Overview of used Daewoo Lanos: 1997-2002

Daewoo is perhaps better known and respected for its advertisements featuring Kane the Wonder Dog than for the cars it built. There were even those who suggested that the use of a dog was appropriate, given the quality of the cars the Korean company was building when it arrived here with a facelifted Opel in 1994.

Daewoo hoped to follow in Hyundai's footsteps, which paved the way for other Korean automakers in the 1980s, but the company found it wasn't as easy as they had hoped.

In the early 1990s, Korean automakers were still rightfully suspicious of themselves, and their rather shady reputation didn't improve when Hyundai had to recall the Excel due to defective chassis welding.

This was the environment in which Daewoo tried to establish its reputation. The first Daewoos were reasonably cheap, but based on early 1980s Opels, they had very outdated designs and build quality was generally below market expectations.

Lanos was one of the new generation models from Daewoo. It was a new face for the company, best known for its doggie advertising, and it marked the beginning of a departure from the original Opel-based model.

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By the mid-1990s, Hyundai was setting the pace for subcompacts here with its innovative "Move away, pay no more" pricing policy, which included travel costs in the price of a car rather than adding them as usual. politics.

This has revolutionized our most competitive market segment, making it difficult for anyone trying to compete in that segment and make dollars at the same time.

At the time, Daewoo was still trying to influence the market, so instead of competing with Hyundai by equaling take-out prices, it took a significant step forward and offered free service during the entire warranty period.

This meant that Daewoo buyers didn't have to pay anything for the first three years or 100,000 km before the warranty expired.

It was a huge incentive to try a relative newbie, take a chance with a brand that hasn't yet earned its stripes here.

While Daewoo dealers appreciated the extra traffic he created, they didn't necessarily welcome the extra traffic he also created through their service departments. Daewoo customers seemed to take the free service offer literally and went to their nearest dealer to repair or replace even minor things like faulty light orbs and punctured tires.

The marketers behind the "free care" offer now privately say they've created a monster they'll never dare repeat.

The Lanos was launched in the "free service" era, so sales were brisk. It was an attractive little car with clean, flowing lines, available as a four-door sedan, three- or five-door hatchback.

Power was provided by one of two four-cylinder single overhead cam engines, depending on the model.

The SE models had a 1.5 liter version of the eight-valve injection engine with 63 kW at 5800 rpm with 130 Nm of torque, the SX models had a larger 1.6 liter engine with 78 kW at 6000 rpm along with 145 Nm.

A five-speed manual transmission was standard, with a four-speed automatic also available.

Power steering was standard on all models except for the original SE three-door hatchback, but from 2000 it also received power steering.

The SE three-door hatchback was the entry-level model, but it was still pretty well equipped with color-coded bumpers, full wheel covers, fabric trim, a folding rear seat, cup holders, remote fuel cap release, and four wheels. - speaker sound. The SE four-door sedan and five-door hatchback also featured central locking.

For more, there was the SX, available as a three-door hatchback and sedan, which also boasted alloy wheels, a CD player, power front windows, power mirrors, fog lights, and a rear spoiler on top of what the SE had.

Air conditioning became standard on all models in 1998, when the LE sedan and limited edition five-door hatchback models based on the SE were also added, but with power front windows, CD player, rear spoiler (sunroof) and central locking. (sedan).

Sport appeared in 1999. It was a three-door hatchback based on the SX with a more powerful 1.6-liter engine, as well as a sporty body kit, tachometer, improved sound and power antenna.

In the shop

While dealers weren't thrilled with free service due to the traffic it generated through their service departments, when owners came in to fix the most minor things, it meant cars like Lanos were better serviced than they could be. if the owners had to pay for maintenance.

The free service period has expired for most vehicles and the earliest examples have already covered around 100,000 km, so anyone taking it is banking on their continued reliability when they have to pay for service and any repairs they may need.

Mechanically, the Lanos stands up pretty well, the engine is strong and doesn't pose much of a maintenance problem. The transmissions also seem to be quite reliable and cause little hassle.

While they seem mostly reliable, the Lanos can get frustrated by the little things. Electrical can be a problem, it seems to have been assembled on the cheap and the chance of problems increases with time and mileage.

Interior trim parts are another weakness, with cheap plastic parts breaking down relatively frequently.

View Owners

Barbara Barker probably would have bought a Hyundai Excel if it was still available when she bought a small hatchback in 2001, but she didn't like the look of the Accent that replaced the Excel. She liked the look of the Lanos, its driving style and the free maintenance offer and bought it instead. So far 95,000 miles covered and out of warranty, so she's on the market looking for a new car, this time with a bigger sunroof. She says it has good performance, is economical and generally reliable. Replaced the exhaust, replaced the brakes, had to replace a non-working stepper motor for 90,000 XNUMX km of run.

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• attractive style

• well equipped with many standard features

• fast performance

• reliable mechanics

• have not yet decided on longevity

• cunning electrician

• average build quality

The bottom line

Aside from the dodgy electrics and average build quality, they tend to be pretty reliable. The trade is reluctant to accept them, but the low resale value makes them a cheap buy at the right price.