GEO- Manufacturer

THE HISTORY OF GEO

GEO Geo was a brand of small cars and SUVs marketed by General Motors and sold through Chevrolet dealerships throughout North America beginning in 1989 in the United States, and 1992 in Canada. Their original slogan was "Get to know Geo." Originally formed by GM to compete with the growing small import market of the late 1980s, the line continued through the 1997 model year, after which the remaining models joined the Chevrolet lineup. Recent years have seen fading consumer interest in the economy compact market,[citation needed] and the last vehicle of the former Geo line, the Tracker, was discontinued in 2004. In Canada, another import marque, Asüna, was introduced in 1993 to provide Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealers access to a similar range of import vehicles. Geo models were manufactured by GM in joint-ventures with Japanese import manufacturers. The Prizm was produced at the GM/Toyota joint-venture NUMMI assembly plant in Fremont, California, and the Metro and Tracker were produced at the GM/Suzuki joint-venture CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario. The exceptions being the Spectrum and Storm, being entirely manufactured by Isuzu in Japan. MODELS Metro Main article: Geo Metro The Metro was a subcompact car based on the Suzuki Swift/Suzuki Cultus (sold as Swift in North America) available as either a three or five-door hatchback, four-door sedan, or less commonly as a convertible. The Metro's primary powerplant was a 1.0 L 3-cylinder engine. It replaced the similar Chevrolet Sprint. There was also a larger 1.3 L 4-cylinder engine available. The Metro was the most fuel efficient production vehicle ever produced by GM, and stayed so for 12 of the 13 years it was in production. The Metro was produced from 1989 through 2001. Prizm Main article: Geo Prizm The Prizm was a compact four-door sedan based on the Toyota Corolla, and is the successor for the Chevrolet Nova and the Isuzu-built Spectrum. While the Prizm consistently won awards from the auto industry (including having the honor of being a Consumer's Digest Best Buy), it was always outsold by the Corolla, likely due to the perceived higher value of the Toyota brand. Additionally, the Prizm had an awkward position in Chevrolet's lineup, as it had to compete with a car it stared across the lot at: the Cavalier. Being in the same class as Cavalier, Chevrolet took the approach of marketing the Cavalier as a "premium entry level sedan" while marketing the Prizm as an "entry level compact sedan." Towards the end however, the Prizm became more or less a redundancy in Chevrolet's lineup, which likely led to its demise. The Prizm ran from 1989 through 2002. Spectrum Main article: Geo Spectrum The Spectrum was a short-lived compact one step up from the Metro, based on the Isuzu Gemini (also sold as the Isuzu I-Mark in North America). The Spectrum was previously sold as a Chevrolet model, and was added to the Geo lineup to offer potential buyers an option other than the Metro. The Geo Spectrum was only sold in 1989 until being replaced by the related Storm hatchback and station wagon. Storm Main article: Geo Storm The Storm was a sporty car based on the Isuzu Impulse, available as either a two-door fastback or a hatchback. The Storm entered Geo's lineup in 1990, replacing the related Geo Spectrum, and made a quick departure in 1993 despite strong sales. This was due in part to Isuzu discontinuing their car lines, and refocusing on trucks and SUVs. The Geo Storm was the performance oriented vehicle of the Geo Brand. Tracker Main article: Geo Tracker The Tracker was a light SUV, based on the Suzuki Escudo, a model that came out virtually around the same time. The Tracker was a part of the original Geo lineup from 1989, and was the longest running model, continuing under the Chevrolet brand through 2004. The Tracker was available in either a convertible or hardtop configuration, with either two or four seats. The buyer had the option of either rear-wheel drive or 4-wheel drive. Geo touted the Tracker as a versatile vehicle, being either an around-town runabout, or a rugged off-road vehicle. The Tracker was surprisingly resistant to rolling over, thanks to its soft suspension.

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