Chevrolet Prizm

Chevrolet Prizm, also known as Geo Prizm, is a type of compact and sub-compact car produced by General Motors and co-developed by Toyota, in 1988-2002. This model is actually the US version of Toyota Corolla and it was derived from Toyota Sprinter, which was only available for the Japanese market. It was intended to be the successor of Chevrolet Nova. In 2002, the company ended the production of this model, and it was later replaced by Pontiac Vibe and Chevrolet Cobalt.

The model was assembled in Fremont, California. It has transverse front-engine front-wheel drive layout, and it was developed based on the Toyota E90, E100, and E110 platforms.

During the production period, the company has released three generations of Chevrolet Prizm. The first generation was produced in 1989-1992, the second generation was produced in 1992-1997, and the third generation was produced in 1997-2001.

Models and Features

- The first generation of Chevrolet Prizm, also called Toyota Corolla and Toyota Sprinter, was produced in 1989-1992. It has 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback body styles. It has 95 inches wheelbase, with 170 inches length, 65 inches width, and 52 inches height.

- The second generation of Chevrolet Prizm, also known as Geo Prizm, was produced in 1992-1997. It has 4-door sedan and 5-door station wagon. It has 97 inches wheelbase, with 173 inches length, 66 inches width, and 53 inches height.

- The third generation of Chevrolet Prizm was produced in 1997-2001. It has 4-door sedan body style. It has 97 inches wheelbase, with 174 inches length, 66 inches width, and 53 inches height.

Options and Packages

There are some variants of Chevrolet Prizm available during its production years. Here are the variants:

- Geo Prizm Hatchback

- Geo Prizm LSi Sedan

- Toyota Sprinter Cielo

- Geo Prizm GSi Sporty

All the variants offer the same features as Toyota Sprinter, with several modifications on its engines and exterior design. Also, the transition between generations of Chevrolet Prizm gives considerable redesign on its previous generation, with a more polished look and better powertrain under the hood.

Under the Hood

The first generation of Chevrolet Prizm features 1.6 liters 4AFE L01 inline-four engine and 1.6 liters DOHC 4AGE LW0 inline-four engine. It has 5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic, and 4-speed automatic transmission system. In 1990, the company released the sporty model of Chevrolet Prizm called the GSi Sporty model, with some extra features such as sport suspension, twin-cam engine capable of producing 130 horsepower, disc brakes, 14-inch wheels, and body colored bumper.

The second generation of Chevrolet Prizm features 1.6 liters 4AFE L01 inline-four gasoline engine and 1.8 liters 7AFE LV6 inline-four gasoline engine. It has 5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic, and 4-speed automatic transmission system. There are various modifications that have been made from the previous generation, such as larger interior room, driver airbag, a larger engine, wider tires, rear stabilizer bar, second airbag, and leather seats.

The third generation of Chevrolet Prizm features 1.8 liters 1ZZFE LV6 inline-four gasoline engine. It has 5-speed manual, 3-speed MX1 automatic, and 4-speed MS7 automatic transmission system. The modifications were made to convert all previous Geo models into Chevrolet, such as timing chain all-aluminium engine, which produced more power with the same fuel economy. The body frame was also lighter than its predecessor, with a more polished exterior design.

Here are the complete specifications of the latest 2002 version Chevrolet Prizm:

- 1.8 liters inline-four engine with double overhead cam and four valves per cylinder.

- 79 mm bore and 91 mm stroke.

- 10 compression ratio.

- 125 horsepower at 5800 rotation per minute.

- 170 Nm torque at 4000 rotation per minute.

- Two disc brakes with two ventilated discs.

- Internal spare wheel with space-saver steel rim.

- Coil springs front and rear suspension with independent stabilizer bar.

- Day-time running lights.

- Color bumpers front and rear.

- Tinted glass (cabin).

Fuel Economy

The Chevrolet Prizm uses unleaded fuel with multi-point injection fuel system. The fuel tank is capable of storing up to 50 liters of fuel in one go. The fuel consumption rate is at 5.7 liters per 100 kilometers for EPA highway.

Safety Ratings and Technology

There are various safety features that are embedded into the car in order to maximize the protection and safety of the driver and passengers. Here are the most important safety technologies that are available on the latest 2002 Chevrolet Prizm model:

- Shoulder belt and rear center lap.

- Trunk release.

- Head restraint on rear seat.

- Energy management.

- Lower seat anchorage for children.

- Pretensioner.

- Adjustable front upper belt.

- Daytime running lights.

According to the crash safety test, Chevrolet Prizm has 4-star rating for its driver side's frontal impact as well as passenger side's frontal impact, 3-star rating for its front occupant's side impact as well as rear occupant's side impact, and 4-star rating for its rollover resistance.

Trivia

- Since the production of Chevrolet Prizm was done under the joint venture agreement between General Motors and Toyota Corporation, the production of this motorcycle was done in the new plant called NUMMI or New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc.

- The successor of Chevrolet Prizm, the Pontiac Vibe, is another joint venture between General Motors and Toyota. It is the US version of Toyota Matrix, and it was produced in the same NUMMI plant.

- The production of this model was ended in 2002 due to low sales and lots of competitors entering the market, such as Chevrolet Cavalier and Saturn S-Series.

- The Prizm was sold exclusively for the US market, and it was introduced as an entry-level compact car.

- When the company first introduced the car to the market, it came with the name Geo Prizm. But, since the General Motors company has released the Geo brand, the car was rebranded into Chevrolet Prizm.

- The third generation of Chevrolet Prizm, which was a major improvement of the previous generations of Prizm, was produced in coincidence with the time when General Motors phased out its Geo brand. As a result of the rebranding, this model didn't get much popularity in the market, which made this model to suffer low sales and made the company to decide the discontinuation of this model in 2002.