GM bought Daewoo in 2001 and, three years later, the Korean brand unveiled an SUV concept at the Paris named S3X, which was the starting point for a new SUV.
With an increasing demand for SUVs on the market, Daewoo had its hands' full building vehicles for more brands, but GM agreed that one of them should sport the Korean badge. Thus, the carmaker released the Winstorm in 2006. It was based on the GM Theta platform used for the American Saturn Vue, the Australian Holden Captiva, and the European Opel Antara/Vauxhall Antara/Chevrolet Captiva.
The seven-seat SUV was designed by GM Korea and featured soft, flowing lines and curved body panels. Its two-slats chromed grille sported the Daewoo badge for several markets while GM used the same assembly line for more brands. The Winstorm showed an arched window line that mimicked a section of a wing profile. Its darkened B- and C-pillars made the vehicle looked like it had one continuous glass panel from front to back. The flared arches tried to impose a commanding stance while the plastic molds around the wheel-arches were inspired by serious off-road vehicles.
Inside, the Winstorm offered room for seven in a 2-3-2 seating configuration. The last row was suitable more for children than adults, but they were there just in case someone needed them. The carmaker looked like it couldn't decide which colors to use at the front, and it mixed silver and wood trims on the two-tone dashboard. On top of the center stack, Daewoo offered an option for an infotainment system.
Under the hood, the Winstorm offered two gasoline engines provided by GM and a turbo-diesel VM Motori version. The carmaker installed either manual or automatic transmissions, depending on the options.