Geo Prizm
Encyclopedia
The Geo
/Chevrolet
Prizm (Chevrolet Prizm starting 1998) was a United States
-market entry-level compact car produced for the 1989 through 2002 model years. Like the 1985–1988 Chevrolet Nova
it replaced, the Prizm was a rebadged
version of the Toyota Corolla
. All Prizms were built at NUMMI
(New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc), a joint venture
company between Toyota and General Motors
in Fremont, California
.
version sold through 1991 was a rebadged version of the Toyota Corolla Seca/Cielo. The sporty GSi model of 1990–1992 was notable for its 130 hp twin-cam engine, sport suspension, disc brakes, and 14 inches (355.6 mm) wheels, a successor to the 1988 Nova Twin Cam but less of a limited edition, available in both body styles and a full array of colors in contrast to the earlier model's black sedan only. In 1991, the lettering the car was changed from "Prizm" to "PRIZM" in italicized and capital letters (although the steering wheel continued to use "Prizm"), and the B-pillar and door frames on base models were now body-colored instead of black. In Canada
, the Prizm was never sold, opting for the brand to sell the Geo Metro sedan instead. However, the Geo Metro sedan was first sold in the United States in 1995.
engine optional on LSi trim. With the larger engine came a rear stabilizer bar, wider tires, and an optional automatic transmission
with four speeds instead of three. A second airbag became standard in 1994; leather seats were an option on the LSi between 1994–1997. In contrast with the Corolla, this generation Prizm lacked a front stabilizer bar in its suspension.
Due to decreased sales, low popularity, and being in competition with the also compact Chevrolet Cavalier
and GM's more direct competitor to the Corolla the Saturn S-series
, the Prizm was replaced by the Pontiac Vibe
starting in 2003. The Vibe was also made in tandem with a Toyota model, the Toyota Matrix
, at the NUMMI
plant.
In any generation, the Prizm's distinctions over its Toyota twin mostly came down to minor cosmetic differences, a GM Delco radio (except on first-generation cars), and the non-availability of a wagon (and the availability of a hatchback early on).
The Prizm along with its Geo siblings suffered severe sales loss when the brand denomination
changed from Geo
to Chevrolet
in 1998. The Geo models outsold the rebadged Chevrolets 3 to 1.
as the then present Toyota Corolla models.
Geo (automobile)
Geo was a brand of small cars made by General Motors as a subdivision of its famous Chevrolet division from 1989 to 1997. Its original slogan was "Get to know Geo." Originally formed by GM to compete with the growing small import market of the mid 1980s, the line continued through the 1997 model...
/Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
Prizm (Chevrolet Prizm starting 1998) was a United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-market entry-level compact car produced for the 1989 through 2002 model years. Like the 1985–1988 Chevrolet Nova
Chevrolet Nova
The Chevrolet Chevy II/Nova is a compact automobile manufactured by the Chevrolet division of General Motors produced in four generations for the 1962 through 1979 model years. Nova was the top model in the Chevy II lineup through 1968. The Chevy II nameplate was dropped, Nova becoming the...
it replaced, the Prizm was a rebadged
Badge engineering
Badge engineering is an ironic term that describes the rebadging of one product as another...
version of the Toyota Corolla
Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact and compact cars manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout the world since the nameplate was first introduced in 1966. In 1997, the Corolla became the best selling nameplate in the world, with over 35 million...
. All Prizms were built at NUMMI
NUMMI
New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. was an automobile manufacturing plant in Fremont, California, opened in 1984 and closed in 2010. On October 27, 2010 it reopened as a 100% Tesla Motors-owned production facility, known as the Tesla Factory...
(New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc), a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
company between Toyota and General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
in Fremont, California
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
.
First generation
The Prizm was introduced in 1989 for GM's then-new Geo brand of import cars. The hatchbackHatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
version sold through 1991 was a rebadged version of the Toyota Corolla Seca/Cielo. The sporty GSi model of 1990–1992 was notable for its 130 hp twin-cam engine, sport suspension, disc brakes, and 14 inches (355.6 mm) wheels, a successor to the 1988 Nova Twin Cam but less of a limited edition, available in both body styles and a full array of colors in contrast to the earlier model's black sedan only. In 1991, the lettering the car was changed from "Prizm" to "PRIZM" in italicized and capital letters (although the steering wheel continued to use "Prizm"), and the B-pillar and door frames on base models were now body-colored instead of black. In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the Prizm was never sold, opting for the brand to sell the Geo Metro sedan instead. However, the Geo Metro sedan was first sold in the United States in 1995.
Second generation
The Prizm's 1993 redesign gave it more room (resulting in an upgrade to United States Environmental Protection Agency "compact" car status), a driver airbag, and a new 1.8-liter 4-cylinderStraight-4
The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
engine optional on LSi trim. With the larger engine came a rear stabilizer bar, wider tires, and an optional automatic transmission
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
with four speeds instead of three. A second airbag became standard in 1994; leather seats were an option on the LSi between 1994–1997. In contrast with the Corolla, this generation Prizm lacked a front stabilizer bar in its suspension.
Third generation
The Prizm's 1998 redesign coincided with the conversion of all Geos into Chevrolets. The most notable change was the new 1.8-liter engine, which was now all-aluminum, driven by a timing chain (instead of a belt), and featured more power (yet the same fuel economy) than the engines from the Geo years. The new all-aluminum 1ZZ-FE engine powered all Corollas and Prizms, making this generation lighter than its predecessor. This new engine incorporated laser etched valve guides directly in the block, rather than the old shrink to fit valve guides in the predecessor Corolla motor (4A-FE & 7A-FE). This prevented oil burning and valve guide failure in the future. The Prizm with the Corolla became the first cars in the compact class to offer optional side airbags. 1998 Prizms without the LSi's optional "Handling Package" (containing a front stabilizer bar) were singled out by Consumer Reports for having sloppy emergency handling; Toyota addressed the problem for 1999 by making the Handling Package standard. For 2000, the engine gained variable valve timing for five extra horsepower (to 125). The last Prizm was built on December 13, 2001, resulting in a brief 2002 model year.Due to decreased sales, low popularity, and being in competition with the also compact Chevrolet Cavalier
Chevrolet Cavalier
The Chevrolet Cavalier was a compact automobile produced from 1982 to 2005 by General Motors. Built on the company's J platform, the Cavalier was one of the best-selling cars in the United States throughout its life.- Predecessors :...
and GM's more direct competitor to the Corolla the Saturn S-series
Saturn S-series
The S-Series was part of a family of compact cars from the Saturn automobile company. This was the first series of Saturn vehicles. The automobile platform, the Z-body, was developed entirely in-house at Saturn and shared very little with the rest of the General Motors model line...
, the Prizm was replaced by the Pontiac Vibe
Pontiac Vibe
The Pontiac Vibe is a compact hatchback car that was produced in Fremont, California, in the United States by NUMMI , a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota, and marketed under General Motors' Pontiac brand...
starting in 2003. The Vibe was also made in tandem with a Toyota model, the Toyota Matrix
Toyota Matrix
The Toyota Matrix, sometimes officially referred to as the Toyota Corolla Matrix, is a compact hatchback manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation in Canada, to be sold in the United States, Canada, and Mexico...
, at the NUMMI
NUMMI
New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. was an automobile manufacturing plant in Fremont, California, opened in 1984 and closed in 2010. On October 27, 2010 it reopened as a 100% Tesla Motors-owned production facility, known as the Tesla Factory...
plant.
In any generation, the Prizm's distinctions over its Toyota twin mostly came down to minor cosmetic differences, a GM Delco radio (except on first-generation cars), and the non-availability of a wagon (and the availability of a hatchback early on).
The Prizm along with its Geo siblings suffered severe sales loss when the brand denomination
Brand equity
Brand equity is the marketing effects and outcomes that accrue to a product with its brand name compared with those that would accrue if the same product did not have the brand name. Fact of the well-known brand name is that, the company can sometimes charge premium prices from the consumer . And,...
changed from Geo
Geo (automobile)
Geo was a brand of small cars made by General Motors as a subdivision of its famous Chevrolet division from 1989 to 1997. Its original slogan was "Get to know Geo." Originally formed by GM to compete with the growing small import market of the mid 1980s, the line continued through the 1997 model...
to Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
in 1998. The Geo models outsold the rebadged Chevrolets 3 to 1.
Engines
All Prizms were powered by the same engineInternal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
as the then present Toyota Corolla models.
- 1990–1992 Geo Prizms were powered by the 4A-FE or optional 4A-GE engine.
- 1993–1997 Geo Prizms were powered by the 4A-FE or optional 7A-FE engine.
- 1998–2002 Chevy Prizms were equipped with Toyota's 1.8 LLitér- External links :*...
1ZZ-FE I4 engine; 2000–2002 models included VVT-iVVT-iVVT-i, or Variable Valve Timing with intelligence, is an automobile variable valve timing technology developed by Toyota, similar in performance to the BMW's VANOS. The Toyota VVT-i system replaces the Toyota VVT offered starting in 24 December 1991 on the 5-valve per cylinder 4A-GE engine. The...
(Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence) technology.