Daewoo Lanos 1996 test drive - 2002 sedan

The second coming of "DEU"

Dau Lanos is a new model of a South Korean company. First presented to the public in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Three types of bodies: a three- and five-door hatchback and a four-door sedan. Gasoline engines with a working volume of 1.4; 1.5; 1.6 l. Cars are offered in two trim levels - SE and SX.
A small, pretty little car, first seen on a salon in Frankfurt, made the most pleasant impression. All of itself tidy, biological, while not rolling to the level of a plush teddy bear, not badly finished. And the tablets with technical characteristics were full of disappointing numbers at all. This was the heir to Nexia, popular in Russia, who, at a moderate price (while it is still unknown), shines the most rainbow market prospects. It is clear that it was simply impossible not to pay attention to this novelty. And, as soon as the opportunity was introduced, we enjoyed meeting the car.
So, we have a dark blue, a metal five-door lanos-ess with a 1.4 liter engine. Outwardly, the machine (repeated) is very pretty, in addition, even a large one, the radiator grille in a chrome edging does not spoil it, although it seems borrowed from a higher class car. Having looked more closely, you begin to notice some flaws: the doors are a little puffing, the gaps between the body details are not the same everywhere, the paint resembles shag, and a white spot of unconducted soil is generally shining in the motor compartment. But we will not be so picky: compared, say, with domestic analogues, the body still makes a much more pleasant impression. If you do not look closely and do not catch fleas, the described inconsistencies can not be noticed.
The front doorways are wide enough and do not complicate the passage to the seats. It is much less convenient to make your way back. The evil outer door handle painfully pinched the little finger - one cannot be so disrespectful about the person. The trunk was not pleased with either volume or ease of use. The raised fifth door strives to hit a tall person with a lock on the head or to get his angle into his eye (the option is into the temple, which is also unpleasant).
Sitting behind the wheel of Lanos, you note that the car provides the driver with enough living space in order to feel, if not free, then at least not constrained. The driver’s seat did not cause any emotions - neither positive nor negative. It seems to be everything as it should, but there is nothing to admire.
Lanos controls: steering wheel, pedal, gearbox lever are conveniently located, and there are no complaints about them. Unless everyone will like the rough surface of the steering wheel, but this is a matter of taste. There is no tachometer on the dashboard, but on the glass covering the shield, there is a reflection of something in the form of a large dark spot in the center itself.
A review from the driver's seat would be good, but the roof standing is interfering. Through the rear window, as it is found today, nothing is visible, but the outer mirrors are very good.
DEU's running qualities left conflicting impressions. Let's start, as they say, from the stove. Touching, you have to carefully work as a clutch pedal, otherwise a jerk cannot be avoided. The habit, of course, comes quickly, but you could not feel a pleasant feeling when you can forget about the clutch and it works as if in itself.
The engine seemed very alive, and the numbers of technical characteristics confirmed this. But there are no free pies. When three healthy men sat in the car and drove off on the highway, the modest capabilities of the motor made themselves felt. The car without much enthusiasm went to the ascents, I had to forget about quick overtaking on the verge of foul. Although, in fairness, we note that it is impossible to demand the impossible from the motor and almost all single-graders with similar engines will behave in much the same way. There is nothing to be done, such is the reckoning for the purchase of a cheaper low -power modification. Nevertheless, in a dense city stream, Lanos -1,4 is what is needed. There are quite enough dynamic opportunities here, and moderate dimensions and a fairly modest fuel consumption only increase the shares of the new DEU as a city car.
The movement at high speed revealed another, not the most pleasant feature. While under the wheels, even asphalt, the car goes along the road, like along the rails. But if the coating is wavy, with slopes, the car begins to rock and drag from side to side. And if the gusty side wind blews up, then the steering wheel will have to work pretty to calm the scouring Lanos.
If they started talking about the waves and slopes on the road, one cannot fail to note an extremely uncomfortable suspension of the Korean car. Moreover, this discomfort is growing in proportion to the deterioration of the quality of the road surface. Lanos surprisingly combines a tendency to build up on the same waves with a dental rigidity on small irregularities. If you go along the paving stones, besides with slopes or hillocks, the car not only shakes, but also leads from side to side.
As soon as the wheels stood on the pits, the panels of the salon conversation: something creaked above the front of the front passenger, the upholstery of the fifth door immediately rejected and immediately turned from the car to something relatives and long-known ... And the interior looks a rather pleasant impression.
The brakes of the Korean machine did not cause complaints. Slowing is normal, well regulated by the pedal.
The rear passengers of Lanos lives much worse than the inhabitants of the front seats. The rear sofa pillow is very low and strongly tilted back: you can sit down, sit too, although your knees are somewhere at the eye level, but getting out from there is not the greatest pleasure. But in general, this option is no worse than realized in Russian Samara, where the pillow is higher, but you have to clean your head in your pocket. The front passenger, unlike the driver, sometimes happens to hit his head on a hard hand-cut pen, which is located so that it strives to make contact with the right side of the passenger’s head.
If the owner of Lanos, the passion, as he wants to delve into the hood on his own, he will be pleased with a good access to the engine, which is not closed, as is now accepted, plastic shields. Candles, probe, main units are easily available. And if you have to change the burned fuse, hidden below the driver’s left leg, you will have to kneel at the open door or sit on a dirty threshold. Both are not the most pleasant classes.

SUMMARY:
To evaluate this car, one important parameter is not enough - price. When it is determined, it will become clear how to relate to the shortcomings noticed. Any product, including a car, is worth its money, and it is simply unreasonable to demand from an inexpensive machine of indicators of the best (and more expensive) samples.

The motor compartment will please the accessibility of the units.

There is no tachometer in a cheap configuration, and the glass of the device combination is desperately glittering.

The appearance of the car is quite modern.

It is most pleasant to ride Lanos on a good flat road.

The luggage compartment is not impressive in size, but the back of the seat folds both in its entirety and in parts.

Pros:
- Modern appearance
- convenient, spacious workplace of the driver
- Presumably moderate price
- sufficient (for its class) engine capabilities
minuses:
- modest luggage volume, close rear seat
- An uncomfortable suspension
- glare on devices combination
The noise of the salon panels

Technical characteristics of the car
General data: number of places - 5; Equipped mass - 1080 kg; Full mass - 1595 kg; maximum speed - 166 km/h; acceleration time from a place to 100 km/h - 15 s; fuel consumption in conditional suburban and city cycles - 11.4; 5.9 l/100 km; Fuel supply - 48 liters. Dimensions, mm: length - 4070; width - 1678; height - 1432; base - 2520; The track in front/back - 1405/1425; trunk volume - 250/886 l; The turning radius is 4.9 m. The engine: four -cylinder, in order, gasoline, is located in front, two valves per cylinder; working volume - 1349 cm3; cylinder diameter and piston stroke - 76.5x73.4; compression degree - 9.5; Power - 55 kW/75 liters. with. at 5400 rpm; The maximum torque is 115 N.M at 3400 rpm. Transmission: front wheel drive; The gearbox is a mechanical six -speed. Suspension: front type McEzerson, the rear-with a P-shaped beam. Brakes: with an amplifier, front - disk, rear - drum. Steering: rheck. Tire size: 155/80R13.
Igor Solidov
Photo by the author

A source: The magazine "Driving"