2000 CHEVROLET Celta – 3 doors 1.4L 5MT (92 HP)

Vehicle Overview

General Motors needed a cheap vehicle for the South-American market, and instead of creating a new one, it took the European Vauxhall/Opel Corsa and changed its front fascia, adding a Chevrolet badge on it and the Celta nameplate on the back.

GM was confident that the car would sell well since it already knew that the Corsa’s third generation was a top-selling vehicle. Furthermore, since the development costs were already covered, it meant that the Celta could have been sold at a lower cost. And that’s what it did. In addition, Chevrolet sold the vehicle as a three or five-door hatchback.

With its bigger headlights and the one-slat grille up front, the Celta looked like it was ready for anything one could ask from a small-sized car. Its front doors were longer than on the five-door version, making the ingress and egress easier for rear passengers. At the back, the taillights were mounted on the sides of the tailgate, way above the bumper, to protect them from small parking bumps.

Inside, the car featured good amenities for its segment, even though the base model didn’t feature power windows or air-conditioning. Yet, the comfortable seats and the folding rear bench offered enough room for four adults, but not for very long trips. To help cool the cabin, the carmaker installed pop-out windows for the rear passengers.

The Celta was available with three engine choices with gasoline or flex-fuel system. Its base version provided 60 hp from a 1.0-liter displacement. For specific markets, GM installed a 1.4-liter engine to cope better with high altitudes.