M100 Matiz Series 1

ARGUABLY Daewoo’s best car, the Matiz nevertheless suffered from a couple of significant flaws.

The design is brilliantly timeless. The work of Italian Giorgetto Giugiaro, it was rejected by Fiat and picked up by Daewoo.

Much of the engineering work was done by Dr Ulrich Bez – ex Porsche chief engineer – who was also responsible for the packaging.

So the terribly vague steering and awful handling come as a shock. One magazine rolled a Matiz after a reverse U-turn manoeuvre.

And the 796cc three-cylinder engine’s weedy 38kW/69Nm made the Matiz gutless on the open road. Around town it was fine though, with excellent parking abilities and a surprisingly accommodating cabin.

Each Matiz included dual airbags, air-conditioning and a CD player. Power windows and central locking were options.

From October 2000 to August 2002 Daewoo sold a panel version known as the Matiz S, offering a 464kg payload and no back seats.