Used Chevrolet Lacetti Hatchback 2005 - 2011 review

Born in 2004 as a Daewoo and rebranded in 2005, the Chevrolet Lacetti is a mid-sized family car that's slightly smaller than a Ford Focus. It's cheap to buy and has a splash of style, having been designed by the Italian studio Italdesign.

This hatchback and its saloon brother were available from Day One (when it was still a Daewoo), and the estate was introduced when General Motors rebranded the range as Chevrolet.

Like all Lacettis, the hatch is reasonably practical, with generous rear leg room and a large boot, with split/fold rear seats.

The interior design is straightforward, with a good, widely adjustable driving position and plenty of stowage.

On the road, the Chevrolet Lacetti is reasonably comfortable, but it doesn't like being hustled through corners.

On top of that, the steering lacks feedback, the gearbox is far from slick and refinement is disappointing, with plenty of engine and wind noise entering the cabin.

One of the Lacetti's strongest points is value for money, which is bolstered by a generous three-year servicing, warranty and recovery package from new.

Insurance won't be a big worry, even if the Lacetti ranks a group or two higher than Ford's Focus. You'll fare respectably at the pumps, too; claimed fuel economy is in the high 30s for most of the range, with the automatic recording around 5mpg less.

As an example, a typical 1.6 SX is slightly cheaper per mile to run than a more expensive Focus 1.6 LX or similarly priced Kia Cerato LX, but servicing costs – when you do finally have to pay them – can be around 30% more expensive than the Ford's. They're still cheaper than the Kia's, however.

With no diesel available, it's a choice between three petrol engines – a 1.4, 1.6 and 1.8 – each bringing a particular trim level.

The 1.6-litre SX five-door hatchback has everything you need, including air-con, alloy wheels and electric windows all round. It's our favourite model in the range and, like all Lacettis, it comes with power steering, central locking and a CD player.

There's also a 1.8 in Sport trim, with traction control and a sporting bodykit, but it doesn't feel that much quicker than the 1.6 in real life. And, while the 1.4 (which comes in basic SE trim) is an acceptable engine, it lacks the urge of the 1.6. Don't bother with the automatic gearbox.

You'll find plenty of Lacettis in the Chevrolet dealer network and the small ads.

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