The Chevrolet Sprint was a small economy car built by Suzuki and sold by Chevrolet in North America from 1985. It was one of more than a dozen names applied to the Suzuki Cultus around the world, and it prepared the ground for the Geo Metro.
Chevrolet Sprint at a glance
| Sold in North America | from 1985 |
|---|---|
| Maker | Suzuki |
| Based on | Suzuki Cultus |
| Internal GM name | M-car |
| Engine family | Suzuki G |
| Other names | Geo Metro, Pontiac Firefly, Holden Barina, Isuzu Geminett |
| Assembly | Suzuki plants in Japan until 1989 |
| Later production | CAMI Automotive, Ingersoll, Ontario from 1990 |
| Alliance | General Motors, Suzuki and Isuzu, formed in 1981 |
The article is based on the English Wikipedia page on the Suzuki Cultus, which covers the Chevrolet Sprint version.
History of the Chevrolet Sprint
The Suzuki Cultus was first shown at the 25th Tokyo Motor Show, introduced in Japan in 1983 and eventually sold in seven countries, marketed worldwide as the Suzuki Swift. An alliance formed in 1981 between General Motors, Suzuki and Isuzu allowed GM to market the Cultus internationally as a captive import under more than a dozen nameplates, including the Geo Metro, Chevrolet Sprint, Pontiac Firefly, Isuzu Geminett, Margalla and Holden Barina. Inside GM the family was known as the M-car.
The Sprint was the Chevrolet version sold in North America from 1985. Cars from this family, sold between 1985 and 1989 in North America as the Suzuki Forsa, Suzuki Swift, Chevrolet Sprint, Geo Metro and Pontiac Firefly, came from Suzuki’s factories in Japan. From 1990 the North American M-cars were built at CAMI Automotive, the 50-50 joint venture between General Motors and Suzuki in Ingersoll, Ontario, although Japanese production continued to supply some sedans for Canada.
The Sprint’s place in the range was taken by the Geo Metro, which carried the Geo name from 1989 and the Chevrolet name from 1998 before production ended in 2001. The Cultus itself, meanwhile, was offered over its lifespan in four body styles with engines from the Suzuki G family, and the second-generation car remained in production in Pakistan until late 2016.
Design and features
- Suzuki engineering: the Sprint was a Cultus with Chevrolet badges.
- Captive import: brought to North America under the 1981 GM-Suzuki-Isuzu alliance.
- M-car: GM’s internal name for the whole family of small cars.
- Long-lived design: the Cultus was built in some markets until 2016.
Chevrolet Sprint versions
- Chevrolet Sprint: the North American version from 1985.
- Geo Metro: the successor under the Geo brand.
- Pontiac Firefly: the Pontiac version sold in Canada.
- Holden Barina and Isuzu Geminett: other names for the same car.
The Sprint was replaced in the range by the Chevrolet Metro and sat below the Chevrolet Chevette before that model ended. More cars are in the Chevrolet collection.
Sources
- Suzuki Cultus, English Wikipedia: origins, GM alliance, names, production
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