Chevrolet Lacetti Station Wagon 1.8 SX Auto : AUTOMATIC VALUE?

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For less than £13,000, Chevrolets Lacetti Station Wagon undeniably offers a lot for the money in 1.8 SX auto guise. Jonathan Crouch reports

Just how much car does £13,000 buy you these days in the UK? Maybe more than youd think. As evidence, let me wheel out Chevrolets 1.8-litre Lacetti SW estate in 1.8SX automatic guise.

For £12,795, you get that self-shifter, plus all the kind of equipment youd normally expect to lie behind tick options on the extras list. You also get a small estate that isnt, well, that small. And a pokey engine that makes sixty in around 12 seconds. All for the kind of money youd pay for a plush Fiesta.

Since equipment levels are a major issue for Chevrolet customers, Id probably better be a little more specific. You can expect electric windows all round, traction control, front and side airbags, smart 15-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, remote central locking with engine immobiliser, power door mirrors, leather-covered steering wheel and gear knob, a cooled glove compartment and a radio-CD with MP3 capability. To put that into perspective, to get a comparably specified rival (say a 1.8-litre Ford Focus estate), youd be looking at laying out over £16,000 - and thats for a manual model.

Add another £1,000 for an auto version. So, a lot of car for the money on paper but in practice? Well, once upon a time styled in Korea meant a car whose looks could curdle milk but the Station Wagon is a different proposition. Credit for the estate conversion goes to the Chevrolet design centre in Bupyong and theyve done a very effective job. We can all think of estate conversions that resembled saloons that looked as if theyd reversed into somebodys conservatory but take a walk around the Station Wagon and youll be amazed at the cohesiveness of the design.

Of course it helps that the existing lines of the Lacetti saloon with its rising hipline lend themselves well to an estate conversion but the stylists have attempted to give this estate a little personality of its own. The chromed grille takes a little getting used to if youre accustomed to the front of four and five-door Lacetti models, while the rear lamps are stacked vertically, thus ensuring a decent wide hatch. The loading bay is generously proportioned, this most modern of estates subscribing to the old school more is better philosophy when it comes to hauling ability.

"On paper, a lot of car for the money"

Since the Lacetti was first launched, ongoing changes have aimed to further strengthen the cars value proposition. Buyers can now, for example, expect to find little touches like alloy wheels, preparation for trailer connections, rear seat heating ducts, a rear seat coathook and a space saver spare tyre. Theres 400 litres of space available with the rear seats in place but a whopping 1,410 litres available should you drop them down. The rear bench features a 60/40 split for added versatility and theres an auxiliary 12v power supply in the luggage bay.

Plus there are no fewer than 25 individual storage spaces. Theres also generous headroom for the driver and front seat passenger and the legroom in the rear is among the best in class. On the road? Well, dont expect the kind of handling responses youd find in a comparable Ford or Vauxhall. But then, youre not paying those kinds of prices.

With the four-speed automatic transmission as standard (if you want a manual, youll need the 1.6-litre version), the Lacetti Station Wagon 1.8SX accelerates from 0-62mph in 12 seconds, with a top speed of 116mph and a combined fuel consumption figure of 32.1mpg.

The suspension has been set up in tune with European requirements. Heavily disguised test mules bashed the UKs highways and byways for thousands of miles in order to optimise the damper, spring, bush and anti-roll bar settings as well as the steering feel. The UK set up is more suitable for high-speed motorway driving as well and body roll has been reduced when cornering. Denis Chick, Manager of Product Communications for GM UK, highlights the culture gap.

"Korean drivers prefer a softer ride. We know that Europeans prefer a sportier feel with more precise steering and firmer suspension." The power steering system has, as a result, been thoroughly revised with a tougher torsion bar and a beefier pump tuned to give more feedback. Wafting through downtown Seoul may be one thing, but when youre in the cut and thrust of a UK city, you need a bit of information coming back through the wheel and the seat of your pants. Piloting a soggy South-East Asian hovercraft around just doesnt ring our collective bells. Therefore we get firmer damping to cut out bounce, stiffer springs and a bigger gauge anti-roll bar.

Tyres were also an integral part of the equation and the Station Wagons tyres feature a stiffer sidewall to complement the sportier suspension. Chevrolet currently sells in over ninety countries worldwide, one reason why the marque builds one car every seven seconds. In fact, one car in every sixteen sold worldwide is a Chevrolet and over 175 million of them have been sold to date. This hasnt stopped the brand from struggling somewhat in recent times but now, with a more sustainable long-term plan in place, the marque looks healthier than ever.

Targeted products that are right for key markets have replaced their old one size fits all philosophy. Hence the Station Wagons European look and feel. Its not helpful for Chevrolets long term sales position that the Lacetti range doesnt currently offer a diesel option, but the kind of buyer whod consider a compact automatic estate is unlikely to do the kind of mileage that would warrant buying one. With that in mind, there should be little barrier to Chevrolet selling a reasonable number of these cars, providing that potential customers know they exist.

In todays overcrowded marketplace, achieving that kind of buyer awareness could prove to be the difficult bit.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Chevrolet Station Wagon 1.8 SX Auto
PRICE: £12,795 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 7 [est]
CO2 EMISSIONS: 210g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph - 12.0s / Max Speed - 116mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 23.2mpg / (extra urban) 41.5mpg / combined) 32.1mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE ?: Length/Width/Height mm 4562 / 1725 / 1459