"It was only in India that the car was called Cielo while it was called Nexia in other countries. This has now been set right," DMIL managing director SG Awasthi said. Apart from change of name, Nexia will have a host of other features like a double-overhead cam engine (1.6 litres) which, in turn, provides high power at low RPM, better fuel efficiency and better air conditioning.

The car also has more luxurious interiors with a state-of-the-art instrument panel giving all information at a single glance. A DMIL release says orders for the Nexia will be accepted from April 12 and deliveries will begin in May on a first-come-first-served basis.

Awasthi said the competitive price of Nexia will ensure reasonably good sales in the market. The car will be less expensive than itscounterparts in the mid-size segment which comprises Honda City, Mitsubishi Lancer, Opel Astra and Ford Escort.

In the meantime, DMIL is giving priority to the 796 cc Matiz which now comes in three more competitively-priced variants. Company chairman, Sung-Hak Park said India will now be an important base for Matiz exports after Korea where the Daewoo plant's capacity is 400,000 cars. He said of the 60,000 Matiz vehicles that will be produced at DMIL's Surajpur plant, 50 per cent will be exported to parts of Africa and Europe. A beginning has already been made in Egypt with a despatch of 300 cars, Awasthi said.

He said there were no immediate plans to introduce more variants of the Matiz during 1999-2000 as also other cars like the Leganza and Nubira. Awasthi was also categoric that there would be no dieselisation of the car range and this could only apply to the company's range of light commercial/multi utility vehicles scheduled to make their entry during the next few years.

A company release saidthe parent company, Daewoo, has so far injected around Rs 3,600 crore in its local plant. Of the three lakh engines, gear boxes and other components manufactured at the new facility, half will be dedicated for export markets around the world.