The
Daewoo Matiz is a
city carA city car is a small, moderately powered automobile intended for use in urban areas.It is comparable in size and features to a neighborhood electric vehicle , has four seats, and is typically long. These cars have been sold in Europe since the 1960s, and now are an official car classification....
produced by the South Korean automaker
GM DaewooGM Daewoo Auto & Technology was first established as National Motor in 1937 in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, South Korea...
that has been marketed worldwide since 1998. Available solely as a five-door hatchback with two engine configurations, and replacing the
Daewoo TicoThe Daewoo Tico is a city car produced by the Korean automaker GM Daewoo from 1991 to 2001.The Tico was based on the 1988 Suzuki Alto. The car was equipped with a three-cylinder 796 cc S-TEC engine and had a five-speed manual transmission or three-speed automatic transmission. The Tico was...
, the Matiz was originally designed by
Italdesign GiugiaroItaldesign-Giugiaro S.p.A is an automobile design and engineering company in Turin, Italy. The company was founded in 1968 as Studi Italiani Realizzazione Prototipi S.p.A, working closely with Volkswagen. Today, the company is known for the work of its subsidiary, Giugiaro Design, the domain of...
and has been facelifted twice. The various generations of the car have been sold under both Daewoo and various GM brands, as well as manufactured and marketed under license agreements by local automakers in several countries.
Notably, the Matiz was at the center of a 2006 international intellectual property rights controversy, its design copied outright by Chinese manufacturer
CheryChéry is a commune in the Cher département of the Centre region of France.-Geography:An area of farming and forestry, comprising of the main village and a hamlet, situated in the valley of the river Arnon some south of Vierzon, at the junction of the D75, D165 and the D68...
's
QQThe Chery QQ is a city car produced by the Chinese manufacturer Chery Automobile since 2003. In 2006, the car was renamed the Chery QQ3 in China, when Chery launched their new supermini, the Chery QQ6.-Engine:...
.
The Daewoo Matiz started production in 1998 and sold in South Korea and many European markets with the code name
M100.
The
Daewoo Matiz is a
city carA city car is a small, moderately powered automobile intended for use in urban areas.It is comparable in size and features to a neighborhood electric vehicle , has four seats, and is typically long. These cars have been sold in Europe since the 1960s, and now are an official car classification....
produced by the South Korean automaker
GM DaewooGM Daewoo Auto & Technology was first established as National Motor in 1937 in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, South Korea...
that has been marketed worldwide since 1998. Available solely as a five-door hatchback with two engine configurations, and replacing the
Daewoo TicoThe Daewoo Tico is a city car produced by the Korean automaker GM Daewoo from 1991 to 2001.The Tico was based on the 1988 Suzuki Alto. The car was equipped with a three-cylinder 796 cc S-TEC engine and had a five-speed manual transmission or three-speed automatic transmission. The Tico was...
, the Matiz was originally designed by
Italdesign GiugiaroItaldesign-Giugiaro S.p.A is an automobile design and engineering company in Turin, Italy. The company was founded in 1968 as Studi Italiani Realizzazione Prototipi S.p.A, working closely with Volkswagen. Today, the company is known for the work of its subsidiary, Giugiaro Design, the domain of...
and has been facelifted twice. The various generations of the car have been sold under both Daewoo and various GM brands, as well as manufactured and marketed under license agreements by local automakers in several countries.
Notably, the Matiz was at the center of a 2006 international intellectual property rights controversy, its design copied outright by Chinese manufacturer
CheryChéry is a commune in the Cher département of the Centre region of France.-Geography:An area of farming and forestry, comprising of the main village and a hamlet, situated in the valley of the river Arnon some south of Vierzon, at the junction of the D75, D165 and the D68...
's
QQThe Chery QQ is a city car produced by the Chinese manufacturer Chery Automobile since 2003. In 2006, the car was renamed the Chery QQ3 in China, when Chery launched their new supermini, the Chery QQ6.-Engine:...
.
M100 (1998–2000)
The Daewoo Matiz started production in 1998 and sold in South Korea and many European markets with the code name
M100. The exterior design is based on the Lucciola, a
Fiat CinquecentoThe Fiat Cinquecento was a city car designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Ital Design, launched by Fiat in late 1991 to replace the Fiat 126. It was the first Fiat model to be solely manufactured in the FSM plant in Tychy, Poland, which had been sold to Fiat by the Polish state, and where production...
concept by
Italdesign GiugiaroItaldesign-Giugiaro S.p.A is an automobile design and engineering company in Turin, Italy. The company was founded in 1968 as Studi Italiani Realizzazione Prototipi S.p.A, working closely with Volkswagen. Today, the company is known for the work of its subsidiary, Giugiaro Design, the domain of...
which had been rejected by
FiatFiat S.p.A., an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial and industrial group based in Turin in the Piedmont region. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli. Fiat has also...
. The 0.8-litre gasoline engine and the transmission were carryovers from the
Daewoo TicoThe Daewoo Tico is a city car produced by the Korean automaker GM Daewoo from 1991 to 2001.The Tico was based on the 1988 Suzuki Alto. The car was equipped with a three-cylinder 796 cc S-TEC engine and had a five-speed manual transmission or three-speed automatic transmission. The Tico was...
. Engineering was carried out at Daewoo's Worthing Technical Centre in England. The car became the best selling Daewoo model in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
for the next four years.
The Matiz was originally launched with just a 0.8 L
3-cylinderA straight-three engine, also known as inline-three engine, or a triple, is an internal combustion engine with three cylinders arranged in a straight line or plane, side by side....
engine.
Copying controversy
Also marketed in China as the
Chevrolet Spark, the Matiz has been at the center of an industrial rights controversy ever since a very similar car, the
Chery QQThe Chery QQ is a city car produced by the Chinese manufacturer Chery Automobile since 2003. In 2006, the car was renamed the Chery QQ3 in China, when Chery launched their new supermini, the Chery QQ6.-Engine:...
, had been introduced by local manufacturer
Chery AutomobileChery Automobile is an automobile manufacturer in China.It is owned by the local government of Wuhu, Anhui province , and sold about 381,000 vehicles in 2007...
.
GM sued Chery, alleging piracy of the Spark design, and proving the extent of the copy in that the doors of the Chery car and Chevrolet Spark were completely interchangeable. GM China Group indicated the two vehicles "shared remarkably identical body structure, exterior design, interior design and key components." MotorAuthority.com called the QQ a "
carbon copyCarbon copying, abbreviated cc or c.c., is the technique of using carbon paper to produce one or more copies simultaneously during the creation of paper documents...
." The
International Herald TribuneThe International Herald Tribune is a widely read English-language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 35 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 180 countries...
in a 2005 article, referred to the QQ as a
cloneMolecular cloning refers to the procedure of isolating a defined DNA sequence and obtaining multiple copies of it in vivo. Cloning is frequently employed to amplify DNA fragments containing genes, but it can be used to amplify any DNA sequence such as promoters, non-coding sequences, chemically...
.
Putting the controversy in important context, the
Detroit News reported that "the dispute reflects the confusion, risks and ambitions in China's new auto industry, where global carmakers are battling pugnacious upstarts for a piece of what may become the world's largest auto market."
M150 (2000–2005)
It was designed at Daewoo's Worthing Technical Centre in England and introduced in South Korea in late 2000, and exported from 2001. The front-end structure was modified to accommodate a
4-cylinderThe inline-four engine or straight-four engine is a four-cylinder 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...
engine, although the introduction of this engine, the 1.0-litre
S-Tec unitS-TEC is a low-displacement engine range codeveloped by Suzuki and Daewoo Motors for use in micro- and subcompact cars.The first model was 0.8 L Straight-3 engine, based on the powerplant of the Suzuki Alto...
was delayed until after Daewoo's takeover by General Motors in 2002.
In Japan it was sold under the name
GM Daewoo Matiz II.
M200 (2005–present)
This called from 'Matiz Classic'.
In 2005 the Matiz received substantial modifications (
M200), previewed by the
Chevrolet M3X concept car shown at 2004 Paris Motor Show. The upper body was significantly revised based again on a design from
Italdesign GiugiaroItaldesign-Giugiaro S.p.A is an automobile design and engineering company in Turin, Italy. The company was founded in 1968 as Studi Italiani Realizzazione Prototipi S.p.A, working closely with Volkswagen. Today, the company is known for the work of its subsidiary, Giugiaro Design, the domain of...
, the S-Tec engines were updated and the car's
drag coefficientIn fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment such as air or water. It is used in the drag equation, where a lower drag coefficient indicates the object will have less aerodynamic or...
was lowered, resulting in better
fuel economyFuel usage in automobiles refers to the relationship between distance traveled by an automobile and the amount of fuel consumed. There are no quantities or units for fuel usage defined in the International Standard ISO 31 Quantities and Units, so the nationally-defined reciprocal quantities fuel...
. The interior was also significantly revised, one notable feature of this car being its centre-mounted instrument cluster. The platform was also revised, with a twist-beam rear suspension system replacing the previous 3-link beam axle, and the front suspension making use of cast, rather than pressed and fabricated, lower control arms.
In 2008, the 0.8L engine was revised to fall below the 120g/km level, thus qualifying for the UK's £35 road tax band and no London Congestion Charge.
In Europe it was sold under the name
Chevrolet Matiz II. In South Korea, where it is sold only with a 800 cc engine and following the introduction of M300 Matiz (Matiz Creative), the M200 Matiz was renamed to
Matiz Classic.
Chevrolet Spark LPG: was a version for the Indian market with Sequential Injection-type LPG kit. Available models include 1.0L PS and 1.0L LS. The car was unveilled on World Environment Day in New Delhi.
Chevrolet Spark Muzic Special Edition (2009-): was a version of Chevrolet Spark for the Indian market, with following features:
- Body coloured outside rear view mirrors
- Turn indicators mounted on ORVM
- Attractive body graphics
- Body coloured door handles
- Special edition badging
- New sporty upholstery for interiors
- Remote keyless entry
Safety
The 2005 Chevrolet Matiz scored three stars (with one strike through) in the
EuroNCAPThe European New Car Assessment Programme is a European car safety performance assessment programme founded in 1997 by the Transport Research Laboratory for the UK Department for Transport and now the standard throughout Europe....
crash test: "The final adult occupant protection star is struck through because there was an unacceptably high risk of life-threatening injury to the chest in side impact." test: "Overall this is a creditable performance from a car without a side airbag."
http://www.euroncap.com/images/results/superminis/car_233_2005/Chevrolet%20Matiz%20Datasheet%202.pdf By contrast, the pre-2005 Daewoo Matiz was awarded 72% in the side impact
Euro NCAP
In Europe, the Matiz is equipped with front seatbelt pretensioners, front seatbelt load limiters, driver and passenger frontal airbags and
ISOFIXISOFIX is the international standard for attachment points for child safety seats in passenger cars. The system is also known as LATCH in the United States and LUAS or Canfix in Canada...
rear anchorages.
Concept
The Chevrolet Beat, Trax, Groove concept vehicles were unveiled at 2007
New York International Auto ShowThe New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in late March or early April. It is usually held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center...
. The Chevrolet Beat is a front-drive, three-door
hatchbackHatchback is a term designating an automobile design, containing a passenger cabin with an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind the vehicle by a single, top-hinged tailgate or large flip-up window...
concept, derived from the
Daewoo KalosThe Daewoo Kalos is a subcompact automobile manufactured by GM Daewoo introduced in 2002 and marketed globally in 120 countries – prominently as the Chevrolet Aveo ....
, was built in India, and designed by
GM DaewooGM Daewoo Auto & Technology was first established as National Motor in 1937 in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, South Korea...
in
South KoreaSouth Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often simply referred to as Korea, is a country in East Asia, located on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by China to the west, Japan to the east, and North Korea to the north. Its capital is Seoul, the second largest...
. It is powered by a 1.2 L turbocharged gasoline engine mated to an
automatic transmissionAn automatic transmission is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
.
The Spark concept sports a Vertigo Green exterior paint job with the same hue carried over to parts of the interior. Its profile is high at the rear and tapering down evenly to the front of the grille. Headlights that appear to extend all the way from the base of the grille to the base of the windshield are
LEDLEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
-type. Oversize 17 inch wheels barely hide the matching green paint of disc brakes. Twin taillights that extend upward to the back-up lights are also LED's.
In early 2007, GM conducted a poll testing the relative popularity of the Beat, Trax and Groove concepts on a Chevrolet website, the Beat receiving nearly 50% of the vote. This car was designed to appeal to young car buyers in urban markets, infusing the energy, diversity and excitement of urban life into a car that would deliver good-looking fun,
fuel economyFuel economy can refer to:*Fuel economy in automobiles*Fuel efficiency in general...
and value.
Production
The redesigned Matiz (codenamed
M300) was based on Chevrolet Beat concept car following the 2007 poll result. Production version of Chevrolet Spark was announced in 2009 Detroit Motor Show, but only the Beat concept was shown at the time. The production Chevrolet Spark was unveiled in 2009 Geneva Motor Show.
GM Daewoo Matiz version was unveiled in Seoul Motor Show 2009.
The Alto platform was replaced by
GM Gamma platformGamma is General Motors' global subcompact front-wheel drive automobile platform.-GM4300:The first version of the platform was issued in 2001 with the introduction of Corsa C and was a development of GM4200 platform...
developed by
GM DaewooGM Daewoo Auto & Technology was first established as National Motor in 1937 in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, South Korea...
engineers.
The production version of Chevrolet Spark will be available as of Q1 2010 in Europe, followed by other markets worldwide, with US sales set to begin in 2011.
Europe: engine choices include 1.0 and 1.2-litre I4 engines.
India: production of the New Spark has started at Halol Plant near Ahmedabad in
GujaratGujarat is the westernmost state in India. It is home to the Gujarati speaking people of India. The state encompasses major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization such as Lothal and Dholavira. Gujarat played an important role in the economic history of India throughout the history of India...
, India. Initially the car will be Sold in India and Far eastern countries. The current spark will be sold as the Spark classic. GM India was reported to build an electric version of Chevrolet Spark with Reva Electric Car Company.
South Korea: the Matiz version was renamed to
Matiz Creative. The global car includes S-TEC II engine with 4-speed automatic transmission. Sales began in 2009-09-01. The Groove name used in one of the rejected concepts returned as a trim level.
Asia
- In India
India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
, it was launched in 1999 as the Daewoo Matiz. In 2007, General Motors India launched the Chevrolet M3X concept based third generation, as the Chevrolet Spark.
- In Japan
is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the Matiz was sold under the GM Daewoo brand.
- In Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
, the car was initially introduced as Chevrolet Exclusive in 2003. From 2005-2009 it was manufactured by Nexus Automotive under the name Chevrolet Joy, which has now been replaced by the newer M200 series and is currently sold as the Chevrolet Spark.
- In the Philippines
The Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
, the Matiz was available during the years 1999-2000 through the Grey Market. In 2007, it was released under the name Chevrolet Spark.
Europe
- From 1998 until 2004, the Matiz was sold in Europe under the Daewoo badge. In 2005, it took the Chevrolet marque, as well as the other South Korean models of General Motors.
- Since 2000, CKD kits have been supplied UzDaewooAuto
UzDaewooAvto was set up as a joint venture between Daewoo and the Uzbekistan government located in Asaka city, Andijan province, Uzbekistan. UzDaewooAuto was set up on a parity basis in 1992 by state-owned Uzbek car-maker Uzavtoprom and South Korean car-maker Daewoo Motor.- History :In 2005, the...
, FSO and RodaeAutomobile Craiova is a Romanian car manufacturer located in Craiova, Romania. It is owned by Ford Motor Company.-The beginnings:Automobile Craiova was founded in 1976 as a joint venture company between Romanian government and Citroën...
, to be built and sold in UzbekistanUzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan , is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia, formerly part of the Soviet Union...
, PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
respectively. At the beginning of 2005, the Polish Matiz started to be sold under the marque FSO (FSO Matiz), which obtained autonomy. New models of Matiz are sold as Chevrolet Spark.
The Americas
- In Mexico, the Matiz was introduced to the market in 2003. The 2006 model was renamed to Pontiac Matiz G2. It was also sold as Pontiac Matiz and Pontiac G2. The Pontiac G2 will be discontinued in Mexico after a short run of 2010 models as the brand fades.
- In the Dominican Republic it is sold as the Chevy Spark. Also sold is the Chery QQ.
- In Colombia
Colombia , officially the Republic of Colombia , is a constitutional republic in northwestern South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the northwest by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean...
, the Matiz was imported by Daewoo distributors between 2002 and 2005 and then GM Colmotores began to assemble and sell it branded as Chevrolet Spark. In 2006, a taxi version called 7/24 was launched.
- In Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
, ChileChile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, EcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador , literally, "Republic of the equator") is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America that...
, El SalvadorEl Salvador is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. It borders the Pacific Ocean between Guatemala and Honduras. It lies on the Gulf of Fonseca, as does Nicaragua further south. It has a population of approximately 5.7 million people as of 2009 on...
, PanamaPanama, officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of both Central America and, in turn, North America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the...
, and UruguayUruguay , is a country located in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to 3.46 million people, of whom 1.1 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area. An estimated 88–94% of the population are of mostly European and/or mixed descent.Uruguay's only land border is...
it is sold as the Chevrolet Spark.
- In Perú
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico...
it is sold as the Daewoo Matiz.
- In Paraguay
Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay , is one of the two landlocked countries which lie entirely within the Western Hemisphere, the other being Bolivia, both in South America....
, it was initially sold as Daewoo Matiz, but from 2008 it is sold through Chevrolet dealers.
- The M300 version was set to begin sales in United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as Chevrolet SparkThe Chevrolet Spark is an upcoming city car to be sold worldwide. It is the winning design for production amongst a trio of small concept cars first presented in 2007...
beginning in 2011.
External links