Daewoo Matiz
A tall little five-door that packed room for five people into less than three and a half metres.
1998 Daewoo Matiz M100 · free photos & art (Flickr user 79818573@N04) · CC BY 2.0
More than a set of wheels.
Daewoo launched the Matiz in South Korea in April 1998. Italdesign developed its rounded, high-roof shape from the 1992 Lucciola concept. The production M100 paired that space-efficient body with a 796 cc three-cylinder engine and five-speed manual gearbox. This page follows the original Korean launch car rather than later M150 updates or Chevrolet-badged versions.
Look a little closer.
Italdesign first imagined the basic shape as the Lucciola concept, then adapted the idea into Daewoo's production city car.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Five seats in a very short body
Italdesign says the Matiz offered room for five within a length of about 3.5 metres. A tall roof and wheels pushed toward the corners made the cabin feel larger than the footprint suggested.
Source: Italdesign · Matiz project ↗The launch rating depends on market
The Korean launch listing gives 38 kW and 52 PS using JIS net notation. Contemporary European export data commonly lists 37.5 kW and 51 PS. Joyride keeps the Korean figure because this is a Korean-market profile.
Source: Automobile-Catalog · 1998 Korea-market Matiz ↗Where these facts come from
- Italdesign · Matiz project
- Automobile-Catalog · 1998 Korea-market Matiz
- Daewoo 1998 Matiz video-catalog transcription
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.