DAEWOO burst on to the Australian new car market in 1994 with its 1984-vintage ex-GM Vauxhall Astra cast-off, the front-wheel drive 1.5i. Riding on the back of keen pricing, good looks, big space and a blue heeler dog named Cain, the South Korean carmaker quickly established itself amongst value-conscious Aussies. Buyers loved the fact that they could get a Corolla-sized car at a baby Barina price. But the car itself was hopelessly out-of-date in the areas of refinement, quality, dynamics and safety. Its Cielo replacement just over a year later proved little better, and it wasn't until the Lanos came in 1997 that the first of the modern Daewoos were delivered.
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