Daewoo's Leganza is cheaper than it deserves to be

As the story goes, Giugiaro had completed this design for the next small Jaguar, but Ford bosses said no, so Daewoo stepped in and took the car off his hands as was. It might explain the certain Jagish lines to the rear quarter, but, whatever, the Leganza is one handsome beast, by far the nicest yet to wear a Korean badge.

From its smooth nose with the superbly-integrated Daewoo grille to the stylish rump and the chrome lip over the rear numberplate recess, this is a car that exudes class and attracted many interested looks during its time under my hands. The version for review was the top CDX, and the alloy wheels also added to the elegant effect. In straight side view, the Leganza’s proportions score, to my eye, a perfect 10.

Getting inside showed a dashboard design that took a little getting used to, with a disturbing curve away towards the passenger side. Maybe at first I thought it gimmicky, but soon I took it as an added attraction. Not that the car needed it to create an overall good impression from the driver’s seat. The Leganza has space, very good upholstering, and enough goodies to keep even gadget anoraks reasonably happy. Some of which are unseen ... the speedometer is electronic, for instance, in its guts, though reassuringly analogue in display (so far the only digital display I care for is that on Toyota’s Yaris, regulars will know).

The car also has dual airbags, traction control, ABS, and the latest Bosch engine management system. In the boot there’s a 10-disc CD changer, worked nicely from the tuner/tape unit in the front which itself, however, only gains 5/10 points for ease of use because some of the buttons are small and fiddly. There’s aircon as standard, with full automatic climate control in the CDX, and a paradoxical sunroof in all models. In addition, the superior version has a leather-bound steering wheel, and full leather seatcovering is an optional extra which might be worth considering because the fabric trim is a little on the insipid side, particularly given the large amount of plastic on the door interiors. Small crib, really, as plastic is the best-wearing substance for car interiors and we shouldn’t be complaining about it ... could be painted metal, couldn’t it? The wood-effect trim on the dash and centre console is decently understated.

No crib about the boot ... it is large and easily accessed with even big objects. Though the CD-changer might be vulnerable if loading a lawnmower. Don't, really.

In the mechanical department, Daewoo’s continuing association with General Motors continues as the 2-litre engine is developed with the help of GM’s Australian subsidiary Holden. That’s a good start, because the Ozzies are picky about having their engines reliable under extremer circumstances than we’ll ever get in Ireland this side of a total global-warming meteorological transformation. They also like them to be smooth. In both areas the Leganza’s motor qualifies comfortably. Power output at 133bhp is maybe marginally up on the class average, but anyway is adequate. The review car had a Daewoo-designed 5-speed box, fiddled with by a really tidy shift. There’s a 4-speed auto available.

Suspension is tweaked by Lotus of Britain, and shows on the road to be a very good match of comfort and handling. Not that anyone is likely to want to throw one of these hard around the place, but it won’t lose its composure under reasonable or, I suspect, considerably worse pressure. Where the Leganza shows its best form is on long trips over a variety of main roads, where it softens the worst of them and gains the best benefits from the best. I was fortunate to have such a trip, to a wedding in the west, where many of the other cars in the church car park were Mercs and Beemers and Saabs and the Legser didn’t look a wiperblade out of place amongst them.

(I thought it looked better, actually, than any of them. But then I’m the kind of guy who wears a bow tie with my ordinary best suit when invited to a tux affair, because I don’t want to look like a disco bouncer. I did, and I didn’t.)

So, where does the Leganza fit in the motoring hierarchy? Put it against its countrymate Hyundai Sonata and it wins hands down. Come across to our side of the world and you have to think a little. It’s being bought with trade-ins from Vectra, Mondeo, Carina ... and also old-model Camrys. But it is as well attracting buyers from executive people who have also considered Alfa 156s. For me it is a direct competitor against the Opel Omega I respect highly, and high-end Passats too. And I’m not the only one who thinks so - Daewoo Ireland have already sold well over twice the number they planned for this year.

Daewoos I’ve driven so far score mainly on price against their competitors, with tradeoffs on noise and finish. The Leganza also scores substantially on price, at just under £20,000 for the CDX as driven. But here there is little trade-off, and I predict that the Leganza will prove to be the car that really marks the transition of this Korean marque from a maker who used to build reskinned older Opels to a manufacturer of true quality with value attached.

I read this week that the economies of the Pacific Rim countries are beginning to recover from their meltdown of the last two years. I’d be inclined to buy a Leganza while it is still some five grand cheaper than it deserves to be. And if it had become the Jaguar it was designed to be, the gap would be a helluva lot more.