[Neversaygbye]

Your thread brought back so many memories of our Matiz, which served us for over a decade and ran more than a lakh kilometres. We sold it when we got the Beat, but till this day, I have a soft corner for the car. It was a design marvel and the proof of the proverb that good things come in small packages. I still remember the debate we had in the family during the purchase decision - the choice was between the Matiz and the Santro then and the Matiz's better space management and cute looks carried the day finally.

My Matiz travelled to Mussoorie, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Kasauli, Shimla, Jaipur, Alwar, Agra and countless other places when I lived in Delhi. It never let me down on any of those trips and was a go anywhere car. I still miss it.

Here's a pic of my Matiz on NH16 while we were stuck in a humongous jam on the way to Tajpur in 2009

[Chhanda Das]

Originally Posted by sheelRP

Ownership Review of Daewoo Matiz: Almost 20 years and 93000 Kms later

Very nice. It is always a pleasant experience seeing and reading about a well-maintained older car. It is usually a good idea from a financial perspective to hold on to a car for as long as possible unless the car has major issues. My Grandfather had a Landmaster which he and I drove for a long time all over the treacherous terrain of North East India. My earlier car was an Ambassador which we kept for almost 2 decades before selling it. Speaking of the Matiz, my son still has a toy model of the pullback and release type of a Matiz from decades ago. It was his first toy car.

Here is a fun experience of mine associated with a Matiz. I stay in Kolkata and own a 2017 first-generation petrol 1.6 Creta automatic. Since we like to service our cars mostly by ourselves, the first order of business was to get our hands on an engine oil filter removal tool/socket. We do not like the generic ones since those are prone to slipping and are expensive as well. The original Hyundai branded tool/socket for this is even more expensive at around INR 3500. This tool was essentially an engine oil filter socket with a half-inch square drive socket on its outside and 15 flutes/sides on the inside with an approximate internal diameter of 79 millimetres. This particular size is apparently designated the number 904 internationally.

I looked online and the part wasn't available anywhere other than Aliexpress but that wasn't an option anymore obviously due to the ban. The price on Aliexpress was approximately INR 250 including delivery to my home in Kolkata which was very reasonable but alas, it was not possible. I contacted some friends in Delhi which has India's largest automobile parts and tools market and they quoted similar prices as Aliexpress. However, I had an inkling that I could find it for cheaper and decided to check out the Wellington and Mangoe Lane areas in Kolkata. After some searching, I came to find out from a shopkeeper selling used car tools that it was the exact same tool for the Matiz as well.

In case you are wondering about the price, I got it for INR 120 at nearly scrap value. It may not be pretty to look at but it is very effective. Here it is :-

This is the exterior view with the half-inch square drive socket. The word "Matiz" can be still seen faintly on it.



And here is the interior view with the 15 flutes (sides)

I hope you enjoyed reading this. Wish you happy and safe drives ahead

[kiredd1005]

One of the cutest cars I ever saw on road! My mom would always joke that it looks like a cute little mouse! My dad's friend used to drive this around back in the day before he upgraded to a MS Zen. Fond memories!

Hope you keep the car for years to come!

[invidious]

Wow. Nice thread. I remember briefly driving a friend's Matiz since he kept insisting it is better than the Santro. Damn, makes me feel old now.

[TurboKat]

We had a 1999 Twinkle Beige Daewoo Matiz from October 1999 to October 2017. It accompanied us through thick and thin. However, we had to part with it due to lack of genuine spares and a competent mechanic. The exact odo reading on the day we sold it was 325492 kms. I miss the car even today.

Attaching some pics of the car on its last day with us.