General Motors of Brazil surprised both the public and competitors at the 24th international São Paulo motor show with a new ‘concept’ based on its new Prisma compact sedan, derived from the unique local Celta hatchback, which built on the platform of the first-generation Corsa.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
That car was presented to the press two weeks ahead but prospective customers had to wait for the show to see it and sales will now start immediately.
In the last three years this specific segment had grown 110% in the country and GM now offers three sedan options: the Prisma and the first and second generation Corsas.
The Prisma is nicely styled and the 439-litre boot is a good size for a 4.13m vehicle. One of its strongest features is the 1.4-litre (84.8 cu in) Econo.Flex engine, which puts out 88 hp running on petrol and 96 hp on 100% ethanol, ie a specific output above the best international parameters for a conventional four-cylinder, eight-valve engine.
The concept car was named Prisma Y (for young or youth), and takes design elements of the Prisma itself (including the boot lid contours). But it is a compact SUV and the first direct response to the EcoSport, a vehicle largely responsible for the financial recovery of Ford in Brazil.
“It’s an exercise aimed at young consumers with a sense of adventure,” said Carlos Barba, GM’s design director for Latin America, Africa and Middle-East.
The project was developed entirely in Brazil with the aid of the company’s advanced virtual reality room – the only one in the country’s automotive sector.
The concept balances city, road and country use. The Prisma Y seats five adults and is designed to carry such stuff as camping equipment and surf boards. High ride height, mixed-use tyres and exclusive 16-inch wheels are featured. Other features are a front bumper designed to improve approach angle and protected auxiliary lamps while the front end purposely differs from the Prisma/Celta’s in search of a new visual identity. Bodyside cladding and larger rear view mirrors are included.
The tailgate glass is integrated with the side windows to provide better visibility and can be opened horizontally or vertically.
Another attraction is a panoramic sunroof that extends over rear seat passengers. However, the interior was not shown and even the door handles are not definite.
Chevrolet talked about an upper centre console integrated into the dashboard and an extension to increase the number of storage pockets. The rear seat is fully retractable to floor level, following the Zafira minivan’s ‘flexspace’ layout.
GM of Brazil officially insists the Y is nothing but a design exercise and displayed it in a separate ‘Technology Avenue’ area together with the Camaro concept (show at Detroit early in the year) and the conceptual Autonomy platform.
Other sources assured just-auto that the Prisma Y is under an accelerated development process and will be in showrooms in two years.
Fernando Calmon
