CHEVROLET MATIZ / SPARKTiming chain or Belt?

The Chevrolet Matiz / Spark or Daewoo Matiz is a small urban car (A-segment in Europe) manufactured by GM Korea, a subsidiary of General Motors after the bankruptcy of Daewoo Motors. In addition to these names, it is also marketed as Pontiac Matiz and Chevrolet Joy. It is also licensed to third brands in Asia, so it is a model that can be found under dozens of names around the world.

The original model was called the Daewoo Matiz or Chevrolet Spark and was released in 1998. It competed mainly with the Hyundai Atos and the Kia Picanto. In the European market also rivaled the Renault Twingo, the Volkswagen Lupo, the Seat Arosa or the Peugeot 107, although these competitors had higher prices. It was developed on the Daewoo Tico platform, shared with the Suzuki Alto.

The second generation Chevy Spark was launched in 2005. Aesthetically it remained very similar to the first version and practically all its engines were maintained.

In 2009, the third generation Spark was launched. General Motors experimented with several prototypes until launching the final model, being originally the name of this model “Chevrolet Beat“. Its market was mainly Korea, Latin America, India and Australia, and was called Holden Barina Spark. The model did not reach Europe, as GM was already considering its withdrawal from this market. This Spark even had its 100% electric version, launched only in the United States and with a power of 136 hp. It was called Chevrolet Spark EV.

Finally, the fourth and current generation of the Spark is known in Europe as Opel Karl, before the German brand ended up in Peugeot’s hands. It was launched in 2015.