About Geo"Get to know Geo." The brand was intended to take on the growing compact-model import market of the late '80s and early '90s. It was an inexpensive line to produce and sell, as each of the models was based on an already existing vehicle. Geo was partnered with Chevrolet dealerships and service centers.At the heart of the Geo line-up were three vehicles: the Metro, Tracker, and Prizm. All three lasted the entire run of the brand, and even continued to be produced a few years into Chevrolet stewardship. The Metro was a rebadged Suzuki Swift. The XFi variants were engineered for no-frills high-mpg driving. Under the revised EPA fuel economy models, they can reach 52 mpg on the highway and 43 in the city--they originally were rated at 53 mph in town and 58 on the highway.... View more As one might expect, these cars have seen a bump in interest in recent years thanks to soaring fuel prices. Geo's Tracker was the bigfoot of the line-up--the only one with 4-wheel drive. A Suzuki Sidekick clone, it was originally a convertible or a two-door hard top. A four-door hard top replaced the two-door in 1996 and it featured an optional four-speed automatic transmission. Although it appears as a compact SUV, it was given light truck certification based on its chassis. The Prizm was a unique offering compared to the other Geos. Under the NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing Inc) joint venture, it was produced alongside the Toyota Corolla it emulated in Fremont, CA. As the car progressed through generations, options were added. Leather seating was even an option from 1994 to 1997 in the top-line LSi trim. A short lived subcompact based on the Isuzu I-Mark, the Geo Spectrum, was available only in 1989. It had been a Chevrolet model since 1985, and even retained the bowtie badge on the grille despite being sold as a Geo. To woo the more performance-oriented crowd, the Storm was introduced in 1990 as a replacement for the Spectrum. It was based on the Isuzu Impulse, and that eventually led to its discontinuation. When the Impulse was canceled in 1994 due to slow sales, it took the stronger selling Storm with it. Car and Driver tested a 1992 Storm GSi from 0-60 mph at 7.1 seconds. 1994 marked the banner year for the brand, with a combined 196,777 units sold. But GM would discontinue the brand after 1997. Since the models were really just rebadged versions of other companies' cars, they eventually ended up turning Geo customers on to the companies that actually built the cars. The Metro, Tracker, and Prizm were integrated into the Chevrolet line before being phased out. The Tracker was the longest lasting of them, in production from 1989 to 2004. View less | |||
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