A lot of the same from the new Lacetti
The new GM Daewoo Lacetti Premiere ID was released in Korea last month. Provided by the company
Although GM Daewoo’s latest Lacetti Premiere ID is definitely an improvement on previous editions, it also falls short of expectations.
Don’t get me wrong. This is a fine midsize driving machine that will probably contribute to the legacy of the line. Unfortunately, the Lacetti Premiere ID, introduced to the Korean market last month, just doesn’t have the spark of the first two editions.
The Lacetti Premiere ID has certainly made some improvements, but it is hard to tell just by looking at the exterior.
Leather gives the dash a more luxurious look
On the outside, it has many of the same parts as the previous versions, right down to the tires. All three even have the same smart-key system and sound systems that automatically adjust to the vehicle’s speed.
Inside, however, the new model has made many small improvements that make it feel a bit more glamorous, on the surface, at least. Most noticeable are the semi-bucket seats, which give the interior a sporty look. You have to be a bit of a good sport to sit in them, however, because the seats are not that comfortable and its takes time to become fully accustomed to sitting in them.
Another nice touch is the applied leather on the dashboard.
In terms of performance, the 1.8-liter gasoline engine drives quite smoothly on the road, even at higher speeds. The fact that GM Daewoo has built an engine with a displacement of 1800 cc is significant since Korean automakers have manufactured mostly 1500 cc and 1600 cc engines for smaller midsize vehicles since 1995, placing the vehicles somewhere between the under 1000 cc compact category and 2000 cc midsize category.
The extra 200 cc can actually be felt when the driver hits the accelerator. The added power was added to the Lacetti Premiere ID’s new highly-efficient Eco III power train with maximum 142 horsepower.
The vehicle reaches 100 kilometers per hour without any difficultly and it only takes 11.5 seconds, which is exceptionally quick for a midsize vehicle. The Lacetti Premiere ID has a maximum speed of 190 kilometers per hour (118 miles per hour).
The new vehicle’s power to accelerate has improved 20 percent over the 1.6-liter version, GM Daewoo said in launching the vehicle.
Perhaps the only drawback to all that speed is that the engine roars as the vehicle accelerates to higher speeds.
The GM Daewoo Lacetti has an edge, particularly in engine performance, when compared to competitors such as the Hyundai Avante, the i30 or the Kia Forte.
The Lacetti Premiere ID is installed with a six-speed transmission, which is unusual for a midsize vehicle. The fuel economy of the Lacetti Premiere ID is 13.3 kilometers per liter (31.3 miles per gallon), much better than the 13 kilometers per liter of the 1.6-liter Lacetti.
GM Daewoo expects that the newest addition to the Lacetti Premiere lineup will help draw in buyers by providing more choices, however it remains to be seen whether consumers who would have bought the Lacetti 1.6-liter gasoline version will be lured by the 1.8-liter version, given the relatively mild changes that have been made.
The vehicle will sell for 16.1 million to 18.5 million won ($13,600 to $15,700).
By Lee Ho-jeong [ojlee82@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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