The Essentials

• Price from £16,825
• What Car? says:
• Fuel economy: up to 47.1mpg
• What is it? An affordable way into a seven-seater, but not without compromise

• Drive

  It steers nicely enough for an MPV but the ride is jiggly and you'll want to pay more to get the stronger engines

• Inside

  Hard plastics mean it feels cheap and the dash layout isn't great either

• Safety

  Good Euro NCAP crash test performance but no airbags for the rearmost passengers

• Reliability

  It's too early to say for this relatively new car but Chevvy's history isn't brilliant

• Space

  Roomy seating but not versatile enough when it comes to repurposing the space

• Standard and extras

  Pretty good, though you have to buy the diesel model before you can order heated seats, leather and sat nav

• What's it like to drive?

  The 1.8-litre petrol is pretty gutless and it's noisy when you rev it, which you have to for decent pace; a sixth gear would help on motorways. So it's really a choice between the two 2.0-litre diesels. The 128bhp version is punchy enough if you give it some welly, while the 161bhp version is stronger and comes as a manual or automatic. The diesels are a bit rattly when pushed hard but they're impressively quiet when cruising. The Orlando's door mirrors create quite a lot of wind noise at motorway speeds, though. Body sway is well controlled so you don't have to worry about your little ones getting queasy, although they might complain about the jiggly ride on poorer surfaces. The steering gives a good sense of contact with the road although it can be a bit heavy in slower manoeuvres.

• What's it like inside?

  Some of the cabin plastics look at bit cheap and the dash controls aren't particularly intuitive. However, there's plenty of adjustment to the steering wheel and seat height, although it's harder to find a comfortable back position as you have to pull a lever and shift your weight to set it. The view over the shoulder is limited. As for space, there's loads of room in the first two rows, while kids and smaller adults will be comfortable enough in the third. However, the Orlando isn't especially versatile, and you can't tumble the middle seats forward if the front seats are set back to accommodate six-footers. Entry-level LS models come with air-con, electric windows and door mirrors, remote locking and three 12v sockets; upgrade to LT and you get parking sensors, alloy wheels and climate control, while LTZ adds cruise control plus automatic lights and wipers. Buyers of diesel LTZ cars can specify a Premium pack including sat nav.

• How reliable is it?

  The cabin feels sturdy enough but Chevrolet has had very mixed results in reliability surveys. Five years' free servicing, warranty and roadside assistance brings some peace of mind, however. Every Orlando comes with stability control and six airbags, and the car scored the maximum five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests. However, it's disappointing that there are no airbags for the rearmost seats. Deadlocks and an immobiliser help protect against theft.

• Should I buy one?

  Don't be deceived by the Orlando's attractive purchase price, even though it includes the five-year after-care package, because you'll make a big loss when it comes to sell the car on, due to weak resale values. Average economy is reasonable but nothing special. Meanwhile, other MPVs are more practical and better to drive.