From front-on, the new wraparound headlamps dominate the car's nose; looking like a cross between those of the BMW 5-Series
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| The new wraparound headlamps dominate the car's nose. |
and the new face-lifted Saab 9-5. They're also the order of the day, as similar lights will be fitted to the just-announced Suzuki SX4 crossover compact 'ute. Around the side, the plain and otherwise undecorated profile is uplifted by a character line that runs on the upper half of the door - very much like that on the Acura TSX or many high end Mercedes-Benzes, while around back, clear, crystal-like lenses add a bit of flair to the standard notchback profile.
As a cost-saving measure, each of these South Korean-built vehicles will feature the same sheetmetal with only minor differentiators such as badges and grilles. The Epica will feature a large single, body-coloured spar bisecting its grille opening, and a big, golden
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| For the global market, the powertrain continues forward with the unusual transverse-mounted inline-six layout. |
bowtie at centre. The Suzuki-badged versions will probably feature a more elegant chrome-plated grille like the one the Tosca wears, but with the Suzuki 'S' badge at centre. No doubt, Suzuki won the coin toss for the rights to the classier, more upscale look.
For the global market, the powertrain continues forward with the unusual transverse-mounted inline-six layout. Buyers lauded the previous Epica/Verona for its creamy smoothness, so if it's not broke, why change it? It will be available in two configurations, a 2.0-litre and a 2.5-litre. GMDAT's Italian designed but Korean-built 2.0-litre turbo diesel will also be in the cards, however, we in North America will only get the 2.5-litre I-6. There's no word on output, but hopefully it will be increased from the previous 155-hp mill with 177 lb-ft of torque.
