The European-specification Daewoo Nubira (Lacetti), to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March will have suspension tuned to European tastes and road conditions, GM-Daewoo claims.
Several weeks and thousands of miles of intensive chassis testing on UK roads have led to significant modifications to the new car’s steering feel as well as to its spring and damper settings. GM-Daewoo claims the new set-up is more suitable for high-speed driving on motorways as well as providing increased lateral stability with reduced body roll for rapid progress on winding country roads.
“Korean drivers prefer a softer ride,” said a spokesman. “We know that Europeans prefer a sportier feel with more precise steering and a firmer suspension.”
The power steering features a stronger torsion bar and a pump with different flow characteristics and has been tuned to provide more feedback to the driver for greater driving precision. The front and rear suspension settings on the European Nubira are firmer than those of the Korean Lacetti sibling. Firmer damping minimises the bounce effect that is often a feature of undulating or bumpy roads; spring rates have been increased by around 10% and the anti-roll bar tuned for crisper handling and sharper response. Taken together, the modifications are claimed to result in improved grip and road-holding, reduced lateral rocking and body roll and sportier ride and handling.
The test programme also includes trials with various types of tyres. A new tyre, developed specifically, will offer more sidewall stiffness.
The Pininfarina-designed European Nubira will initially offer a choice of two 16-valve engines, a 1.6-litre unit and a 1.8-litre version with either manual or automatic transmission.
