A Chevrolet Epica sedan, seen in the far north of Beijing in 2019. The Epica was painted black and in a fine overall shape. The Chevrolet Epica was a mid-sized sedan made in China by the Shanghai-GM joint venture.
Note the Dongfeng-Renault dealer in the background. That joint venture is now dead, with only a small unit making EVs left alive. So I guess the dealer is gone now too.
The Chevrolet Epica was originally developed by Daewoo in South Korea, where it was called the Daewoo Tosca. In various other markets, it was called Chevrolet Tosca, Holden Epica, and, Chevrolet Epica.
Production in China started in 2007 and lasted until 2015. Over the years it was updated several times. Today’s car is a 2010-2013 example, recognizable by the large two-piece grille and the new rear light visors with rounded lenses.
The interior was in a good shape too although the leather was a little dirty. It was not a bad place to be in; there is a large steering wheel, leather trim on the doors, air conditioning, two cup holders, and a radio-CD player.
The 2010-2013 China-made Chevrolet Epica was available with just one engine: a 1.8 liter naturally aspirated four-pot with an output of 143 hp and 177 Nm. The engine was mated to a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic. The manual version had a top speed of 190 km/h and went from 0 to 100 in 11.2 seconds. Fuel consumption was a rather steep 7.7 liters per 100 kilometers. Earlier in its life, General Motors also offered a 129 hp 2.0 petrol engine in the Epica, but in 2010 that motor was no longer around.
I’ve always liked how the Epica looked, a typical no-nonsense sedan with a somewhat timeless design. Not exciting, but it was never meant to be. It was affordable too, with prices starting at just 108.800 yuan in 2013.
Characters: 上海通用，Shanghai Tongyong, or Shanghai-General Motors, the original name of the joint venture. Nowadays, it is known as SAIC-GM, with SAIC being short for Shanghai Auto Industry Corporation.
The Chevrolet Epica was a great success for General Motors. It was a popular car in cities and down country. There are still zillions of these fine sedans around today.