3.2.2003
GM Daewoo announces new products at the AutoRAI in Amsterdam

Customers interested in GM Daewoo's compact Kalos will have a much broader choice as of March this year. In addition to the initially launched 1.4-liter gasoline engine (61 kW/83 hp), two new fuel-efficient, four-cylinder units will extend the product range in both directions - a 1.2-liter engine with 53 kW/72 hp and a 1.4-liter 16-valve powerplant with 69 kW/94 hp.

This top-of-the-line engine is available with an automatic transmission. The two new engines will premiere at the AutoRAI Show in Amsterdam from February 7 to 16. The new Kalos 1.2 and 1.4 16V will be in European showrooms just one month later. Launched last fall, the compact Kalos combines appealing styling with a wealth of standard features and a three-year warranty - all at an extremely favorable price.

New entry-level Kalos 1.2 with 72 hp and 6.6 liter fuel consumption
The new Kalos 1.2, available as of March, is reasonably priced and inexpensive to maintain. From 1150 cm3 capacity, its long-stroke engine generates 53 kW/72 hp at 5,400 rpm. Its maximum torque of 104 Nm is available at 4,400 rpm. The engine block of the four-cylinder unit is made of gray cast iron; the cylinder heads are produced using aluminum in order to keep the weight down and to improve heat conductivity. The overhead camshaft, located in the cylinder head, opens and closes the eight exhaust and intake valves.

Equipped with the 1.2-liter engine, the Kalos covers 100 kilometers with only 6.6 liters of gasoline (MVEG combined cycle), giving it a range of 680 kilometers on one tank (45 liters). The compact Kalos offers lively performance, accelerating from zero to 100 km/h in 13.7 seconds and reaching a maximum speed of 157 km/h.

Sporty new 1.4-liter Kalos with 94 hp and four-valve technology
The new, top-of-the-line Kalos is powered by a sporty, four-cylinder gasoline unit with an output of 69 kW/94 hp, two overhead camshafts and four-valve technology. In contrast to the base model, it is available with a modern four-speed automatic transmission. The new engine has a capacity of 1,399 cm3 with a 77.9 mm stroke and 73.4 mm bore. The modern powerplant has a variable switch intake system that ensures particularly high air throughput at low engine speeds, therefore also ensuring a high torque level. As a result the four-cylinder engine makes maximum torque of 130 Nm available just 3,400 rpm. The crankshaft is driven by a toothed belt and, together with a total of 16 hydraulically adjusted valves, controls the fuel mix.

The Kalos 1.4 16V accelerates from zero up to 100 km/h in 11.1 seconds (automatic transmission: 11.9 s). Its maximum speed is 176 km/h (automatic: 170 km/h). At 7.0 liters (automatic: 7.6 liters) of super unleaded fuel per 100 kilometers, fuel consumption is very modest (MVEG combined cycle). Like the other Kalos engines, the 1.4 16 V meets the Euro 3 emissions standard.

Overview of Daewoo Kalos 1.2 and 1.4 16V technical data:

Specifications based on hatchback with manual transmission

Affordable rally kit for Motorsport beginners
An additional attraction that will draw visitors to the Daewoo stand in Hall 1 of the Amsterdam Exhibition and Congress Center is a rally model based on the Kalos. At the initiative from Daewoo Motor Benelux, the Dutch specialists Biesheuvel Autosport have designed and developed a special kit for the compact model that will allow those interested in motorsport to get into the sport at a very reasonable price. Negotiations with teams and sponsors are currently underway to establish a brand name race called the "Daewoo Kalos Rally Challenge" with a total of eight races in the Netherlands and Belgium.

With almost 500,000 visitors in 2001, the AutoRAI Auto Show is the largest held in the Netherlands. Visitors to this year's AutoRAI will see the complete Daewoo product range. Since the establishment of GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co in October 2002, the line-up has grown to include not just the new Kalos but also the elegant, mid-sized Evanda sedan and the newly launched 1.0-liter Matiz with its sophisticated 47 kW/64 hp, four-cylinder engine.