a turbodiesel engine, which is available overseas.
That aside, Chevrolet looks serious about providing potential customers with an MPV that offers a lot of metal for the money without compromising on safety, comfort and durability. It’s a satisfying entry into the highly competitive MPV market for Chevrolet and deserves to do well.
