GM Daewoo – GM’s Korean division – unveiled two new vehicles for the Korean market at the Busan International Motor Show. The first is the GM Daewoo Alpheon, known to those in the U.S. and Canada as the Buick LaCrosse. The second is a concept that we’ve seen before as the Chevrolet Orlando. Although this MPV will not make it to American shores, it will be available in Korea as the GM Daewoo Orlando, with many stylistic and functional advantages for that market.

The Alpheon is a LaCrosse-based clone that takes GM Daewoo into a new market. Featuring the attractive and unique interior and exterior styling that North Americans have become accustomed to on the LaCrosse, it will represent the well-known brand in the upper-midsize segment for the first time in Korea. The Alpheon will feature the 3.0-liter V6 (that’s most recently been phased out from the North American market) and a six-speed automatic transmission. It will be a stand-alone luxury product in the Daewoo portfolio, wearing its own emblem on Buick’s the “waterfall” grill. This strategy appears similar to that used by Hyundai and its Genesis sedan in the U.S.

Compared to the Alpheon/LaCrosse, the Orlando, however, is not as well-known on U.S. shores. Although officially billed as a “show car,” it will go on sale in Korea next year. The Orlando will be Daewoo’s first multi-purpose vehicle, combining the benefits and styling of a family van, station wagon, and SUV. The seven passenger, three row, five-door MPV has fully adaptable theater seating, a substantial wheelbase and a generous track to maximize usable space. If cargo carrying becomes a higher priority over people-hauling, the cabin can easily be reconfigured into a flat-bed cargo area. (more…)