The FSO Matiz was the small Daewoo city car assembled and then built in Warsaw from 1998 to 2007. It was the smaller of the two models FSO made for Daewoo, next to the Lanos, and unlike its bigger sister it was sold almost entirely in Poland.
FSO Matiz at a glance
| Maker | Daewoo-FSO, then FSO, Warsaw |
|---|---|
| Production | December 1998 (SKD) – February 2007 |
| Model | Daewoo Matiz M100 |
| Design | Italdesign Lucciola concept |
| Engine | 0.8-litre three-cylinder, 51 hp |
| Top speed | 144 km/h |
| 0–100 km/h | 17 seconds |
| Fuel consumption | 6.4 L/100 km combined |
| Built at FSO | 152,363 |
| Sold in Poland | 149,953 (1998–2008) |
| Euro NCAP | three stars (2000) |
| Last cars | 301, in January and February 2007 |
The FSO Matiz was the Polish-built version of the Daewoo Matiz M100; this page uses the Matiz section of the English Chevrolet Spark article and the Polish article on the Daewoo Matiz.
History of the FSO Matiz
A Daewoo with Italian clothes
The Daewoo Matiz was introduced in 1998 in South Korea as the M100. Its rounded exterior came from the Italdesign Lucciola, a 1993 concept evolved from the 1992 Cinquecento study by Fabrizio Giugiaro, which Fiat had rejected. Daewoo engineering was done at the company’s Worthing Technical Centre in England. Underneath, the Matiz was based on the Daewoo Tico, itself a licensed build of the Suzuki Alto, and from that origin came its characteristic narrow width, dictated by the Japanese kei car tax class.
The only engine at launch was a 0.8-litre straight-three derived from the Suzuki F8B and developed by the British firm Tickford. It produced 51 hp (38 kW) and 68.5 N⋅m, gave a combined consumption of 6.4 L/100 km, a top speed of 144 km/h and 0–100 km/h in 17 seconds. Three trim levels were offered, E, S and SE, the last with air conditioning, body-coloured bumpers, a rear spoiler and fog lights.
Matiz in Warsaw
Assembly of the Matiz in SKD form began at Daewoo-FSO in Warsaw in December 1998, and full production started on 18 October 1999. The Polish share of the parts grew from 40 per cent in 1999 to 65 per cent at the end of 2000. When Daewoo Motor gave up its controlling stake in Daewoo-FSO, the factory returned to the name FSO and produced cars under its own brand until the end of September 2004.
On 22 April 2004 GM DAT signed an agreement with FSO giving the plant the right to build the Lanos and Matiz until the end of 2006 and to sell them until the middle of 2007; this was later extended to the end of 2008 and mid-2009. Production of the Matiz nevertheless stopped in February 2007 because demand had fallen, with the last 301 cars built in January and February of that year. In all, 152,363 Matizes were assembled or produced in Warsaw, and 149,953 were sold in Poland between 1998 and 2008. Cars built in Poland used only the 0.8-litre engine, and, unlike the Lanos, the Matiz was sold almost exclusively at home.
Safety and the name
In 2000 the Matiz M100 was crash-tested for Euro NCAP: six points for the frontal impact and thirteen for the side impact gave nineteen points and three stars out of five. Pedestrian protection was rated at fifteen points, two stars on the four-star scale of the time. The test car was a right-hand-drive SE+ with two airbags. In Polish the name was said to mean friend, a fitting label for a car that spent most of its life as the country’s cheapest new city runabout.
Design and features
- Italdesign shape: the rounded body came from the Lucciola concept that Fiat had turned down.
- Small three-cylinder: 0.8 litres, 51 hp, 6.4 L/100 km and a 144 km/h top speed.
- Polish content: the share of Polish parts rose from 40 per cent in 1999 to 65 per cent by the end of 2000.
- Home-market car: unlike the Lanos, the FSO Matiz was sold mainly in Poland.
- Three-star safety: three stars for adult occupants in the 2000 Euro NCAP test.
FSO Matiz versions
- Matiz M100 (1998–2000): original car with oval headlights and the 0.8 engine.
- E, S and SE trims: from basic to air conditioning, rear spoiler and fog lights.
- FSO-built Matiz (1999–2007): Polish production with the 0.8-litre engine only.
- Matiz M150 (2000): facelift with round headlights and a revised front, later with a 1.0-litre engine.
The Matiz was the smallest car in the FSO range, sold alongside the ageing Polonez; the older 125p had gone out of production in 1991. More cars are in the FSO collection.
Sources
- Chevrolet Spark (Daewoo Matiz), English Wikipedia: design, engine, trims
- Daewoo Matiz, Polish Wikipedia: production in Poland, totals, safety
