GM Daewoo Begins Lacetti Premiere Exports

General Motors today announced that its South Korean unit Daewoo Auto & Technology began exporting the Lacetti Premiere compact sedan to global markets, including Europe where it will be marketed as Chevrolet Cruze. Lacetti Premiere will be available in three different engine configurations, especially optimized for reduced fuel consumption and low CO2 emissions. The 1.6-liter and 1.8-liter gasoline and the 2.0-liter common rail diesel engines will be sold worldwide, General Motors said in a press statement.

The new Lacetti Premiere was officially unveiled last November and Daewoo says it expects to sell lots of units all around the world, especially in Europe when diesel engines account for almost a half of the total passenger car market.

And speaking of diesel, the common rail unit boasted by Lacetti Premiere generates 150 PS at 4,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 32.6 kg.m at 2,000 rpm. Equipped with a five-speed manual transmission, the diesel Lacetti achieves a combined fuel efficiency of 19 km/l (44.6 mpg).

"The Lacetti Premiere features segment-leading design and performance. Its export to the world will play a pivotal role in the ongoing growth of GM Daewoo and GM," said GM Daewoo Vice President of VSSM, Rick LaBell. "Its export will also have a positive impact on the domestic automotive industry and Korean economy, which are both encountering difficult times."

Aside from this fact, GM Daewoo earlier this month called for support from the South Korean government, explaining that financial aid is absolutely required to support the domestic operations. However, similar to other governments around the world, South Korea demanded GM to provide a viability plan before applying for state funds.