1999-2002 Daewoo Nubira: Year-to-Year Changes

2000 Daewoo Nubira: Hatchbacks were gone, leaving only an SE sedan, along with a sedan and wagon in upscale CDX guise. Although more Daewoo dealerships were emerging, the South Korean company was facing serious financial troubles--bad enough to prompt consideration of a possible takeover by one of the Big Three automakers.

2001 Daewoo Nubira: Nubira wagons got revised taillamps this year. All Nubiras switched from handwheel-type front backrest recliners to a ratcheting lever adjustment setup. An optional convenience package could upgrade the SE sedan to CDX features, including power windows and locks, a tilt steering wheel, CD/cassette stereo, foglamps, and a keyless entry/alarm system. Antilock braking again was standard in the CDX, but unavailable for the SE. Although the increasingly suffering Daewoo company continued to ship cars to the U.S. market, financial woes were mounting rapidly back in South Korea. Prospective purchasers emerged, then backed away, and Daewoo's ultimate fate seemed dubious.

2002 Daewoo Nubira: Antilock braking no longer was available as the 2002 model year began. The lineup included an SE sedan and upscale CDX wagon. Cutting the CDX price by $1,200 meant losing its ABS, cruise control, CD player, keyless entry, foglamps, theft-deterrent system, and alloy wheels. All of those items, except for ABS, were offered as an option package. In spring 2002, General Motors bought a big share of the assets of the Daewoo organization--but not its sales arm in the U.S. That move left Daewoo dealers hanging in the wind, selling only leftover cars with no new models on the way. Owners, meanwhile, remained unsure how their vehicles would be repaired under warranty.