RoadTest: Are all of us who write about cars really in touch with the constituency? It was suggested to us the other day - and very forcibly too - that we are not.
While we don't want to knock our scribbling colleagues, maybe there's something in the argument. You don't have to be a mathematician or a marketing person to know that most Irish car buyers - at least 85 per cent - favour high volume, everyday marques with relatively modest engine outputs.
That's a situation that's very much dictated by the Government's punitive and unbalanced taxation policy. Some of us, doubtless, would like bigger and more expensive wheels but it isn't really an option.
It's simply a matter of what we can afford in the pricey 2004 Irish marketplace, pricier than any other Euro territory for almost any commodity and not just cars.
Our correspondent was lamenting that not enough emphasis was put on the value-for-money aspect of buying, owning and running a car. He apparently didn't want to know a great deal about ride and handling.
We did get an admission from him that mid-range torque was important, after it was duly explained. Passing-out power in lower gears is a vital element in safe driving.
All this is by way of introduction to today's road test subject with the wonderfully mellifluous name of Lacetti. It's from the Daewoo stable, or more correctly GM Daewoo, emphasising the new beginning just a year and a half ago when General Motors acquired the bankrupt Korean manufacturer.
We have been driving the Lacetti with a 1.4 litre 93bhp engine, which has just been launched on the Irish market as a five-door hatchback. There's a mechanically identical 1.4 four-door saloon stablemate that's also new and uses the more familiar Nubira. Both are priced, at €16,995 in entry-level SX form.
Let's go first to that vital fact of life - is it value-for-money? We think so because the €17,000 price tag is over €900 below Skoda's 1.4 Ambiente while the difference against the Ford Focus Freedom is over €1,300. Other examples of the Lacetti's advantageous pricing include the Nissan Almera 1.5 Sport, €2,300 plus; the Toyota Corolla 1.4 Terra, €2,570 plus; the Opel Astra 1.4 Njoy, €2,605 plus and the Volkswagen Golf, €3,315 plus. All these are, by the way, five-door.
It's hardly surprising that more familiar bigger volume models such as the Focus, Corolla and Golf cost considerably more. Daewoo is still a minnow in the small family car pool and attractive lower pricing is probably the most compelling way of getting attention, winning customers and ultimately growing bigger.
The Lacetti beats European competitors by having a three-year or 60,000-mile warranty. In Britain, buyers also get free servicing and air conditioning but that goodwill doesn't extend here.
Now it's time to go driving, assess the styling and interior appointments and generally adjudge the Lacetti's role as a small though not too small family hatchback.
Doubtless, if we were one of the young braves of the motor magazine world, it would get the thumbs down. One such in a leading British publication complained about an engine of "little enthusiasm", a gearbox that was "always notchy", "pretty unremarkable" handling and a ride that gave "too much thump and noise into the cabin." Was it really that bad?
Not in our judgement. Remembering again, the sort of people who will be buying the Lacetti. We don't think they will be disappointed. It drives in competent rather than exciting fashion but there's more than enough power for family outings. The official performance figures from Daewoo indicate it's no firebrand - with a top speed of 108mph and a 0-62mph time of 11.2 seconds. The gearbox wasn't at all notchy and we were just able to coax enough power out of third for some important overtaking manoeuvres.
The handling, not of the tyre-screaming variety, felt reasonably assured and we didn't detect thump and noise in the cabin. All in all, the Lacetti is a car that won't set the pulses racing but it doesn't deserve to be pilloried either. It meets its driving responsibilities adequately.
The Daewoo press material talks about an "elegant and sporty design" by Giugiaro which is maybe hyping it a bit. The profile will not cause arresting stares in the car park but it still is thoroughly modern and contemporary. At the front, it's a bit bland: the modernity is mostly at the rear and indeed there's a strong similarity with the forthcoming new Astra.
Strong points of the Lacetti include a cabin that doesn't look "budget". More importantly, it's easy to get comfortable with reach and rake adjustment for the steering wheel, height adjustment on the seat and plenty of room. Space in the rear is capacious and legroom exceeds that of key players in the segment like Focus and Astra.
The space advantage has a lot to do with the 4,295mm length which is longer than the average car in the class.
We found it reasonably frugal in driving with consumption of 38.2mpg on a long run. On a route that involved a mix of urban and country, consumption fell to 32 mpg. Consumption in the official combined cycle is given as 38.8 mpg or 7.1 litres for 100 kilometres.
There's a standard specification that includes electric windows at the front and rear, ABS brakes and a 60/40 fold down rear seat. We were disappointed however to note that there are no side airbags, a safety deficiency. The RDS radio and CD player incorporates six speakers.
Sure, the Lacetti will probably get faint praise from the smart motor magazine set who like steeds that are sophisticated and glamorous and full of image. The Lacetti in fact is a smart, modern car that we wouldn't mind parking on our driveway. The biggest motivation for doing so comes in just three words, value-for-money. That we think is still a cri de couer and we mustn't forget it.