The Daewoo Kalos isn't perfect, writes Andrew Hamilton, but its virtues far exceed the vices and its biggest trump card is pricing, especially in thepresent climate of eroding affordability.
In trying to write about cars, do the motoring press sometimes get it all wrong? We met a talkative chap the other night who forcefully suggested that we are all too long-winded, and that we should be thinking and writing more about those who want reasonable, cheap and affordable wheels to go from A to B or wherever.
We are, he opined, constantly talking in fancy jargon like torque. Why don't we just say the car is good or bad, value-for-money and worth buying?
Maybe he has a point: there's probably a lot of very sober buyers out there who would empathise and like their advice in that sort of condensed form.
Ordinary folk looking for what's cheap and affordable did come to mind when we had a recent drive in the latest Daewoo, the Kalos.
It's the first new model from the Korean manufacturer since it emerged from bankruptcy and it's now firmly under the control of General Motors. The GM influence actually has been around there for quite a while: when Daewoo first started retailing in western parts, it relied on GM cast-offs.
But that was then, and this is now, and the Korean manufacturers all show thoroughly modern faces these days.
In Daewoo's case, probably the most convincing is the Giugiaro-designed Matiz. It's no coincidence then, that the new Kalos also hails from the famous Italian styling house.
Launched late last year, it still has a long way to go to achieve the Matiz's familiarity. Kalos is a player in the crowded supermini segment and it's probably too early to say if it will make a significant dent there.
Mr Giugiaro, as the high profile designer, has come up with a pleasant-looking Fiesta rival. Surprisingly, there's more than a hint of Hyundai Getz about the body-style. The Kalos has a more interesting front, while there's a neat line down the side accentuating the good looks. All in all, the shape is smartly conventional and it breaks away from recent trends of looking like a mini-MPV even though there is a high roofline and a long wheelbase. It's a vast improvement, indeed, on previous generation Daewoos.
There are just three versions of Kalos on the Irish market, the five-door SE and SX and the four-door SE saloon.
All come with a 1.4-litre 83 bhp engine and have respective ex-works prices of €12,995, €13,995 and €13,795. Those three figures, probably more than anything else about Kalos, should represent its appeal to motorists of the A to B variety.
It's a huge value-for-money package, considering that a prime supermini player like the five-door 1.4 LX Ford Fiesta retails at €15,395 ex-works.
Virtually all the other similarly-engined European and Japanese superminis in the current new car price list come with much more expensive stickers.
Our test car was the five-door SX at €13,995 and, compared with the lower spec SE, it additionally offers powered rear windows, a seat back picnic table, a keyless entry system, a tachometer and front fog lamps.
These goodies apart, there's nothing to distinguish the interior between SE and SX. Frankly it's a disappointment, given the freshness and smartness of the exterior. The seating is comfortable enough, both for driver and passengers, but the tasteless seat material does nothing to lift the cabin's somewhat cheap-and-cheerful feel.
The dashboard is a better story and there are attractive hooded dials and air vents. There was a good standard of fit and finish and we couldn't detect any rattles or squeaks, even over rough surfaces.
This new Korean hatchback presents practicality which isn't far off rivalling the class leaders in some areas. There's lots of head and legroom in the back. The boot, however, is disappointingly lacking in size and a high sill could make loading difficult.
So what of the driving? At most normal speeds, the engine is quiet and refined and it also feels punchy. Putting the foot further down can shatter the illusion somewhat: the noise is more conspicuous and the initial feeling of refinement dissipates.
The performance statistics suggest that Kalos isn't imbued with enormous energy. It takes 13.3 seconds to get from 0 to 62 mph while top speed is just over 105 mph. The official combined fuel consumption is given as 47 mpg which sounds impressive enough. On a long run of mostly open road driving, we managed 36.2 mpg.
We have seen other reports of the Kalos, suggesting that ride and handling were poor. That wasn't our experience and in normal driving which, after all, should be the basis for all our driving, it was well-behaved and assured and we never detected any twitchy instincts.
We found the steering firm and positive too, which has to contrast with a certain motoring magazine that found it "spongy, leaving little opportunity for fun on twisty roads". When will magazine writers ever learn that the sort of people who drive the Kalos, or indeed other cheaper value-for-money wheels, aren't likely to be interested in twisting through bends like they're in the Circuit of Ireland.
Back to the interior again. It may be dull but it's thoughtful in construction. There's a plethora of compartments, secret and otherwise, to store belongings - like on the driver's side compartment for the mobile phone or sunglasses - and the central floor table unit that can handle coins for parking meters and beverages.
When the cargo is not always people, 60:40 fold-and-tilt rear seats come into play, giving versatility for awkward loathe seats in place, boot space may be limited but when they are folded and secured behind the front seats, there's a huge 735 litres of load space.
We haven't quite met the criteria of the talkative chap mentioned at the beginning, while we have steered clear of fancy jargon. So taking his cue, is the Daewoo Kalos, which incidentally means "beauty" in ancient Greek, worth buying? Very much so if you are budget-conscious.
Convincing, too, is the three-year or 60,000-mile warranty package which also includes three years RAC membership. Daewoo Ireland says it's a "peace of mind" package.
The Kalos isn't perfect, but in these chastened times, it could be the car for so many of us. The virtues far exceed the vices and its biggest trump card is pricing, especially in a climate of eroding affordability.