Chevrolet Orlando Special Test: Day 2 Montpellier > Nice

We continue with our special test of the Chevrolet Orlando heading to Italy. For those who did not see the first part of the route, we remind you that we have tested an Orlando equipped with the 2.0 VCDI 163 CV automatic engine.

For 10 days we have tested the Orlando to see how it behaves, its roominess, interior space, and ultimately to see whether it really is a good MPV for travelling with the family or the children. At the same time as we test the car, we invite you to take an interesting journey with us through the south of France and northern Italy, with countless interesting places to visit.

Day 2 – Montpellier > Nice (404 km)

Today’s stage is fairly relaxed in terms of distance, but not in terms of places, since we find ourselves right on the French Riviera, with countless interesting towns and cities to see and visit, all bathed by the Mediterranean.

That said, before setting off it is worth visiting Sète if you have not done so yet, or seeing La Grande-Motte, a typically touristy town in the style of Benidorm but with its own charm.

One of our first stops is going to be St Tropez, a little village that is hard to find even on satnavs (we had problems because our Spanish maps only covered the main European roads, so we had to rely on our own TomTom).

Once we arrive in St Tropez we realise that it barely appears on the navigation systems, yet we have rarely seen so many yachts, and such large ones, in such a small village of just 5,600 inhabitants. Compared with Monaco, I think there were even bigger yachts. If we manage to park (even the village square has a paid car park), a stroll through the village and its typical narrow streets takes little time, and it is one of the most important tourist centres in the area.

We covered this whole route on secondary roads or French national roads, where, incidentally, it is common to see stalls selling fruit and local produce. On the way to Cannes we passed through Grimaud, a rather curious little village in the mountains.

We continue on our way to Cannes; 70 km of motorway cost us about 4 euros. In the city that is the epitome of glamour and cinema, it is worth parking and strolling along the promenade by the Mediterranean, where you will see the venue of the famous festival or the casino beside the harbour. It is also curious to see how the beach is private and shared out among the hotels and cafés/restaurants, leaving only the corners free to use (fortunately in Spain this would be illegal).

Finally we leave Cannes to continue towards Nice. The route could also include Marseille, but due to lack of time we skipped that city, although it is also worth seeing. Tomorrow we have to pass through three regions and enter Italy.

Driving impressions

As we did most of the route on national roads, we were able to see how the Orlando behaves, and we liked its suspension. Also, we tested it on the way to St Tropez on a road full of bends, and it holds its own very well for an MPV (no trace of the typically soft suspension of the Tacuma, for example).

The automatic gearbox is not one of the best in its class, because the gear changes are quite noticeable, but its operation is smooth and offers a lot of comfort, especially in towns, where we have to keep starting and stopping every few metres.

The lights offer good illumination, but be careful with the higher settings, because they can dazzle too much; we only had them on setting 1 (0-3), and some drivers complained to us about the lights. Finally, the support in the front seats is very good, especially laterally, while in the rear seats we noticed the bends considerably more.

Photos | Test team