02 Mar 05
American budget brand Chevrolet is using the Geneva Motor Show to launch its Matiz city car, which joins the Lacetti, Kalos and Tacuma in the range. The Chevrolet products are based on Daewoo vehicles of the same name, after Daewoo's financial troubles led GM to rebadge its budget line-up in an attempt to win back consumer confidence.
Chevrolet has tried to better insulate the Matiz from engine and wind noise to boost the perception of quality. The design, though, is mostly unchanged from the old car's, retaining the five-door, small-but-tall dimensions. A three-door version of the Matiz will broaden its appeal, but this won't arrive until later this year. The old Matiz's cute face and rounded headlights have been replaced with squarer headlamps and a new grille. The previous car's SE and LE trim levels will be renamed SE and SX too; the latter adds air conditioning, but both get a CD player.
The Matiz's engine choices are identical to its forebear's, too: 52bhp 800cc and 1.0-litre petrol units. Neither will provide scorching performance, but as a city runabout the Matiz won't be left breathless. That said, Chevy has apparently cut the Matiz's weight through the use of new materials, so acceleration should be improved. More good news is that Chevrolet has managed to squeeze even more miles from the already efficient engines, with both returning around 15 percent more per gallon, at 54.3mpg and 50.4mpg respectively. Its low price has always been the Matiz's USP, though, and that's unlikely to change now that it's wearing the Chevy badge. Expect it to cost from around £6000 when it goes on sale in June.
