Daewoo Magnus

The Daewoo Magnus was a mid-sized sedan developed and manufactured by Daewoo from 2000 to 2006. GM Daewoo and other General Motors divisions, as well as GMDAT stake holder Suzuki, have marketed this car under different badges in various countries. The car is also known under its internal Daewoo designation of V200. The Project Manager was Dr. W.J Lee.

Daewoo Magnus
Overview
ManufacturerDaewoo (General Motors)
Also called
  • Chevrolet Epica
  • Chevrolet Evanda
  • Daewoo Evanda
  • Formosa Magnus
  • Suzuki Verona
Production2000-2006
2005–2006 (China)
Assembly
DesignerGiorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign
Body and chassis
ClassMid-size car (D)
Body style4-door sedan
LayoutFF layout
Powertrain
Engine
Transmission5-speed manual
4-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase106.3 in (2,700 mm)
Length187.8 in (4,770 mm)
Width71.5 in (1,816 mm)
Height
  • Epica: 56.7 in (1,440 mm)
  • Verona: 57.1 in (1,450 mm)
Chronology
Predecessor
Successor
Daewoo Magnus pre-facelift front
Daewoo Magnus pre-facelift rear
Daewoo Magnus facelift rear

The V200 is a successor of the Daewoo Leganza (model V100), based on a bigger platform.[2] Launched in 23 November, it was sold alongside the Leganza in Korea until the end of V100's production in 2002, when it also superseded it in export markets. The V200 itself was given an extensive facelift for 2006, which resulted in the model known as V250, or Daewoo Tosca in Korea. The V250 completely superseded all versions of the V200 during 2006.

The Evanda comes equipped with the Daewoo-developed XK6 inline-6 engine (DOHC 24V, 155 hp (116 kW) at 5800 rpm, 177 lb⋅ft (240 N⋅m) of torque at 4000 rpm – Canadian specification) or a Holden-built 2.0 L D-TEC Inline-4 (DOHC 16V) carried over from the Leganza. ItalDesign of Italy was responsible for the styling and design of both the Leganza and Magnus. However, the upcoming V250 was styled in Korea by GM Daewoo.

V200 in export markets
Chevrolet Evanda

From 2000 until 2004, the V200 was marketed as Daewoo Evanda in Western Europe, and Chevrolet Evanda in many Eastern European countries where GM did not use the Daewoo brand, as locally manufactured versions of old Daewoo models were still sold under that marque. The Evanda replaced the Leganza, and also the Chevrolet Alero. Later, in 2004, the entire Daewoo brand was replaced by Chevrolet in all of Europe, with models renamed accordingly.

The Magnus was also rebadged as the Suzuki Verona in the United States and Chevrolet Epica in other markets, including Canada, China, Chile and Arabia. However, Suzuki announced it would drop the Verona after the 2006 model year due to low sales likely caused by the fact that the US model only came with a small 2.5 6 cylinder engine and automatic transmission while most other midsized non luxury cars had 2.0 to 2.5 4 cylinder engines and manual transmissions available with optional bigger 3.0 to 3.5 6 cylinder engines as options along with the low displacement of the 6 cylinder engine being close to most of the other competitors 4 cylinder displacements but with worse MPG due to the 2 extra cylinders.[3] It is also known as the Formosa Magnus in Taiwan.

Chevrolet Epica (Canada)
Chevrolet Epica (Canada)

Since 2004 (during which it sold alongside the Suzuki Verona), the Chevrolet Epica was sold in Canada in two trim levels, the LS and LT. It replaced the Oldsmobile Alero since the marque's phaseout in 2004, as most Chevrolet dealerships sold Oldsmobiles. For model year 2005, both versions featured the 2.5 liter inline-6, driving the front wheels through an electronically controlled four speed automatic transmission. The car was positioned as an economical luxury entry, with the LS model equipped with 8 way power seat, 15 inch alloy wheels, 4 wheel disc brakes, air conditioning, cruise control, and CD player. The LT version added traction control, ABS, and sunroof, all also optional for the LS model. Base price was $24,710 (Canadian dollars) for the LS and $27,400 (Canadian dollars) for the LT. In price, it was Chevrolet's top-of-the-line sedan in Canada, priced between the Malibu and Impala, but slotted in size between the Cobalt and Malibu. Sales of the Epica were slow in Canada, with the Impala and Malibu outselling those two models. The Chevrolet Epica is also sold as such in Chile.

The Chevrolet Epica is no longer sold in Canada as of September 2006. For the last year, a single version was sold: the LTZ at $26650. This unique trim level being fully loaded, only options were the side airbags and the Pearl White color. Some colors are unique to 2006: silver and charcoal grey.

The Chevrolet Epica nameplate is now being utilized globally for the Daewoo Tosca, the successor to the V200 Daewoo Magnus.

Chevrolet Epica (United States Insular Areas)

For a brief time the Chevrolet Epica was also available in the United States territories of Guam and Northern Mariana Islands, and like the Canadian version it also carried the same features. Like the Epica in Canada, it was withdrawn from the market too.

References
  1. "FORMOSA. FORMOSA in TAIWAN". 8 July 2011. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  2. "중형세단에 직렬 6기통 시대를 연 대우 매그너스". hankookilbo.com. 22 August 2017. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
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