The Chevrolet Classic is the four-door compact sedan that Chevrolet built in Brazil and Argentina, originally as the Corsa Sedan. It was renamed Classic in 2002 and remained on sale until 2016, one of the most popular cars in Brazil and a favourite of the country’s taxi fleets.
Chevrolet Classic at a glance
| Maker | Chevrolet, General Motors do Brasil |
|---|---|
| Also called | Chevrolet Corsa Sedan, Corsa Classic |
| Production | 1995-2016 in Brazil and Argentina |
| Class | compact four-door sedan |
| Platform | S4200, later the S4300 Corsa family |
| Engines | 1.0 VHC-E; 1.6 8V with 92 cv and 1.6 16V with 102 cv |
| Transmissions | manual; automatic offered on early cars and again in 2004-2005 |
| Trim levels | GL, GLS, Life, LS and Advantage |
| Facelift | April 2010, with new front and rear ends |
| End of Brazilian production | August 2013; imported from Argentina until 2016 |
| Other markets | China as the Chevrolet Sail, Mexico as the Chevrolet Chevy C2 |
The English page is a short nameplate list; the Brazilian history comes from the Portuguese article.
History of the Chevrolet Classic
The Corsa Sedan
The car began as the Chevrolet Corsa Sedan, a four-door compact built in Brazil and Argentina. The S4200-platform sedan was produced from 1997 to 2002 in GL and GLS versions. The GL was the simpler car, while the GLS added an automatic gearbox inherited from the Vectra, ABS, leather seats, air conditioning and twin airbags, with a choice of 1.6-litre eight-valve (92 cv) and 16-valve (102 cv) engines.
Renamed Corsa Classic
In 2002, to distinguish it from the new generation of the Corsa family on the S4300 platform, the car was renamed Corsa Classic. It became one of the best-selling models in Brazil, helped by its good finish and large boot, and was a favourite of taxi fleets. Strong sales in 2004 and 2005 even brought back an automatic transmission option.
VHC-E and the 2010 facelift
From 2009 only the Life version remained on sale, renamed VHC-E after its engine. In April 2010 a new Classic appeared with substantially changed front and rear ends, most notably new headlights, which gave it a look similar to the first-generation Prisma. That model was based on the first-generation Chevrolet Sail sold in China, Chile and Peru; in Mexico the same car was restyled and sold as the Chevrolet Chevy C2. In China the Corsa had already been sold from 2005 as the Chevrolet Sail, replacing the Buick Sail.
End of production
In 2012 airbags and ABS became optional on the LS and Advantage versions, with a fully equipped car listed at R$31,900. In August 2013 Chevrolet do Brasil ended production in Brazil, after which the model was imported from Argentina until production finally stopped in 2016. The Classic had been built for 21 consecutive years, and about 5,000 units were still accounted for after the end of production.
Design and features
- Large boot: one of the reasons the car was so popular in Brazil and with taxi operators.
- Simple engineering: the S4200 platform and a choice of 1.6-litre eight- and 16-valve engines.
- Long life: 21 consecutive years of production, with a major facelift in 2010.
- Export names: the same family was sold as the Sail in China and the Chevy C2 in Mexico.
Chevrolet Classic versions
- GL: the basic early version of the Corsa Sedan.
- GLS: automatic gearbox, ABS, leather, air conditioning and twin airbags.
- Life / VHC-E: the only version left on sale from 2009.
- 2010 Classic: facelifted front and rear, based on the first-generation Sail.
- Sail and Chevy C2: export versions for China and Mexico.
Other General Motors subjects are in the same collection, among them the Ultralite concept and the Autonomy chassis. More cars are in the General Motors collection.
Sources
- Chevrolet Classic, English Wikipedia: the Classic nameplate and its other uses
- Chevrolet Classic, Portuguese Wikipedia: Brazilian history, versions, engines, end of production
