IT WAS a long, hard wrangle that wore down Daewoo owners and did nothing for the brand appeal. But now, with the liquidation of the original firm and the birth of GM Daewoo, the problems are far in the rear view mirror and the marque is safely in the hands of the world's biggest car maker.
The first new model to hit the showrooms with a GM Daewoo badge is Kalos. Despite a name that's a bit down on sex appeal, the Kalos is a pretty cute supermini with five doors, designed by Guigiaro who made a great job of the Alfa GTV among others.
Daewoo originally hit the headlines for its "no hassle" customer care which meant owners got free servicing and AA cover for their first three years all included in the price of the car. GM have continued this and even allow the free servicing to be transferred if the car is sold.
I drove the 1.4-litre SX eight valve which, at £8,395, is one below the flagship 16v model which sells for £8,995.
The Kalos has followed the template of small family cars in being tall and upright to maximise cabin space, and the formula works well - it's a genuine five seater with ample leg and head room. The "cab forward" look and snub tail marry up well making it chic as well as practical.
Rear seat picnic tray, cup-holders 60-40 split folding rear seat add to appeal for young families who are probably going to form the majority of buyers.
The engine is hardly state-of-the-art technology so acceleration and economy lags a bit behind the European leaders - it reaches 60 in 13 seconds and the combined economy figure is 37.7 mpg. But good aerodynamics help the Kalos top 105mph. The eight valve unit has to be worked quite hard but it's willing and smooth. Handling and roadholding are safe and predictable without making any pretensions to be sporting.
Where Kalos really comes into its own is as a no-fuss, quiet family runabout. The clean shape reduces wind noise to a whisper and mechanical noise is well suppressed. Front seats, while plenty large enough, offer little sideways support during cornering.
Few makes can compare with the levels of standard equipment anywhere near the price. The SX has electric windows front and rear, air con, four channel ABS, rev counter, tinted glass, tilt-adjustable steering wheel, and driver and passenger air bags.
It all adds up to a very complete package. In keeping with running costs and cheap maintenance, the insurance rating is a modest Group 5A - partly helped by the standard fitment of a Thatcham cat 2 immobiliser.
The Kalos comes with a five speed manual gearbox - automatic transmission is a reasonable £875 extra.
There are currently in excess of 80 GM Daewoo dealers across the country and these are supplemented by authorised repairers.
So Daewoo lives to fight another day ... and the Kalos with its excellent warranty deal and chirpy looks is likely to prosper.
FAST FACTS
GM Daewoo Kalos 1.4 SX
Price: £8,395
Mechanical: 82bhp, 1,399cc 4 cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5-spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 106mph
0-62mph: 12.1 secs
Combined mpg: 37.7
Insurance group: 5
CO2 emissions: 175g/km
BiK rating: 19%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 6yrs anti-rust