Daewoo LeMans: which version to buy
If you are choosing a Daewoo LeMans, the catalogue has one generation (July 1986–December 1994), one body (Sedan), and two named versions: 1.6 MT and 2.0 MT. There is no restyle listed as a separate generation, so the buying question is not “which generation” but which of these two engines you want under the same FWD Manual 5-speed sedan.
If you are choosing a Daewoo LeMans, the catalogue has one generation (July 1986–December 1994), one body (Sedan), and two named versions: 1.6 MT and 2.0 MT. There is no restyle listed as a separate generation, so the buying question is not “which generation” but which of these two engines you want under the same FWD Manual 5-speed sedan.
Both versions ran the same calendar: 1.6 MT and 2.0 MT are listed from 1986-07-01 to 1994-12-31. The extra displacement is 400 cm³ (1998 vs 1598). That step buys 22 hp (97 vs 75), 16 kW (71 vs 55), 38 Nm (160 vs 122), 15 km/h of listed top speed (185 vs 170), and 20 kg of kerb weight (1090 vs 1070). Fuel use is measured only on 2.0 MT; 1.6 MT consumption is not measured.
Which Daewoo LeMans version to choose
2.0 MT is the stronger, heavier, faster-listed car. 1.6 MT is the lighter, lower-output car with a higher octane label (95 vs 92).
Power per litre is close: 1.6 MT makes 75 hp from 1598 cm³, about 46.9 hp per litre. 2.0 MT makes 97 hp from 1998 cm³, about 48.5 hp per litre. The 2.0 is not a high-strung engine relative to the 1.6; it is a larger engine with similar specific output and more torque.
Weight per horsepower favours 2.0 MT: 1090 kg ÷ 97 hp ≈ 11.2 kg/hp versus 1070 kg ÷ 75 hp ≈ 14.3 kg/hp on 1.6 MT. The 20 kg extra kerb mass is more than offset by the 22 hp. Peak power arrives earlier on the 2.0 (4800 rpm vs 5600 rpm). Peak torque on 2.0 MT is 160 Nm at 3600 rpm; on 1.6 MT it is 122 Nm at 2800 rpm.
Choose 1.6 MT if you want the lower listed mass (1070 kg), the smaller 1598 cm³ Gasoline engine, and you accept that 0–100, city, highway, and mixed consumption are not measured for this version. Choose 2.0 MT if you want 97 hp, 160 Nm, 185 km/h listed top speed, and the only measured fuel figures in this catalogue: 12 / 7 / 8.9 (city / highway / mixed).
There is no automatic, no four-wheel drive, and no second generation in the data. “Which generation changed what” has a short answer: nothing later is listed. The whole model is this one Sedan generation with two Manual FWD versions.
Engine specs compared: 1.6 MT vs 2.0 MT
Both engines are Gasoline, 4 cylinders, Inline, 2 valves per cylinder, boost No, feed Central injection (single-point or single- point). Engine location is not measured on either version.
| Version | hp | kW | rpm (hp) | Nm | rpm (Nm) | cm³ | Fuel | Cylinders | Layout | Boost | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6 MT | 75 | 55 | 5600 | 122 | 2800 | 1598 | 95 | 4 | Inline | No | Manual | FWD |
| 2.0 MT | 97 | 71 | 4800 | 160 | 3600 | 1998 | 92 | 4 | Inline | No | Manual | FWD |
Compression is 8.6 on 1.6 MT and 8.8 on 2.0 MT. Bore × stroke is 79 × 81.5 on 1.6 MT and 86 × 86 on 2.0 MT. Fuel labels differ: 95 for 1.6 MT, 92 for 2.0 MT. Tank volume is 50 L on both.
The 22 hp gap is 29% more power on 2.0 MT (97 ÷ 75). The 38 Nm gap is 31% more torque (160 ÷ 122). Displacement is 25% larger (1998 ÷ 1598). Specific output barely moves (46.9 vs 48.5 hp/L), so the extra output is almost entirely the extra 400 cm³, not a different state of tune in these numbers.
Performance, top speed, and mpg
0–100 km/h is not measured for 1.6 MT and not measured for 2.0 MT. Do not treat either version as having a catalogue sprint time.
Top speed is measured: 170 km/h for 1.6 MT, 185 km/h for 2.0 MT. The 2.0 is listed 15 km/h faster.
Fuel consumption:
- 1.6 MT: city not measured, highway not measured, mixed not measured.
- 2.0 MT: city 12, highway 7, mixed 8.9.
CO₂ is not measured on either version. Eco class is not measured on either version.
If mpg (or L/100 km) is the buying filter, only 2.0 MT has numbers you can quote. The 50 L tank on 2.0 MT at the mixed figure of 8.9 implies a mixed range of about 50 ÷ 8.9 ≈ 562 km of fuel energy in the tank; that arithmetic uses only the listed tank and mixed rate. 1.6 MT has the same 50 L tank, but range cannot be calculated because consumption is not measured.
Dimensions, weight, and clearance
Kerb weight: 1070 kg (1.6 MT), 1090 kg (2.0 MT). Gross vehicle weight is not measured on either version. Ground clearance is 135 mm on both. Wheel sizes are not measured on both. Fuel tank is 50 L on both.
Front suspension is Independent, spring on both; rear is Independent, spring on both. Front brakes are Disc on both; rear brakes are Drum on both.
What the extra mass buys: 20 kg more kerb on 2.0 MT for 22 hp and 38 Nm. Clearance, tank, gearbox type (Manual, 5), drive (FWD), suspension labels, and brake labels do not change between versions. You are not buying a different chassis layout in this catalogue; you are buying a different engine in the same Sedan package.
Generations: what changed (and what did not)
1 generation is the only generation: Sedan, start 1986-07-01, stop 1994-12-31, two versions. Both versions share those dates. There is no second generation to compare year-on-year, and no restyling listed as its own generation.
Inside that generation, the only listed differences that matter for a purchase are engine size, output, fuel grade, top speed, kerb weight, and whether consumption was measured. Gearbox, drive, cylinder count, layout, valves per cylinder, boost, injection type, tank, clearance, and brake/suspension labels match.
Reliability and problems: what this catalogue does not measure
This dataset does not list failure rates, recall counts, or common faults. Reliability and problems searches cannot be answered with a number from these fields. What you can say from the specs: both versions are naturally aspirated (No boost), Gasoline, Central injection (single-point or single- point), Manual 5-speed, FWD, disc/drum, independent spring front and rear. Compression is modest (8.6 vs 8.8). That is the mechanical picture; it is not a durability score.
Short buying rule using only these numbers
- One generation, one body (Sedan), two named versions: 1.6 MT and 2.0 MT.
- 2.0 MT if you want 97 hp, 160 Nm, 185 km/h, 11.2 kg/hp, 92 fuel, and measured 12 / 7 / 8.9 consumption, at 1090 kg.
- 1.6 MT if you want 75 hp, 122 Nm, 170 km/h, 1070 kg, 95 fuel, and you accept that 0–100 and all three consumption figures are not measured.
- Same Manual 5-speed, same FWD, same 50 L tank, same 135 mm clearance. The extra you are “buying” between versions is 400 cm³, 22 hp, 38 Nm, 15 km/h top speed, and 20 kg — not a different generation.