Holden Viva: the budget Daewoo Lacetti

The Holden Viva was Holden’s version of the Daewoo Lacetti, sold in Australia and New Zealand from 2005. It was intended as a cheaper alternative to the Holden Astra and stayed in the range until the Holden Cruze arrived in mid-2009.

Holden Viva at a glance

History of the Holden Viva

The Lacetti before Holden

The Daewoo Lacetti was a compact car manufactured and marketed globally by GM Korea from 2002. The first-generation car came as a four-door sedan and five-door station wagon styled by Pininfarina, and a five-door hatchback styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro. The sedan and wagon were sold in some European markets as the Daewoo Nubira and in North America as the Suzuki Forenza, while the hatchback became the Lacetti5 in South Korea and the Suzuki Reno in the United States. After the 2004 model year it was marketed as the Chevrolet Nubira and Lacetti in Europe, the Chevrolet Optra in many other markets, and the Holden Viva in Australia and New Zealand. The name Lacetti comes from the Latin “lacertus”, meaning youthful.

In Australia

In Australia and New Zealand the Daewoo Lacetti was briefly sold under its own badge between September 2003 and December 2004 as a four-door sedan, a period that ended when Daewoo withdrew from the Australian market. That car had a 1.8-litre engine rated at 90 kW (120 hp) and 165 N·m, a five-speed manual as standard or a four-speed automatic, and a single SX trim that included dual front airbags, air conditioning, power steering, keyless entry, power windows, a CD player and an alarm. An SX Limited special edition from October 2003 added anti-lock brakes, side impact airbags, alloy wheels, climate control, a six-stacker CD player, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, lumbar support for the front passenger seat and leather trim.

From 2005 the Lacetti sedan and wagon and the Lacetti hatchback were sold together as the JF series Holden Viva. It arrived at about the same time as the Daewoo Gentra-based Holden Barina, but unlike the Barina it was positioned below the premium Astra as a budget alternative. The plan did not work as intended: despite the Viva’s lower price of A$17,990 against A$21,990 for the Astra, the Astra continued to outsell it by about two to one.

The end

With the release of the all-new Holden Cruze in mid-2009 the Viva ceased to be sold in Australia. In New Zealand, where many cars are imported second-hand from Japan, several Japanese-specification Chevrolet Optra sedans and wagons were also sold alongside it as the same car under another badge. The second-generation Lacetti, launched in 2008 as the Daewoo Lacetti Premiere, was a badge-engineered Chevrolet Cruze co-developed by GM Daewoo, Holden and General Motors, which is the car that took over from the Viva in the Holden range.

Design and features

• Budget position: priced well below the Astra as an entry-level alternative.
• Three bodies: sedan, wagon and hatchback under one JF series name.
• Two design houses: Pininfarina for the sedan and wagon, Giugiaro for the hatchback.
• Shared with the world: also sold as the Chevrolet Optra, Suzuki Forenza and Suzuki Reno.
• Korean engineering: developed and built by GM Daewoo.

Holden Viva versions

• Daewoo Lacetti (2003–2004): the brief Australian sale before the Holden badge.
• SX Limited (2003): special edition with ABS, side airbags and leather.
• Holden Viva sedan (JF, from 2005): the Pininfarina four-door.
• Holden Viva wagon (JF): the five-door estate.
• Holden Viva hatchback (JF): the Giugiaro five-door.

The Viva sat below the Holden Astra and was replaced by the Holden Cruze. More cars are in the Holden collection.

Video: Holden Viva Wagon

Video by Alex Phillis on YouTube.

Sources

• Daewoo Lacetti, English Wikipedia: bodies, markets, Australian sales, prices