What is it?
The Lacetti continues the regeneration of the Daewoo range since the company became GM Daewoo in January 2003. It joins the Tacuma, Matiz and Kalos and maintains the pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap philosophy. The new car will be gunning for a slice of the mid-size hatchback pie, offering a cut-price alternative to the Golfs, Astras and Almeras of this world.
It's based on the same platform as the 2003 Nubira, with which the Lacetti shares a factory in South Korea. This J-platform has been honed since 1999 and is the last to be developed exclusively by Daewoo; all subsequent Daewoos will platform-share with other GM products. The Lacetti and Nubira also share a designer: Italdesign, founded by Guigaro, is responsible for both.
When's it due?
The 1.4 and 1.6-litre Lacettis are on sale now, but the first customer cars won't be delivered until the end of April. A flagship 1.8-litre version will be unveiled at the British motor show in May.
What are the engines and transmissions?
As mentioned, the three engines will be 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8-litre four-cylinder jobs. Specifications are as follows:
1.4 SE: 1,399cc, 93PS @ 6,300rpm, 131 Nm @ 4,400rpm
1.6SX: 1,598cc, 109PS @ 5,800rpm, 150Nm @ 4,000rpm
1.8: 1,799cc, 122PS @ 5,800rpm, 165Nm @ 4,000rpm
All three engines come with a five-speed gearbox as standard, but the 1.6-litre can be ordered with an optional four-speed automatic.
How fast does it go?
1.4-litre
0-62mph: 11.6 seconds, 108mph
1.6-litre
0-62mph: 10.7 seconds, 116mph
1.6-litre automatic
0-62mph: 11.5 seconds, 108mph
1.8-litre
0-62mpg: 9.5 seconds, 120mph
Diesels are to follow, but they will be in a couple of years' time at least.
What does it cost?
The price of the 1.8-litre won't be known until May, but the following details have been released for the cheaper cars:
1.4SE - £9,495
1.6SX - £10,495
Any special features?
The Lacetti's strongest suit in the showroom is its value for money, and that case is best made by looking at the equipment lists. The bottom-of-the-range 1.4SE (confusingly, there is neither a 1.4SX nor a 1.6SE offered), has power steering, ABS, two airbags, electric front windows, central locking, keyless entry, remote boot release and a height-adjustable driver's seat. That's not bad for under ten grand.
Move up to the 1.6SX model and you can add a six-speaker stereo with steering wheel controls, side airbags, air conditioning and alloy wheels to that lot. Daewoo is also trumpeting the Lacetti's class-leading rear legroom. In this age of iPods, Mars landings and DSG gearboxes these are small pleasures, but Daewoo's customers would miss them if they weren't there, and much of this kit is cost optional on the Lacetti's rivals.
Who's going to buy it?
Now that GM is at the helm, anyone who fancied Daewoo's unpretentious brand of low-cost motoring in the past can now buy in the confidence that the cars and dealers will last. Those who prioritise value for money above all else when buying a car do tend to be, ahem, on the elderly side, and one look at your average Daewoo driver confirms this. But that's fine; to some, the car will always be just another white good, and to those people the Lacetti will do nicely.
The Top Gear verdict: favourite or failure?
The Lacetti will not appeal to someone who likes cars. It isn't supposed to. It will appeal to someone who needs a car, in spite of the fact that they consider them to be expensive and unhygienic things. The Lacetti will be just fine if you want comfort, reliability and a good deal. We want these things too. Trouble is, we want a whole lot more besides.
from:
http://www.topgear.com/content/news/cars_coming_soon/21/Looks like a down-sized Mazda 6, and may not be a bad thing. However, built quality and reliabilty is still questionable... [/url]