With only one generation ever released, the Daewoo Espero was a mid-size 5-door sedan developed by the South Korean car manufacturer Daewoo Motors.
The Espero came to life in 1990 and was produced until 1999 in Korea and until 1998 in Poland and Romania.

The car was designed by the Bertone Italian company and the technical equipment was borrowed from General Motors. The Espero was built on a J-body, the same that was used for the Chevrolet Cavalier, Pontiac Sunbird and others. The car had a competitive price and it also offered impressive equipment levels.
The Daewoo Espero was also sold as the Daewoo Aranos in a couple of Spanish-speaking countries due to the meaning of the word “espero” on the domestic markets.

No diesel engines were offered for the Espero and the gasoline engines were a 1.5-liter developing 90 hp, a 1.8-liter producing up to 95 hp and the most powerful 2.0-liter sporting 105 hp.

The car was offered with ABS, double airbags, air conditioning, power windows, power side mirrors, a power trunk lid and an electric gas cap.
Despite the Espero’s drawbacks, such as an outdated interior and its body prone to corrosion, it was still a popular car among the drivers looking for a good price-quality ratio.

In 1997, the new version was named the Daewoo Leganza.