All Chevrolet Lacetti reviews

"A quietly good-looking family car?"

Has any car company come so far in such a short space of time than Chevrolet? Launching into the UK market with re-badged Daewoos, the brand has quickly begun to make a name for itself, adding a Chevy sparkle to some worthy products. Take this one, the Lacetti saloon, a Pininfarina-styled testament to Chevrolet's capacity to learn fast.

Chevrolet claim the Lacetti is 'a synthesis of Pininfarina's experience in creating dynamic yet elegant forms'. We'd 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 Chevrolet's chrome grille with its bow tie emblem and the big headlamps give it a distinctive look. Once known as the Daewoo Nubira, this car carries forward the same 1.6-litre engine also used by Lacetti five-door hatch and Station Wagon models. In this saloon guise, the price is £11,295 in the single SX trim level on offer ' identical to that of the comparable hatch version. If you want an automatic gearbox, you have to graduate up to the 1.8-litre CDX Saloon, priced at £13,395 ' or £12,395 if you're prepared to take it with a manual gearbox. A package of changes for 2006 aims to further strengthen the car's value proposition. Buyers can now, for example, expect to find little touches like alloy wheels, preparation for trailer connections, rear seat heating ducts, a rear seat coathook and a space saver spare tyre. Remote central locking and anti lock brakes are, as before, fitted as standard to the 1.6 SX model, along with four airbags, 15-inch alloy wheels, powered and heated door mirrors, air conditioning and steering wheel mounted stereo controls. The steering wheel and gear knob are leather-covered and the exterior door handles and bodyside mouldings are colour-keyed.

In the 1.8 CDX, you can expect to find a 5-disc CD autochanger with steering wheel controls, front fog lamps, rain sensitive wipers and speed sensitive power steering. An equipment upgrade for 2006 that includes metallic trim on the doors and dash, plus passenger seat lumbar support is welcome too. The suspension has been set up in tune with European requirements. When this car was originally being developed, heavily disguised test 'mules' bashed the UK's 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. Denis Chick, Manager of Product Communications for GM 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 you're 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 doesn't 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 Lacetti's tyres feature a stiffer sidewall to complement the sportier suspension. At 4500mm long and 1725mm wide, the Lacetti is a fair bit larger than you might expect a £11,300 saloon to be, although still someway shy of being truly Mondeo-sized. Chevrolet has been clever in the packaging department, though; the long 2600mm wheelbase improving all-round interior space and giving the Lacetti decent rear legroom. Shoulder width for three across the back is a bit tight due to the car's inherent narrowness, the flipside of which is that the Lacetti is easy to thread through gaps that would have a Vectra driver slamming on the brakes. Chevrolet currently sells in over ninety countries worldwide, one reason why the marque builds one car every seven seconds. In fact, one car in every sixteen sold worldwide is a Chevrolet and over 175 million of them have been sold to date. This hasn't stopped the brand from struggling somewhat in recent times but now, with a more sustainable long-term plan in place, the marque looks healthy. Targeted products that are right for key markets have replaced their old 'one size fits all' philosophy. Hence the Lacetti Saloon's European look and feel. Pininfarina, famous for styling Ferraris, not so famous for penning Chevrolet's Matiz citycar, were given the task of creating a shape that would appeal to style-conscious European buyers. You have to say they've done a pretty good job. The Lacetti Saloon should continue to carve itself a niche in the UK market. As the best of the budget mid-range offerings, it'll doubtless appeal to those who want modern, no nonsense transport. One suspects however, that General Motors' plans for this product line extend beyond this undemanding bunch. Either way, the Lacetti Saloon looks to have what it takes to do the job.