Chevrolet Lacetti Makes Russian Comeback as Daewoo

VIENNA – General Motors Uzbekistan, owned 25% by GM and 75% by the Uzbek state automotive company Uzavtosanoat, unveils a Daewoo-badged version of the Chevrolet Lacetti sedan in Russia.

The Chevrolet Lacetti was made in Russia by contract assembler Avtotor until 2012. Avtotor assembled all three Lacetti body styles, sedan, hatchback and wagon. The sedan also has been in production at the GM Uzbekistan plant in Asaka since 2008.

Following the phase out of the Chevrolet version in Russia, a modified Uzbek-made Lacetti sedan is making its Russian debut badged as the Daewoo Gentra. The main visual change is the sedan’s front fascia.

The car is powered by a 1.5L, 105-hp 4-cyl. gasoline engine linked to a manual or automatic transmission.

Prices start at RR399,000 ($12,679). Customers can begin ordering the Gentra next month, with the car slated to begin arriving at the brand’s 156 dealerships in August.

Cars manufactured at GM’s Uzbek plant are offered under two brands in Russia.

The newer models, the Spark minicar and Cobalt sedan, are sold through Chevrolet dealers. Older models based on Daewoo designs, such as the Matiz minicar and Nexia sedan, are marketed as Chevrolets in Uzbekistan but wear the Daewoo badge in Russia and other Commonwealth of Independent States countries.

In Russia, the Daewoo models are sold by a separate Russian distributor called Uz-Daewoo.

This year, 20,139 Daewoo cars were delivered in Russia through April, down 12.7 % from like-2012. Daewoo currently is the No.14 brand in the Russian market.

The distributor says the correct brand name is Uz-Daewoo, but in fact the cars are badged as Daewoo. Russia and the CIS countries are the last remaining markets where the Daewoo brand is in use for cars.

The Gentra nameplate is not new for GM. It was used from 2005-2011 by the former GM Daewoo in South Korea for the previous-generation Aveo sold locally and in Vietnam.