|
Petrol: | 1.5 L
Daewoo XQ I4 | 1.9 L
Opel 19S I4 | 2.0 L
Opel 20S I4 | 2.0 L
Opel 20E I4 | 3.0 L
Opel 30E I6 (Imperial) |
LPG: | 1.5 L Daewoo
XQ I4 (1982–1988) | 1.6 L Daewoo
XQ I4 (1988–1993) | 2.0 L Daewoo
20P (1989–1993) |
Diesel: | 2.0 L
Opel 20D Diesel I4 (1980–1989) }} }} The second generation
Saehan Rekord was based on the
Opel Rekord E. It was introduced in 1978 along with the
Saehan Royale, which was essentially the Rekord E, featuring the front-end of the larger
Senator A. In January 1983, after
Daewoo gained control, Saehan Motors changed its name to Daewoo Motors. At the same time the Saehan Royale was renamed
Daewoo Royale, and the Saehan Rekord was absorbed in the Royale range, becoming known as the Royale XQ. Production of the XQ ended in 1987. Until November 1984, Royale body panels were stamped by
Holden in Australia, where the Rekord-Senator hybrid was manufactured there as the
Holden Commodore. After November 1984, Daewoo began pressing their own panels on a newly installed production line. The Royale Salon continued with the Senator A1 front end until it received a whole new front in 1987. The Royale Salon Super was introduced in 1986. However, unlike other Royales that utilised the
Opel Rekord E2/
Senator A2 hybrid with the four-window
glasshouse design, the Salon Super used the six-window design from the Senator A. A second design revision came in 1987 with a new front-end design, featuring a revised
grille and
headlamps, along with minor trim changes. While lower-specification versions such as the Royale Salon retained the four-window design, the Royale Super Salon continued using the six-window design from the now discontinued Salon Super. The old-style XQ and Diesel received an all new front end of a smooth, upright, and rectangular appearance. 1989 marked another design change; the Royale Prince inherited a new grille insert and adopted the six-window glasshouse. From 1989, Daewoo introduced the top-of-the-range Imperial, which was marketed separate from the Royale range. Imperial production ended in 1993, replaced by the
Daewoo Arcadia.
Specification levels Daewoo Royale engines were four-cylinder Opel units, with Daewoo offering the Royale in several different levels of luxury: the Diesel, Salon, Duke, XQ, and Prince: •
Royale Diesel (May 1980–April 1989): As the Royale Duke Diesel from early 1987; fitted with Opel's 2.0-liter diesel engine. •
Royale Salon (September 1980 – September 1991): fitted with a 1979 cc engine and three-speed
automatic transmission. This powertrain combination produced (
DIN) and (DIN). Top speed was claimed at . •
Royale Salon Super •
Royale Super Salon (1987–1991): a facelift model of the Royal Salon Super with 2.0-liter
EFI engine with trip computer, 9-band Equalizer audio and Seat Heating. •
Royale XQ (August 1983 – 1987): fitted with a 1492 cc engine and four-speed
manual transmission. This powertrain combination produced (DIN) and (DIN). Top speed was claimed at . •
Royale Duke (February 1987 – March 1989): a new lower-end model fitted with a more modern 1498 cc engine. •
Duke City (April 1988 – 1989): a version intended for taxi use, fitted with a 1.6-liter LPG engine. This became the Royale Prince LPG (also with a 2-litre engine) after 1989. •
Royale Prince (July 1983–June 1991): used the E2 bodywork, fitted with a 1897 cc engine and four-speed manual transmission. This powertrain combination produced (DIN) and (DIN). Top speed was claimed at . •
Daewoo Imperial (February 1989 – mid-1993): the Imperial was the ultimate development of the Royale, developed in response to the
Hyundai Sonata and
Grandeur. Imperial was specified with a
vinyl roof,
Bosch anti-lock brakes, digital
instrumentation,
cruise control, automatic
climate control air conditioning,
power windows,
power door locks,
power steering, a
trip computer, and leather upholstery. Outdated, and with a negative reputation for quality, the Imperial was outclassed by the new
Hyundai Grandeur and only 863 examples were built in a little over four years. == Bibliography ==