CHEVROLET Matiz / Spark (M150) 2000-2005 Photos, engines & full specs

After GM bought the Daewoo remains, the carmaker found a few vehicles in the Korean shed, which looked promising for several markets. One of them was the Matiz.

Giugiaro designed the supermini vehicle for Fiat as a successor for the Cinquecento (500), but the Italian carmaker rejected the project. Daewoo bought it happily since it was far better than what the young Korean carmaker could do in its design studio. The car sold well on several markets worldwide, but it was not enough to save the troublesome Korean brand, which eventually fell into GM's hands. The American car company analyzed the vehicle and kept it on the market after a mild facelift for the 2000 model year. In the countries where the Daewoo brand was better known, GM kept the older vehicle name, while on other markets, it used the Chevrolet Spark instead.

The egg-shaped vehicle received a modified front fascia, with round turn signals placed under the headlights toward the car's center. Its bumper featured a new black rubber mid-section, depending on the trim level. But GM's designers didn't bother to increase the manufacturing costs and left the door handles and mirrors black, unpainted.

Inside it was the same cheap-looking interior with a hard-plastic dashboard. The three-dial instrument panel showed only the speed, the fuel level, and the coolant-temperature gauges. Thanks to its high roof, the carmaker installed high-mounted seats, which led to adequate legroom for the rear passengers. Behind the seats, the Matiz/Spark offered a 167 liters (5.9 cu-ft) trunk, expandable by folding the rear bench to 624 liters (22 cu-ft) at the window line.

Under the hood, GM sold the car with either a three-cylinder 0.8-liter or a 1.0-liter engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission.