This is the face of Chevrolet’s new Orlando, a seven-seat MPV which will take on the likes of Ford’s S-Max and the Mazda 5. The Orlando is based on GM’s Delta platform which has already given birth to the latest Vauxhall Astra, and of course, Chevrolet’s own Cruze.
So this isn’t another of those Chevrolet Orlando concepts?
Not this time. We first got a glimpse of what Chevy was planning for its mid-size people-shifter two years ago when the Orlando concept was unveiled at the 2008 Paris motor show. And earlier in 2010, the firm showed off its Volt MPV5, which was a thinly-veiled version of what you see here.
It looks neat enough…
It does, yes. There are some nice details on the Chevrolet Orlando – most of the sharp creases which featured on the concepts are carried over, and those wheelarches are some of the more muscular you’ll see on an MPV. We can’t help feeling, though, that some of the magic has been lost during the transition from concept to reality, but that’s always the way when big wheels and fancy lights fall foul of the bean counters.
What tricks can you play with the interior of the new Chevrolet Orlando?
There aren’t any shots yet, but Chevrolet is (of course) claiming a versatile interior for the Orlando. It’s a full seven-seater, with the chairs arranged ‘theatre-style’ (each row of seats at a higher level as you go back to optimise passenger visibility). According to the blurb, there will be a plethora of cubbies for storing small items, including a Volvo-style space behind the stereo fascia.
Amusingly, Chevrolet says that the design of the front cockpit is, and we quote, ‘Corvette inspired’. Hopefully that applies only to the layout and not to the quality of the plastics.
Will the new Chevrolet Orlando go like a Corvette, then?
Er… take a guess. The Orlando will be powered by a choice of three engines: there’s a 1.8-litre petrol delivering 139bhp, and two differently tuned versions of the company’s 2.0-litre diesel, which produce 129bhp and 161bhp respectively.
UK dealerships will take delivery of the Orlando in early 2011. If you want to see it before then, though, it will be one of four new Chevrolets making their debuts at the 2010 Paris motor show in September.
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