GM Daewoo Lacetti
GM Daewoo Auto & Technology may seem to be the youngest car company in the world, having been ‘born’ in 2002. Its creation came about when GM finally acquired bankrupt Daewoo’s assets and established a new company. So it’s not surprising that this young company has been able to launch a brand new model at the 2002 Seoul Motorshow which is on this week.
Known as the Lacetti (the name is derived from the Latin word “Lacertus,” which means “energetic, muscular, youthful, and full of strength”), this new model was developed in just 30 months. The styling and interior design were achieved in a joint effort between Pininfarina of Italy and the Design Forum of the GM Daewoo Technical Centre in South Korea.
Extensive testing was done on the Lacetti, including some 1.8 million kms of durability tests, various inclement weather adjustment tests and almost 200 crash tests. The company says it came out ‘first in numerous other tests conducted throughout the world by acknowledged testing agencies and/or institutions.
The high level of safety is attributed partly to the fact that there is 40% more high-tension steel sheet used in the car’s body, thus minimizing the shock at the instant of collision. The Lacetti actually has a “survival zone” built into its body and was rated “Good,” the highest rating, in the 64km/h IIHS Test by the American Insurance Association, which is regarded as one of the toughest automobile performance tests in the world.
As with most modern cars, the Lacetti has 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS and EBD (Electronic Brake-force Distribution), door trim impact pads, side airbags, etc.
The Lacetti comes with a high-performance, highly-efficient DOHC 4-cylinder E-TEC II engine with a 1498 cc displacement. Claimed performance for the 0 – 100 km/h runs is 11.0 seconds with a manual transmission. Factory testing has shown the fuel consumption to be 14 kms/litre for the automatic transmission model, and 15.8 kms/litre for the manual transmission model.
A number of customer-friendly functions were also added, such as a refrigerated glove compartment, water-ventilated windshield, anti-frost windscreen heater, rain-sensing wipers, jam-protected one-touch power windows, remote control key for opening the boot and for starting the car,
In Korea, the Lacetti is available in three trim packages with prices ranging from 8.9 million won (about RM28,270) to 11.2 million won (RM35,576). Domestic sales start next week with exports commencing in the near future.
