Chevrolet Lacetti Review
Published: 20th April 2006
Chevrolet Lacetti
Inside there is ample room for five people with those in the back enjoying legroom that is said to be one of the best in this class. The rear seat-backs have the usual 60:40 split and fold function that increases the luggage space from 400 to 1,410-litres. The boot has a high load platform with a very shallow lip. The area is accessed through a wide tailgate, which is particularly useful for large items. Inside the boot, there is a floor cargo net and a strong upright luggage retaining net that extends from the base of the seats to the ceiling. A type of flexible bulkhead is a good idea if you have dogs or a need to load to the roofline. Personally, I found it distracting and a real pain to try to unhook from its brackets. I eventually gave up and lived with it.
Apart from the boot area, Chevrolet says that there are around 25 storage options inside the cabin. I didn’t count them all but did notice the useful oddments trays, overhead sunglasses holder, lidded armrest bin and, of course, the cupholders. However, one of the standard features of the Station Wagon is air-conditioning and this extends to cool the glovebox, which is handy for keeping drinks cold during the summer.
While the rear seats are comfortable but somewhat shapeless, the front seats are well contoured and offer good support and comfort. I spent three hours behind the wheel without any ill effects and that is praise in itself. Only the driver’s seat has height adjustment, operated by way of lever and unusually for a car of this ilk, the steering wheel is both rake and reach adjustable.
I particularly liked the layout of the fascia and small centre console. It has changed very little over the years and remains uncluttered and simplistic without giving the impression of being either Spartan or cheap. The climate control dials and other buttons are all easily read and fall nicely to hand. Even the Blaupunkt single CD/RDS radio controls were easy to fathom despite being small. Satellite navigation is not available so, that serves to lessen the usual array of buttons.
