All Cars » Geo/Chevrolet http://www.allcarsvideo.com Automobile Videos Sun, 26 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Geo/Chevrolet Tracker http://www.allcarsvideo.com/geochevrolet/geochevrolet-tracker/ http://www.allcarsvideo.com/geochevrolet/geochevrolet-tracker/#comments Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:59:57 +0000 admin http://www.allcarsvideo.com/?p=373 The Geo/Chevrolet Tracker manufacture by Geo/Chevrolet automobile company. Read more to view more detail and video reviews. Please feel free to comments and give rating to help others


Geo/Chevrolet Tracker is a mini SUV produced by Chevrolet and Geo

The Geo Tracker was a mini SUV introduced in late 1988 as a 1989 model. It was developed by CAMI which was a joint venture between General Motors of Canada and Suzuki. North American Models were to be built in Cami’s Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada plant alongside its almost identical twin the domestic-built Suzuki Sidekick (Escudo). All 1989 and some 1990 Trackers were built in Japan and imported to the US because of delays at the CAMI factory in Canada. In 1990 production began in Ingersoll and all Trackers were now being built there.

The Tracker was originally powered by Suzuki’s G16A 1.6L 8V SOHC 4-cylinder engine producing 80hp. In 1992 the Geo marque was brought to Canada so the Chevrolet Tracker became the Geo Tracker there as well. Also in 1992, the GMC Tracker became the Asüna Sunrunner and then in 1995 with the demise of Asüna became the Pontiac Sunrunner, discontinued in 1998. Although Suzuki started importing Sidekick 4-doors in 1991 CAMI didn’t start producing them until the 1996 model year, when America got a 4 door Geo Tracker, now powered by Suzuki’s G16B 16 valve 1.6L boasting 96hp. In 1998 the Geo nameplate was merged back into Chevrolet and all Geo Models including the Tracker were rebadged as Chevrolet in 1998.

The Tracker was different from most other light SUVs on the market in that it is based on a rugged light-truck chassis. Although it appeared to be a comfortable passenger SUV, it was bolstered by a sturdy off-road 4-wheel drive system with a conventional light truck engine and transmission coupled to a hi-lo, 2-4 transfer case. The Tracker had a strong front suspension with a rugged recirculating ball steering box. The conventional front differential was rigidly mounted ahead of the engine, with U-jointed drive-shafts connecting the coil-spring front hubs to the differential case. The rear axle was a conventional light truck unit on coil springs. As a result of the truck-like underpinnings, the Tracker had a fairly truck-like ride, but the benefit was its notable durability in harsh conditions.

The production of the first generation model of the Tracker (and Sidekick) came to an end in Ontario after 1998 in order to make way for the second generation of Tracker/Vitara. However the first generation Siedekick continued in production in other countries until 2004. Mechanical components of the first generation Tracker were also incorporated into similar types such as the 1997-2002 Kia Sportage.

]]> http://www.allcarsvideo.com/geochevrolet/geochevrolet-tracker/feed/ 0 Geo/Chevrolet Prizm http://www.allcarsvideo.com/geochevrolet/geochevrolet-prizm/ http://www.allcarsvideo.com/geochevrolet/geochevrolet-prizm/#comments Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:59:57 +0000 admin http://www.allcarsvideo.com/?p=372 The Geo/Chevrolet Prizm manufacture by Geo/Chevrolet automobile company. Read more to view more detail and video reviews. Please feel free to comments and give rating to help others


The Geo/Chevrolet Prizm (Chevrolet Prizm starting 1998) was a United States-market entry-level compact car from model years 1989 through 2002. Like the 1985-1988 Chevrolet Nova it replaced, the Prizm was a rebadged version of the Toyota Sprinter, an upmarket version of the Toyota Corolla sold in Japan. All Prizms were built at NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc), a joint venture plant between Toyota and General Motors in Fremont, California.

The Prizm was introduced in 1989 for GM’s then-new Geo brand of import cars. The hatchback version sold through 1991 was a rebadged version of the Toyota Corolla Seca. The sporty GSi model of 1990-1992 was notable for its 130 horsepower (97 kW) twin-cam engine, sport suspension, disc brakes, and 14-inch (360 mm) wheels. In 1992, the lettering the car was changed from “Prizm” to “PRIZM” in italicized and capital letters. In Canada, the Prizm was never sold, opting for the brand to sell the Geo Metro sedan instead. However, the Geo Metro sedan was first sold in the United States in 1995.

The Prizm’s 1993 redesign gave it more room (resulting in an upgrade to United States Environmental Protection Agency? “compact” car status), a driver airbag, and a new 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine optional on LSi trim. With the larger engine came a rear stabilizer bar, wider tires, and an optional automatic transmission with 4 speeds instead of 3. A second airbag became standard in 1994; leather seats were an option on the LSi between 1994-1997. In contrast with the Corolla, this generation Prizm lacked a front stabilizer bar in its suspension, resulting in somewhat twitchier (some say “sportier”) handling.

The Prizm’s 1998 redesign coincided with the conversion of all Geos into Chevrolets. The most notable change was the new 1.8-liter engine, which was now all-aluminum, driven by a timing chain, and featured more power (yet the same fuel economy) than the engines from the Geo years. Along with the Corolla, the Prizm also became the first car in the compact class to offer optional side airbags. 1998 Prizms without the LSi’s optional “Handling Package” (containing a front stabilizer bar) were singled out by Consumer Reports for having sloppy emergency handling; Toyota addressed the problem for 1999 by making the Handling Package standard. For 2000, the engine gained variable valve timing for 5 extra horsepower (to 125). The last Prizms were built in December 2001, resulting in a brief 2002 model year. The Prizm was effectively replaced by the Pontiac Vibe, a twin of the Corolla-based Toyota Matrix hatchback.

In any generation, the Prizm’s distinctions over its Toyota twin mostly came down to minor cosmetic differences, a GM Delco radio (except on first-generation cars), and more substantially, the Prizm’s consistently lower perceived value. The bluebook value of a used Prizm typically stands $1,000-$2,000 below an equivalent Corolla.

All Prizms were powered by the same engine as the then present Toyota Corolla models.

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