Muskoka, Ontario—Kia Rondo, Scion xB and Mazda5 take note: Chevrolet is about to start cutting your grass. Thanks to wacky fuel prices, changing market conditions and smarter-than-ever shoppers, small crossover, compact car and small van sales in the Canadian market are heating up. So are sales of vehicles slotted loosely between these genres.
As part of a product and engineering rampage, Chevrolet is gearing up to join the party. With three standard rows of seating, an all direct-injected, all six-speed powertrain line-up and a name synonymous with family getaways, the 2012 Chevrolet Orlando is gearing up to hit dealer lots in the near future. This Korean-built, Canada-only model is the closest thing to a minivan the automaker’s built since canning the Venture some years back to focus on crossovers.
But Orlando has no sliding doors. And it’s not very big. And there are no storage bins in the floor, no V6 engine, and no power tailgate. You can even get it with a six-speed stick. Traditional ‘larger’ minivan stuff aside, Orlando focuses on compact driving dynamics, good mileage figures and urban-friendly sizing.
The numbers?
All models get five doors, 3 seating rows, 7 seats and a direct-injected, 2.4-litre four-cylinder with 16 variable valves and 174 ponies.
Orlando rides GM’s Global Delta platform, the same bit of hardware that underlies the Cruze. That’s a good thing. Like the Cruze, Orlando is gentle-riding, surprisingly well isolated from the road and wind, robust in feel, and well-sorted where ride and handling are concerned.
Basic Orlando models boast above-average levels of road-noise isolation and a premium suspension feel. Higher-end models with the larger wheels and an uplevel suspension calibration come off as sportier and even more responsive and fun to drive than they need to be. There’s a notable difference.
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| With three standard rows of seating and an all direct-injected, all six-speed powertrain line-up, the 2012 Chevrolet Orlando is gearing up to hit dealer lots in the near future. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |
As part of a product and engineering rampage, Chevrolet is gearing up to join the party. With three standard rows of seating, an all direct-injected, all six-speed powertrain line-up and a name synonymous with family getaways, the 2012 Chevrolet Orlando is gearing up to hit dealer lots in the near future. This Korean-built, Canada-only model is the closest thing to a minivan the automaker’s built since canning the Venture some years back to focus on crossovers.
But Orlando has no sliding doors. And it’s not very big. And there are no storage bins in the floor, no V6 engine, and no power tailgate. You can even get it with a six-speed stick. Traditional ‘larger’ minivan stuff aside, Orlando focuses on compact driving dynamics, good mileage figures and urban-friendly sizing.
The numbers?
All models get five doors, 3 seating rows, 7 seats and a direct-injected, 2.4-litre four-cylinder with 16 variable valves and 174 ponies.
Orlando rides GM’s Global Delta platform, the same bit of hardware that underlies the Cruze. That’s a good thing. Like the Cruze, Orlando is gentle-riding, surprisingly well isolated from the road and wind, robust in feel, and well-sorted where ride and handling are concerned.
Basic Orlando models boast above-average levels of road-noise isolation and a premium suspension feel. Higher-end models with the larger wheels and an uplevel suspension calibration come off as sportier and even more responsive and fun to drive than they need to be. There’s a notable difference.
 |
| All models get 2.4-litre four-cylinder with 16 variable valves and 174 ponies. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |