Daewoo Rocks the Minicar World

Whenever I think of Daewoo, I think of the “Mad TV” skit with Bobby Lee as Tank, the wannbe tuner boy with the yellow Daewoo. GM, Daewoo’s parent company, is hoping I’ll take another look at the company and its cars by introducing a new electric car, called the Matiz Creative, on September 1.

The Daewoo Matiz Creative is small — actually, it’s in the mini car segment, making it Smart-car-like in stature. It’s a “global car,” which means it will be sold even in the U.S., as soon as it meets crash test standards, which Daewoo expects to pass with flying colors. As befits a cute little car, it’s available in three trim levels called Pop, Jazz, and Groove, with Groove obviously being the most swank.

Here’s the basics:

• 1-liter 4-cylinder engine
• 4-speed automatic transmission (manual will be available in the future)
• Meets Korea’s Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle standard
• Air bags and crumple zones integrated in the design
• 40 mpg or so
• Will likely start around $8,000