Daewoo Nubira (2003 - 2005) : THE START OF A NU DAE
Friday October 20
Models Covered: 4DR SALOON: [1.6, 1.8 petrol, SX, CDX, Xtra Cool]
BY ANDY ENRIGHT
The third generation Nubira, introduced in 2003, marked a definite change in direction for Daewoo. Until that date the Nubira had campaigned largely on a metal for your money basis, offering a whole lot of car for supermini pricing. With a more competitive market, Daewoo had to do more than just offer something big and cheap. Image counts for a lot and the 2003 Nubira featured Pininfarina styling and one of the more rakish shapes in its class.
Is a used example financial suicide or can a case be made for plumping for a nearly new Daewoo?
Daewoo claim the Nubira is a synthesis of Pininfarinas experience in creating dynamic yet elegant forms. Wed call it a quietly good-looking family car. Some of the styling touches, especially around the rear three-quarter, are reminiscent of the current Vectra, although Daewoos traditional three-lobed grille and the big headlamps give it a distinctive look. Its been on sale in Korea since November 2002, where its known as the Lacetti and sales have been encouraging.
The UK Nubira is fitted with a choice of either a 109bhp 1.6-litre or a 1.8-litre 122bhp petrol engine. At 4500mm long and 1725mm wide, the Nubira is a fair bit larger than the old car, although still someway shy of being truly Mondeo-sized.
Daewoo has been clever in the packaging department, though; the long 2600mm wheelbase improving all-round interior space and giving the Nubira decent rear legroom. Shoulder width for three across the back is a bit tight due to the cars inherent narrowness, the flipside of which is that the Nubira is easy to thread through gaps that would have a Vectra driver slamming on the brakes.
Prices for the Nubira open at £4,400 for a 1.6-litre SX on an 03 plate with the more powerful and better equipped 1.8-litre CDX car kicking off at £4,600. Insurance for both models is eminently reasonable at Groups 8 and 10 respectively.
Those looking for bigger bargains may well prefer to observe the buy at two years old and sell at four in order to get the best deals.
To date no significant faults have been noticed with the Nubira. In order to get the best from the warranty package, check to ensure that servicing has been carried out at the specified intervals. Good showings in the JD Power customer satisfaction survey bode well for used buyers.
(approx based on a Nubira 1.6 SX) Parts are a little pricier than from mainstream manufacturers but now that Daewoo is part of General Motors we can expect to see more affordable spares prices being ushered in. A clutch assembly will be around £70 and an air filter should be close to £8. Brake pads are around £17 a front set with a cam belt relieving you of £30.
The suspension has been set up in tune with European requirements. Heavily disguised test mules bashed the UKs highways and byways for thousands of miles in order to optimise the damper, spring, bush and anti-roll bar settings as well as the steering feel. The UK set up is more suitable for high-speed motorway driving as well and body roll has been reduced when cornering. Andy Carroll, original Managing Director of GM Daewoo UK, highlights the culture gap.
"Korean drivers prefer a softer ride. We know that Europeans prefer a sportier feel with more precise steering and firmer suspension." The power steering system has, as a result, been thoroughly revised with a tougher torsion bar and a beefier pump tuned to give more feedback. Wafting through downtown Seoul may be one thing, but when youre in the cut and thrust of a UK city, you need a bit of information coming back through the wheel and the seat of your pants. Piloting a soggy South-East Asian hovercraft around just doesnt ring our collective bells. Therefore we get firmer damping to cut out bounce, stiffer springs and a bigger gauge anti-roll bar.
Tyres were also an integral part of the equation and the Nubiras tyres feature a stiffer sidewall to complement the sportier suspension.
In making its predecessors look rather crude, the 2003 third generation Nubira punted Daewoo a good deal nearer the mainstream. Its now a viable alternative to a Focus saloon and youll certainly get a good deal more standard kit. It cant match the best in class in terms of handling and ride but its not as far off as you might imagine. Although wed be tempted to wait a little while until the depreciation curve flattens off, those taking the plunge on a Nubira neednt feel as if theyre taking a terrible risk.
Zero Fuel Cost Car (Anne C) 
