Drivers of all ages looking for a stylish small car which won’t cost the earth to run could take a look at the new Daewoo Kalos - a big possibility small car that comes at a reasonable price!

Buyers can chose between the 5-door hatch or the small family 4-door saloon. Both have their own individual style up front as well as main body shapes. The 5-door version comes in both SE and SX trim but the saloon is only available in the SE trim.

Both cars are well specced for their price tags, for both comfort and safety. However, Daewoo believe most sales will be for the saloon version.

While it won’t take the world by storm, the Kalos offers a pretty good package and Daewoo are hoping it will help them gain a bigger slice of the Irish market this year.

Priced competitively from E12,995, the Kalos is initially only available in a 1.4-litre 83bhp petrol engine. A 1.2-litre is expected in March 2003, along with a 1.4-litre 16v engine. Down the line, Daewoo may introduce an automatic version with the 1.4-litre engine.

The car replaces the Lanos, slotting in between the Nubira and Matiz in the marque’s line up. Designed by Giugiaro of Turin who also designed their smaller Matrix, the car made its first public appearance as a concept car at the 2000 Paris Motor Show. We saw the protype study in Geneva in March 2002.

It’s also special in that it’s the first Daewoo to be launched under the General Motors ownership.

The car under review is the 5-door version in the top SX trim. I found the engine peppy enough when you put your foot down and nice to handle and parking was a doddle even in a very tight space. There’s also a fair lot of engine insultation so it’s not as noisy a drive as some others in the segment.

Suspension, too, was far better than I’d expected, even over bumpy roads in my part of the country. A very definite plus, especially if you have young children or grandparents on board.

It’s the spaciousness of the hatch that hits when you open the door. The airiness is due to the very high arched roofline and long wheelbase at 2.48 metres. Daewoo claim the car offers the best headroom in its class. Put simply, you think you’re in a much bigger car!

The elevated MPV-like seats also contribute to the spacious feel of the cabin as do the huge sloped windscreen and the three side windows.

The dash is both functional and simple in layout. Instruments feature white numbers against a black background but the numbers turn a pale green colour by night.

The sound from the Blaupunkt radio was good but I found the station buttons a bit finnicky to operate. And in this day and age I hate to see a gap where a CD should be!

Buttons for all four electric windows, the boot and the fuel flap release are all located within easy reach.

The Kalos is good on cubbies, big and small and there’s also a reasonably sized glove compartment. There’s also a neat netted small goods holder is placed on the side of the front passenger seat and a handy little hook from the side of the front passenger seat.

Other small things included the deep blue tinted sunblock area on the top of the windscreen, nifty slide out and adjustable cup holders, and the sturdy pull up table behind the front passenger seat. A quiet word - lady drivers want a good sized vanity mirror on both flaps up front, and preferably with a light! I was disappointed to see none on the driver’s side in the review car - only a flap for parking tickets if you’re unfortunate enough to get one. (I’m not that vain, really, but I don’t like having to adjust the rear mirror for this purpose and felt this was a bit stingy).

However, the review car’s top SX trim DID featured twin airbags, door impact beams for side protection, power steering, central locking with a bleeper (watch out as it makes a rather loud, sharp sound that will make you jump), three-point seat belts throughout, electric windows all round, front fogs, RDS cassette radio with four speakers, tinted windscreen, rear wiper, tachometer, immobilizer and the driver’s seat can be adjusted to ensure a better fit for the driver.

Neither air conditioning or ABS is offered as standard.