The new variants of Nexia would be launched soon, Anuj Patnaik, general manager (marketing) of Daewoo Motor India, told UNI here. However, a fixed date for the same is yet to be finalised.

The automatic transmission version of the Nexia would be around Rs 35,000 dearer than the manual transmission version, he added. ``The production mix would be determined on the basis of demand for the variant.'' Nexia sports a price tag of Rs 6,55,630 (ex-showroom in Delhi).

Hinting at a likely price revision of Nexia, Patnaik said Daewoo India had, in the past, introduced value packed versions of Cielo and Matiz. ``A similar strategy would be adopted with Nexia as well. We have been doing it in the past and will continue to do it in the future as well.''

Value packaging of products fromDaewoo stables in the past has been in the form of price revisions. Nexia, he said, boasts of the largest wheelbase with internal refinements giving the occupants maximum space and comfort. Powered with a four cylinder 1.5 double overhead cam (DOHC) engine, the car's powerhouse develops 92bhp power at 5,600rpm. The car also comes with a large diameter front disc brakes with c-type callipers for powerful braking. It is also fitted with three-stage bumpers, front and rear fog lamps, side impact beams, monocoque body, child safety lock, central locking, variable intermittent wipers and high mounted stop lamp in the rear spoiler.

Meanwhile, Daewoo has already stopped production of the GLE and GLX versions of its mid-size car `Cielo'. The models have now been taken out of regular production and replaced with the recently launched Cielo Executive, Patnaik said.

The brand Cielo is not being phased out. Cielo Executive is the basic Cielo version with the best features of both GLE and GLX. Besides, the Nexia thatwas introduced last month, is an upgraded version of the Cielo,'' he added. With this new strategy, the company now seems to be on a correction course. The Cielo Executive is powered by a 1.5 litre single overhead cam (SOHC) engine which delivers 80bhp at 5,400rpm.

The Nexia and Cielo Executive were introduced in India close on the heels of three stripped down versions of its small car Matiz. While Nexia carries a price tag of Rs 6,55,630 (ex-showroom in delhi), the Cielo Executive is priced at Rs 5,37,851. The Cielo GLE was available in two variants -- manual transmission (Rs 5,28,818) and automatic transmission (Rs 5,66,342), while the GLX came in four models -- manual transmision (Rs 5,74,822), manual with airbag (Rs 5,86,482), automatic transmission (Rs 6,12,346) and automatic with airbag (Rs 6,24,006). Meanwhile, the company has lined up an ambitious sales plan for its 796cc small car Matiz. Daewoo, which had sold around 5,000 units of Matiz from its launch in October to March this year, expects tosell around 30,000 units of the car in the domestic market and another 30,000 in the export markets in the current fiscal. Besides, Nexia and Cielo executive together will account for around 10,000 units during the year.

Meanwhile, the recent Supreme Court directive on vehicle manufacturers to meet pollution norms has come as a blessing in disguise for Daewoo Motors India as Matiz is the only small car which meets the Euro-II norms. Besides, rest of the vehicles from the company's stables -- Cielo and Nexia -- also conform to the norms.