Chevy Epica, Captiva Making Geneva Debuts

General Motors Corp. will unveil two key vehicles for the European market at the upcoming Geneva auto show.

The Chevy Captiva, which is built by GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. in South Korea, goes on sale in June in Europe. The compact SUV is the first for the brand with a diesel engine. (See related story: GMDAT to Sell Captiva SUV in Europe)

The 2.0L, 150-hp common-rail direct-injection mill was developed jointly by GM Daewoo, GM Powertrain and Italy's VM Motori SpA. It is the first of a family of diesel engines Chevrolet is launching in Europe this year.

Two other gasoline engines, a 2.4L 4-cyl. making 142 hp and 3.2L V-6 making 225 hp, also are offered in the Captiva.

Chevy Captiva SUV

Chevrolet says the Captiva also will be the first of its European models to have electronic stability control. The vehicle is available in front-wheel-drive and 4-wheel-drive configurations.

The 4WD variant boasts an active-on-demand type system, where the rear axle is instantly employed via an electronically controlled electro-magnetic coupling for maximum traction in rough driving conditions, the auto maker says.

The electronic stability program has hydraulic brake assist, hill-descent control and active-rollover protection.

The Captiva is 182.6 ins. (464 cm) long, 72.8 ins. (185 cm) wide and 68 ins. (173 cm) tall. Wheelbase is 106.6 ins. (271 cm).

The Captiva is available in 5- or 7-seat configurations and has a McPherson strut front suspension and an independent 4-link rear setup. Ventilated disc brakes are standard on all four wheels.

Chevrolet in Geneva also will show the Epica FWD midsize sedan, which has two available transversally mounted inline 6-cyl. engines: a 142-hp 2.0L and 155-hp 2.5L, mated to either a 5-speed manual or 5-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission.

Chevrolet says the Epica, which replaces the Evanda, will receive a common-rail turbodiesel mill at a later date.

The Epica comes standard with antilock brakes and driver, passenger and side and head airbags. The vehicle is 189.2 ins. (481 cm) long, 71.3 ins. (181 cm) wide and 57.1 ins. (145 cm) tall. The wheelbase is 106.3 ins. (270 cm).

The Epica's design features include grab-type door handles, a chrome grille with a substantial cross strut on which the Chevy emblem rests and large wraparound headlamps.

In other GM Europe news, the auto maker is opening a new design center this spring that will be housed at its Russelsheim, Germany, campus. GM Europe officials say it will strengthen the design group's ties to engineering and planning functions at the campus.