Chevrolet Celta

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chevrolet Celta
Manufacturer	Chevrolet
Parent company	General Motors Corporation
Also called	Chevrolet Prisma Suzuki Fun
Production	2000—present
Body style	3-door hatchback 5-door hatchback 4-door sedan
Layout	FF layout
Platform	GM4200 platform
Wheelbase	2445 mm
Length	3750 mm (hatchback) 4125 mm (sedan)
Width	1610 mm
Height	1430 mm
Related	Chevrolet Corsa B Chevy C2
Similar	Fiat Uno Fiat Palio Ford Ka Volkswagen Gol

The Chevrolet Celta (Suzuki Fun in Argentina) is a low cost supermini produced by Chevrolet in Brazil for the Latin American market since 2000. 600,000 Celtas have been built in Gravataí, more than one hundred thousand per year. It is the second cheapest car sold in Brazil, losing only to the Fiat Mille (actually a rebranded Fiat Uno).

[edit] Evolution

It was released in 2000 in Brazil as a 3-door hatchback with a 60 hp 1.0 L gasoline engine, based on the Corsa B and with design features similar to those of the Vectra. In 2002 a 5-door version was made available, and the engine power was increased to 70 hp at 6400 rpm, the same VHC (Very High Compression) technology used in the Latin American Corsa C. A80 hp 1.4 L gasoline engine was added in 2003.

An "Off-Road" accessories kit was for sale for both old and new Celtas in 2005, and the 1.0 L was converted into a gasoline-ethanol flexible fuel engine (gasoline versions are still available, especially outside Brazil).

In 2006 the Celta undergoes a facelift, which makes the car look more modern and increases building quality. The new front makes it closer to new Chevrolet models, specially the new Brazilian Vectra.

A sedan version will be released in 2007 with the name Chevrolet Prisma. [1] It will not replace the Classic (a low cost sedan version of the Corsa B) neither the Corsa Sedan (C), but it will fill the gap between them. [2] The only available engine will be a new 1.4 L Econo.Flex gasoline/ethanol flexible fuel engine. Its high compression rate gives as a result a maximum output of 97 hp when running on ethanol and 89 hp when running on gasoline [3].

Suzuki fun 2007 Edition 1.4, has a big problem in injection system. In some cars, when you are runing at 125 km/h or more, for at least 30 km, an indicator of "anomaly in injection system" turns on, and launch an emergency program that do a standard fuel mix instead of one supervised by Lambda Zonda. In user manual manual says that is dangerous to the motor catalyst drive long time with this program on.

[edit] Car details

The 1.0 L gasoline engine has a high power to displacement ratio (70 hp/l). However, this power is only available at 6400 rpm, not very useful in city traffic. The maximum torque is 8.6 kgfm (88 Nm) at 3000 rpm. Some people tell about detonation problems which can be related to the high compression ratio (12.7:1).

Today, the Celta is sold with two engine options (1.0 FlexPower and 1.4 mpfi). Somewhere by 2002 the GM changed the 1.0 mpfi (60cv) engine to a 1.0 VHC (70cv), and in 2005 the VHC FlexPower (70cv with Petrol and 72cv with alcohol becoming the world powerful 1.0 liter engine in the world).

The total weight is approximatedely 850 kg (2000 lb).