Nubira Station Wagon completes GM Daewoo's compact trio
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With the introduction of its new Nubira station wagon, GM Daewoo will round off its range of modern, compact-class models. The latest addition to the family, which already comprises the Nubira notchback and the Lacetti hatch, will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show (March 4 – 14, 2004) and reach European showrooms in late summer. The newcomer stands out above all through the above-average amount of space it offers inside. The generous headroom for the driver and front-seat passenger (1,000 mm) and the plentiful legroom in the rear (932 mm) are both among the best in this class.
Beneath the large tailgate, the practical station wagon (length/width/height): 4,562/ 1,725/1,459 mm) has a capacity of 400 to 1,410 liters (VDA standard, provisional). Apart from the 60:40 split, folding backrest, useful features on the new Nubira include an aluminum-look roof rack as standard, an additional 12V power socket in the luggage compartment, and as many as 25 pockets, holders and other storage spaces inside.
The refreshing styling of the Nubira station wagon is based on the form of the notchback created by Pininfarina and was developed as an independent body style by the specialists at the new GM Daewoo design center in Bupyong/South Korea. The chrome radiator grille and large clear-glass headlamps combine to create a particularly attractive face, while the eye-catching rear lamps were styled vertically to ensure a generously wide opening for loading. As far as the interior design is concerned, the Nubira station wagon takes its cue from the sporty look of the Lacetti and boasts, for example, the same four circular air vents with aluminum-look rings.
The Nubira station wagon comes with a choice of two modern four-cylinder, four-valve gasoline engines. The 1.6-liter unit generates 80 kW/109 hp and propels the front-wheel drive model to a top speed of 179 km/h. Fuel consumption is a moderate 8.2 liters per 100 km (MVEG combined cycle, provisional). The performance of the 1.8-liter engine is naturally even higher. With this 90 kW/122 hp powerplant, the Nubira reaches a top speed of 183 km/h. If desired, the larger engine can be ordered with a modern, four-speed automatic transmission from ZF.
With its generous, standard equipment package and favorable price, the new Nubira is another example of GM Daewoo's successful strategy of offering customers plenty of car for their money. Other important features are the chassis with independent suspension front and rear (tuned specifically to European driving conditions) and high levels of active and passive safety.
"Over the last 12 months, we have introduced three new models in the compact class, which is the most important vehicle segment in Europe," says Erhard L. (Hardy) Spranger, Executive in Charge of GM Daewoo Europe. "Although all three are based on one vehicle architecture, the Nubira, Lacetti and Nubira station wagon cover the needs of very different groups of buyers in this vehicle category. And the growth prospects are very good indeed. All in all, we aim to sell about 50,000 Nubira and Lacetti models in Europe in 2005, which will be the first full year of production for the complete range."
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