Chevy Epica: big saloon, budget price

For Britain’s taxi drivers, April 26 will be like Christmas all over again. That’s the day that the new Chevrolet Epica – a saloon car almost as big as a BMW 5-series – goes on sale in the UK, and at an incredible price.This front-driven four-door - which comes with a six-cylinder engine, air conditioning, cruise control, electric windows, an MP3 CD player, six airbags and 16in alloy wheels – will be priced from just £13,595. That’s not just less than a Skoda Superb; it’s less even than the cheapest diesel-engined Ford Focus. Value for money doesn’t get much more compelling than that.The Epica 2.0 LS will, in fact, become the cheapest new six-cylinder car on the UK market. Serving up just 143bhp, it won’t be the most powerful, but it should be smooth-driving, and comes with the option of an automatic gearbox. A 148bhp, 2.0-litre diesel option will also be available at £14,595 – possibly the more popular one with jobbing cabbies.The Epica is built in Korea, and will be imported to Britain by Chevrolet UK alongside the Captiva 4x4. Autocar's Julian Rendell drove one back in 2005, when Chevy's plans to import it to our shores were first mooted: read his review by clicking here.