Magnus to fly the flag for Daewoo

DAEWOO'S Leganza flagship will make way for an all-new replacement known as the Magnus in early 2001.

Recently launched in South Korea, the Magnus uses a completely different platform to the ItalDesign-styled Leganza, sold here since July, 1997.

The newcomer is bigger than Daewoo's current flagship, being closer in size to the Toyota Camry.

Unlike the Leganza, which is offered only with a Holden-sourced 2.2-litre engine, the Magnus will be available with the choice of 2.0-litre, four-cylinder or 2.5-litre V6 powerplants.

Both units are among a new breed of engines designed by Daewoo. No official figures are available as yet but the new powerplants should deliver impressive performance and fuel economy.

Daewoo Australia product manager Mr Ross Meyer says the four- cylinder Magnus would be priced similarly to the Leganza while the V6 version would take the fight up to the likes of the Hyundai Sonata GLS.

An example of the Magnus is currently in Australia for a photo shoot that will be used for the car's advertising campaign in its home market.

Externally, the car stands apart from the curvaceous Leganza through its chunkier, more angular lines.

The nose is adorned by the trademark chrome-laden Daewoo grille but the profile seems to have been inspired by the BMW 3 Series and Subaru Liberty.

Daewoo Australia is confident the Magnus will lift its overall sales, thanks largely to the availability of a V6 version.

The Leganza has been averaging just over 180 sales per month this year, although only 69 were sold during November.

Magnus is the second all-new Daewoo destined for Australia during the next 15 months with the Tacuma mini people-mover due here in the latter half of 2000.

The launch of the Tacuma will be followed by the arrival of facelifted versions of the Lanos and Leganza.