Now Daewoo has been rebranded as Chevrolet, the GM division has decreed it’s time to add some fizz to the range. Not with new models, yet, but with sportier versions of the existing cars. So here’s the Lacetti Sport, a 1.8-litre model based upon the Lacetti hatchback, which is joined by Sport versions of the estate and Kalos supermini too. What does Sport mean? Not a fire-breathing engine, but a familiar and unchanged 121bhp 1.8-litre, though the suspension has been lowered a bit and alloy wheels have been bolted on, along with the usual plastic body addenda. Convincing? The Lacetti is a neat shape but the bodykit looks rather heavy-handed in places, though the overall effect is reasonably convincing, particularly in black. It also rouses interest in the large Chevrolet badge proudly stuck on the grille.

The budget class ebbs and flows. Currently, large makers seem to have largely deserted it, Skoda has been promoted from it and makers such as Hyundai, with the Accent, simply have models which are far too old and dated. If you want a cheap five-door family hatchback with some sporty style, you’re a bit stuck. The Mitsubishi Lancer saloon does come with a sporty trim and some Evo kudos, but it’s not a hatchback, while the Kia Cerato is budget but hardly sporty. No, Chevrolet appears to have spotted something of a niche.

It would not be unfair to say that Daewoos traditionally appealed to people with no interest in cars, who were seeking ‘something to get them from A to B’. So too will Chevrolet. So the Sport model needn’t be all that sporty, just look as if it is. Unlike Ford, the company won’t have spent months honing the damper settings round the Nurburgring, so if you’re after the spiritual successor to that 205 GTI you drove in your youth, forget it. But if it’s an easy to use family runner with a bit of racy kudos, for not much money, you may want to investigate further.

The larger tyres and lowered suspension do provide a sporty feel when turning in – response is reasonably sharp and incisive. There’s ample grip for the power provided by the engine too. No special talent is required to drive it, and the Lacetti shouldn’t bite unless you’re a lunatic. Ride quality is pretty fair, particularly given the sportyish profile of the tyres, There’s a standard traction control system with, naturally, ABS brakes.

It feels a little old. Compared to the brilliance of models such as the Focus and VW Golf, the Lacetti just can’t compete – and yes, these models do cost a lot more, but there will be plenty of people who judge the extra is well worth it. Certainly for a sports model it doesn’t feel much like a hot hatch, with a general soggy feel to all controls; the long-winded gearshift is notchy and rubbery, the steering rubbery and lifeless, the throttle lifeless and sticky. It may have 1.8-litres but you’d never guess, such is the feeling of inertia felt when you press the sticky throttle; it revs reluctantly and, while it does feel livelier when spinning hard, your ears will know about it. Then you change gear with a jolt, because past-generation engine management holds onto the revs during gearchanges or whenever you lift off the gas, in the interests of emissions. Nearly every other car company has eradicated this flaw, so why is Chevrolet so behind? Meanwhile, any encouragement you may have had in corners will soon, if you press on hard, be eradicated by a lumpen, inert feel. It doesn’t handle so much as just hold on, grinding away its tyres and then understeering on the limit. Fluidity? Forget it. Brakes are light and spongy too and while traction control may be standard, it doesn’t seem to do much.

The too-high, unsupportive seats are covered in low-rent, shiny leather. Duo-tone does it few favours either. The steering wheel is forgettable and the gearknob an ugly thick blob – both contact points fail to satisfy. The Blaupunkt stereo sounds good and looks nice at night, but really should be a ‘unique fit’ manufacturer item. The column stalks and interior mirror should be better quality too, and it would be nice if the handbrake were more convenient, the cupholders next to it less so. It is surprisingly spacious in the rear, with lots of leg and kneeroom, but the too-flat seat base isn’t the most comfortable. The boot is on the small side. But equipment levels are OK, with air con, CD player and leather standard in the £12.5k list price. Visibility is good too, as the Lacetti’s low-shouldered profile allows a commanding view out, aided by those high-set seats.

We can see what Chevrolet is trying to do with the Sport, but it doesn’t convince us. A 1.8-litre hatchback with racy suspension and bodykit sounds like quite some recipe for the money, but it fails to live up to these expectations on the road, with a soggy nature, unwilling engine and cheap cabin trim. The Lacetti makes most sense as a roomy, well-stocked runabout costing under £10k – so if we were to have a Lacetti, it would have to be the 1.4-litre SE. But, we’ll say it again, do you really want a new car so badly that you’ll ignore a nearly-new Ford Focus or Vauxhall Astra costing similar money? Or even, for less than £2k more, a brand-new Focus Zetec TI-VCT 1.6? There is absolutely no doubt which we would recommend.