It’s no secret that GM is hard at work on the Chevrolet Orlando. Luckily for us, a few sharp eyes (and camera lenses) have caught a cladded and camouflaged pre-production model in action. Contrary to popular belief, the Orlando will not be a replacement for the outgoing HHR. Rather, the Orlando is a 7-seat MPV that will compete with such models as the Mazda 5 and the forthcoming Ford Focus C-Max.
Unfortunately, much of what we see in the photos of the camouflaged Orlando is very uninspiring. The sharp, edgy, and angular styling of the concept’s front fascia seems to be nonexistent – replaced by very Malibu-esque headlamps and grille. But not all is lost, since the protruding front and rear fenders appear to have made the cut, along with the concept’s blocky rear end. Let’s hope the Orlando retains as much of the concept’s styling as possible when it lands in the U.S. and Europe later in 2010. Look for a few fuel-efficient four-bangers from the Cruze (1.4L/1.8L) to accompany the Delta 2-based MPV at launch.
Here’s a gallery of the original Orlando concept that debuted at the 2008 Paris Motor Show.
[nggallery id=58] [Source: Autoblog]
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