Chevrolet Joy

Daewoo Matiz / Chevrolet Spark Chevrolet Joy
Manufacturer	GM Daewoo FSO
Also called	Chevrolet Matiz Chevrolet Spark Chevrolet Joy Pontiac Matiz G2 Pontiac Matiz Pontiac G2 Chevrolet Exclusive FSO Matiz Chevrolet Taxi 7:24 Chronos UZ Daewoo Matiz
Production	1998-present
Predecessor	Daewoo Tico
Class	City car
Body style(s)	3 and 5-door hatchback
Engine(s)	0.8 three-cylinder petrol 50 bhp (UK), 1.0 four-cylinder petrol 64 bhp (UK)
Curb weight	847 kg (1867 lb)
Designer	Italdesign Giugiaro

The Daewoo Matiz is a city car produced by the South Korean automaker GM Daewoo that has been marketed worldwide since 1998. Available solely as a five-door hatchback with two engine configurations, and replacing the Daewoo Tico, the Matiz was originally designed by Italdesign Giugiaro and has been facelifted twice.

Notably, the Matiz was at the center of a 2006 international intellectual property rights controversy, its design allegedly copied outright by a Chinese manufacturer.

Design

Conception

The Daewoo Matiz started production in 1998 and sold in South Korea and many European markets with the code name M100. The exterior design is based on the Lucciola, a Fiat Cinquecento concept by Italdesign Giugiaro which had been rejected by Fiat. The 0.8-litre gasoline engine and the transmission were carryovers from the Daewoo Tico. The car became the best selling Daewoo model in Europe for the next four years.

Body styles

The Matiz is available in one body style: a five-door hatchback.

Engine configurations

The Matiz is available with a 0.8 litre engine and a 1.0 litre engine.

Facelifts

Chevrolet Matiz in Belgium

Centrally mounted dashboard console in the new Chevrolet Spark as sold in India

A facelifted model (codenamed M150) was introduced in South Korea in late 2000, and exported from 2001. Following Daewoo's takeover by General Motors in 2002, the engine range was updated with a 1.0-litre S-Tec unit.

In 2005 the Matiz received a facelift (M200), based on the Chevrolet M3X concept car shown at 2004 Paris Motor Show. The S-Tec engines were updated and the car's drag coefficient was lowered, resulting in better fuel economy. One notable feature of this car is its centre-mounted instrument cluster.

The aging Alto platform will be replaced with a new city car platform developed by GM Daewoo engineers and based on GM Gamma platform.

Safety

The 2005 Chevrolet Matiz scored three stars (with one strike through) in the EuroNCAP crash test: "The final adult occupant protection star is struck through because there was an unacceptably high risk of life-threatening injury to the chest in side impact." test: "Overall this is a creditable performance from a car without a side airbag."By contrast, the pre-2005 Daewoo Matiz was awarded 72% in the side impact Euro NCAP

In Europe, the Matiz is equipped with front seatbelt pretensioners, front seatbelt load limiters, driver and passenger frontal airbags and ISOFIX rear anchorages.

Chinese copy controversy

Also marketed in China as the Chevrolet Spark, the Matiz has been at the center of an industrial rights controversy ever since a very similar car, the Chery QQ, had been introduced by local manufacturer Chery Automobile.

GM sued Chery, alleging piracy of the Spark design, and proving the extent of the copy in that the doors of the Chery car and Chevrolet Spark were completely interchangeable.

• GM China Group indicated the two vehicles "shared remarkably identical body structure, exterior design, interior design and key components."
• MotorAuthority.com called the QQ a "carbon copy."
• The International Herald Tribune in a 2005 article, referred to the QQ as a clone.

Putting the controversy in important context, the Detroit News reported that "the dispute reflects the confusion, risks and ambitions in China's new auto industry, where global carmakers are battling pugnacious upstarts for a piece of what may become the world's largest auto market."

Global marketing and manufacture

Asia

In 1999, the Matiz sold in Japan dropped the Chevrolet badge, stopped being distributed and marketed by Suzuki Motor Corporation and took the Daewoo marque.

• In India, it was launched in 1999 as the Daewoo Matiz. General Motors India relaunched it as the Chevrolet Spark in 2007.

• In Pakistan, the car was initially introduced as Chevrolet Exclusive in 2003. It is currently manufactured by Nexus Automotive under the name Chevrolet Joy.

Europe

• Currently, the Matiz name is used in Western Europe and Asia, and the Chevrolet Spark appears in markets covered directly by General Motors.

• In 2005, the Matiz sold in Europe dropped the Daewoo badge and took the Chevrolet marque, as well as the other South Korean models of General Motors.

• Since 2000, CKD kits have been supplied UzDaewooAuto and FSO, to be built and sold in Uzbekistan and Poland respectively. At the beginning of 2005, the Polish Matiz started to be sold under the marque FSO (FSO Matiz), which obtained autonomy. New models of Matiz are sold as Chevrolet Spark.

Latin America

• In Mexico, the Matiz was introduced to the market in 2003. The 2006 model was renamed to Pontiac Matiz G2. It was also sold as Pontiac Matiz and Pontiac G2.

• In Colombia, the Matiz was imported by Daewoo distributors between 2002 and 2005 and then GM Colmotores began to assemble and sell it branded as Chevrolet Spark. In 2006, a taxi version called 7/24 was launched.

• In Ecuador, it is sold as the Chevrolet Spark.

• In Paraguay, it was initially sold as Daewoo Matiz, but from 2008 it is sold through Chevrolet dealers. With 1.0 L engine and LT trim level, the Spark is priced there at US$10 500. Ironically, the Chery QQ 0.8 L was also briefly imported into the Paraguayan market, during 2007. It was marketed as the cheapest new car in the country, at US$ 6990.