Chevrolet Orlando special test: Day 5 - Florence > Venice

We continue with the Chevrolet Orlando test, which we left in Tuscany the previous day, and today we set off towards Venice, on a route that takes us across Italy and through several towns in Tuscany.

As always, you can follow the route we have covered so far, reviewing all our stages, from leaving Madrid until now. Over time the Orlando has shown its qualities as an MPV, proving to be an interesting alternative at a fairly modest price, as it also offers more than enough space and seven seats.

Day 5 – Florence > Venice (386 km)

Just after leaving Florence, we headed for Pisa, the last major city to visit in the area, world-famous for its leaning tower. On the way to Pisa we came across a curious detail: while driving on one of the few motorways we had seen, a Polizia Stradale patrol car (traffic police) overtook us in a brand-new Alfa Romeo 159 and pulled into the middle of the two lanes, slowing down the traffic for no apparent reason, and a few kilometres later it took the nearest exit.

During the morning it rained a little, which made visiting the city a bit of a nuisance, but there are few sights apart from the tower, so half a day is more than enough to see the city. The Torre pendente di Pisa, as it is called in Italian, began construction in the 12th century, but it remained closed to the public until 2001 while restoration work was carried out. It can now be visited.

After seeing Pisa we headed towards San Gimignano, a well-known small town in the middle of Tuscany, which has a medieval old town dating from the 13th century. It is interesting for the picturesque nature of its architecture and for the setting it occupies, in the most traditional part of Tuscany.

After visiting San Gimignano we set off for Venice, which is about 4 hours away on the autostrada. By the way, in Italy you have to be careful when entering towns: if you are going to drive a lot on secondary roads, take care with the fixed speed cameras, which are usually located at the entrances to the small towns. Besides, the signage is not like in Spain.

There, the speed camera is signposted only at the moment you reach it (but not before), so sometimes, because of vegetation or poor signage, you come across it suddenly.

Another detail we noticed while driving is that Italians are more advanced in the use of alternative fuels. For example, LPG is common: you see cars running on autogas, Piaggio electric vans, methane-powered buses, among other vehicles. Without doubt, we should take note.

Late at night we finally arrived in Venice, where we will park the car for a day. It is one of the few places where cars are not allowed: everything moves by water, from taxis to ambulances.

Driving impressions

Today’s stage brought everything from a sudden morning rain to a sunny, hot afternoon, where we put the air conditioning of the Orlando to the test.

Although it has seven seats, it has air vents for the rear seats, so the cabin climate control is good. It also has a powerful system capable of cooling or maintaining the desired temperature without problems (some French brands should take note).

On the other hand, the average consumption on the last stretch of motorway rose to nearly 8 litres per 100 km, driving at the legal speed limit of the road (130 km/h). A figure within what is considered normal, since the car was loaded and the route was not entirely flat.

In the next part we will keep talking about our journey through Italian lands and we will keep telling you how the Orlando is doing.

Photos | Test Team