Chevrolet Matiz

Road test

Crappy though it was, the Daewoo Matiz was a loveable little thing. Pininfarina ensured it looked mercifully un-Korean, and the balls-out cheapness of the end product was reflected in an attractively tiny asking price.

Re-branding such a car is an unenviable task; not quite polishing a turd but, at the very least, trying to put a new spin on something openly devoid of even the faintest vestige of glamour.

Nonetheless, Chevrolet has had a crack, and as a marque with almost as little recognition in the UK as Daewoo itself, what has it got to lose?

A fair bit of work has been done to improve looks, ride and handling, and while it is relatively comfortable, it still looks pretty much the same and rolls like a dinghy in a storm.

Levels of safety have been addressed to some extent, too, but the overwhelming sense of vulnerability remains.

In fairness, it's been a while since we drove the original Daewoo and the changes are probably a little too subtle, but ultimately the Matiz feels much as it always did and that's no longer on a par with the equally well priced but utterly superior C1/Aygo/107 brotherhood.

The Matiz marketing campaign includes the optimistic tagline: 'Above all, it's a Chevy.' The reality is somewhat starker. Try: 'Above all, it's still a Daewoo, and what's a Chevy to you anyway?'

Matt Master