RoadTest: This new Daewoo left us very hot and bothered - and on a day when everyone was complaining about the sticky heat. It did boast air conditioning but no comforting chill emerged from the vents, even with the dial at the blue.
What gushed out instead was hot air, far hotter than the air outside, forcing us to open all the windows. The a/c controls looked simple enough: perhaps we were doing something wrong. Quite a lot of fiddling and checking indicated that there was indeed a problem.
Back at Daewoo Ireland headquarters, it was quickly diagnosed. In fitting the radio, wrong connections had been made and the Nubira became one of the hottest machines around!
So, now a cool assessment of this family saloon which Daewoo calls "sporty, elegant and affordable". More correctly we should say GM Daewoo: the Korean manufacturer is now under the control of General Motors, the world's biggest car maker.
When Daewoo was independent, there was a liaison of sorts with GM and cast-offs like the Opel Kadett wore the Korean badge. These days the GM spirit is evident with thoroughly modern styling. We saw it with the supermini Kalos and the new Nubira carries on the smart theme. Pininfarina of Italy shaped the metal; this is very much part of GM's new beginning with Daewoo, getting Italian styling houses to give the cars visual lift-off.
Nubira's profile is appealing enough but it stops short of being dramatic or arresting. The familiar triple grille remains but new light clusters emphasise the distinction between old and new (That's often the way now: lights which used to be so functional are the jewellery of cars!). Sloping waistline, bold wheel-arches and uncluttered rear add to the overall effect of conventional smartness.
The Nubira line-up now on Irish sale has two 16-valve engine options, a 108bhp 1.6 litre and a 1.8 with 120bhp. There are two basic levels of specification, SX and CDX, but for Irish buyers who might be counting their euros, there's a third, entry-level model without air conditioning - €18,500 ex-works.
Our test car, the 1.6SX, comes with an ex-works tag of €19,250 - staying cool costs €750. The 1.8 litre with only the CDX specification, is available as manual or automatic, at €23,000 and €24,500 ex- works respectively.
Most of the Irish business is going to be done by the 1.6 litre model and Daewoo here sees its competitors as the Toyota Corolla Terra 1.4 (€19,680), the Opel Astra Njoy 1.6 (€20,490) and the Ford Focus LX 1.6 (€20,710).
Daewoo claims better equipment levels as well as better pricing. All Nubira models come with ABS brakes and EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), dual airbags, four electric windows and mirrors, keyless central locking, 15-inch wheels and RDS radio-CD player. CDX throws in a five-disc CD changer, full climate control, rain-sensing wipers, side airbags and remote controls on the steering wheel for the audio system.
The driving? It's easy, undemanding, undramatic but these are no words of criticism. The Nubira, we think, is excellently suited to its constituency - people who want competent motoring at a good price without any skimping. It's lively enough within the 1.6-litre family class with a 0-62 mph time of 10.7 seconds and a top speed of around 115 mph.
An all-round independent suspension system was chosen to enhance ride comfort and reduce noise and vibration. Behind the wheel, the Nubira's ride and handling gave us no cause to worry.
While not a match for the Focus or Mondeo, it felt confident and reassuring in most situations with body roll limited during cornering. Possibly heading into a turn much too fast would show up the strengths - or weaknesses - against dynamically superior rivals. We didn't try, preferring to emulate the style of most Nubira drivers.
If the worst happens, Daewoo makes a song-and-dance about its safety features, especially high torsional rigidity and use of extra high-strength steel. The press material also tells us that 111 prototypes met early deaths in 194 crash tests in the US and Korea using Euro NCAP standards. We had only one niggling safety worry: the test car didn't come fitted with side airbags.
Packaging is important in family cars. The Nubira is 4,500 mm long, significantly exceeding other cars in the class, so the designers could give space to passengers, particularly those in the back where the seats can be folded down in a 40/60 configuration.
There are trays and holders to stop things flying around - such as a cup/can holder in the front centre console, a pocket on the side of the front passenger seat and compartments in all four doors.
A more fuel-efficient engine is, predictably enough, another Daewoo claim. The 1.6 and 1.8 engines are said to consume between 9 and 13 per cent less fuel than comparable units in the previous model. On a long country journey with much open road and fairly fast driving, we returned 35.2 mpg. Gentler speeds would probably have nudged consumption towards 40 mpg.
So, this Korean newcomer drives well, is smart if not exciting in looks and has space a-plenty. Any negatives? One has to be the somewhat old-fashioned seat trim and plastics which prevail in the cabin. It's slightly reminiscent of the time when Korean cars were mainly cheap-and-cheerful. Now, that they have grown-up and got sophisticated, the Nubira's interior doesn't quite complement the external elegance.
Controls are neatly and conveniently positioned. In all versions, the height of the driver's seat, the front seat belts and the angle of the steering wheel are adjustable. Thought went into the positioning of the switch for the hazard warning light - it's central and relatively high up and can be easily reached by the front-seat passenger; useful in an emergency.
GM Daewoo tells us that Nubira is for younger customers, but it turns out that younger means an average age of 42. (The segment average is 49). European expectations are modest - just 6,700 for west European roads this year. Four-door saloons are never top sellers in the compact family sector in Europe and Daewoo says that next year's five-door models will be much more popular.
Cars such as tis Nubira show how dramatically Korean cars have improved in just a few years. They come with most of the styling and engineering attributes of their European counterparts, but are lower priced, have enhanced specification and three-year/60,000-mile warranties.
So, with the awful bankruptcy threat receding into memory, Daewoo motors top a brighter future with cars such as the Kalos and the new Nubira.