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FOR RELEASE: September 2, 2000
CONTACT(S): Maria Eugenia Santiago,
LAAM HQ
(305) 364-4539
Luiz Fanfa, GM do Brasil
55.11.4234.7005
GM do BRAZIL LAUNCHES THE CHEVROLET CELTA
From its original design, to the way it is produced, to the
ways it will be sold, the new Chevrolet Celta represents GM do
Brasil's innovative spirit
Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil - GM do Brasil (GMB) launched on September
2 the newly designed Chevrolet Celta, a subeconomy car targeted
to a segment that represents more than 65% of the Brazilian automotive
market. It is being introduced as the best value within the subeconomy
segment. The Celta is produced at the recently inaugurated Gravatai
Automotive Complex where suppliers and General Motors developed
a new, low-cost manufacturing model that reaches unprecedented
levels of efficiency. Continuing this same spirit of innovation,
GM do Brasil and its dealers announced that they plan to sell
the Celta at both showroom floors and through a completely new
internet sales channel.
"Our team's innovative spirit is fueled by a new Brazilian consumer
that motivates us to break ground in every aspect of our business.
By reinventing processes and by harnessing the potential of technology,
we are able to bring to market the Chevrolet Celta, the best value
in Brazil" said Walter Wieland, president, GM do Brasil.
The New Chevrolet Celta...Pride of GM do Brasil
The Chevrolet Celta was developed at GM do Brasil's Technical
Center in Sao Caetano do Sul, Sao Paulo by the expert team that
designed the successful line of Chevrolet small and economy passenger
cars including the Corsa sedan, pickup and station wagon.
The Celta was conceived as a subeconomy popular car with ideal
characteristics for emerging markets. In Brazil, popular car status
requires a 1.0 liter engine and entails a preferential tax structure
that promotes its affordability.
Engineers at GMB's Cruz Alta Proving Ground conducted intensive
laboratory and performance tests measuring every aspect including
crash worthiness - to ensure that the Celta embodied the best
value in the market, not only in terms of price and content, but
in terms of quality and safety as well. The Celta is available
in two versions, base and with an optional package, and in five
exterior colors.
The Celta Sales & Distribution Strategy...A New Economy
Model
The Celta will be sold starting the third week of September. Simultaneously,
GM do Brasil and its dealer partners are preparing to rollout
in stages over the next several months a new internet sales channel
based on four key strategies: (1) e-commerce, (2) one price, (3)
direct invoicing and (4) fast delivery to the customer.
"Together with our dealer partners, we have stepped out of our
comfort zone and broken ground so that Brazilian consumers can
have the right car, at the right place, at the right time and
at the right price," said Joseph DaMour, General Director, Sales
& Marketing, GM do Brasil.
E-Commerce....And the Brazilian Experience
The Celta's e-commerce strategy targets a Brazilian market that
is quickly adopting internet technology for the sake of speed,
convenience and economy.
The new sales & distribution channel hinges on an exclusive
website (www.Celta.com.br) and five vehicle distribution centers
throughout Brazil that will support the speedy fulfillment of
internet orders. The Celta website can be accessed from dealer
kiosks at showroom floors, from home or any location with internet
access.
This initiative represents the first high volume internet sales
venture of its kind anywhere in the world. More than 50% of Gravatai's
monthly production (currently one-shift) of close to 5,000 cars
is expected to sell via the internet.
The Celta's sales strategy, just like the vehicle and its manufacturing
process, responds to unique characteristics of the Brazilian market,
where the potential for internet usage is exponential.
For example, over 90% of income tax statements from both citizens
and companies in Brazil are completed through the internet. Just
this year, over 110 million people will vote in more than 5500
cities using electronic ballots. Interestingly, these figures
are higher than those of countries known to be on the cutting-edge
of the internet era and in terms of connectivity.
The number of Brazilian internet users are expected to grow by
350% from 1999 to 2003. Furthermore, research shows that approximately
60% of car purchase intenders in Brazil have internet access.
Customers who prefer to see, touch and smell their vehicle before
purchasing it or who prefer to buy and immediately drive off with
a Celta, will be able to purchase it through the traditional method
-- at showroom floors.
Fast-Delivery...Of the vehicle I want
The Celta internet sales channel will allow customers to begin
their relationship with the car of their choice even before having
physically seen it for the first time. When the system is fully
implemented (late 2000), customers will be able to buy the car
they want via internet 24 hours a day. They could also locate
and track it at the dealership, at the distribution center or
at the Gravatai plant. In other words, for the first time, the
client is empowered to the extent that even when the showroom
is closed, the company and dealer can close a sale. Five distribution
centers strategically located throughout Brazil will fulfill internet
orders for a specific vehicle.
A detailed analysis of market preferences, regional purchase patterns
and logistics requirements have prepared GMB to break ground.
The targeted delivery times are between 4-to-7 days in 99% of
the vast country. It is important to note that despite the immense
and diverse geography of Brazil, short delivery times will be
possible thanks to the Celta's unique design and assembly process
at Gravatai, both conceived from the get-go to produce two versions
of the Celta with a maximum of 20-build combinations.
One-Price...Direct Invoicing...No Mystery
The Celta website (www.celta.com.br) will offer the vehicle at
only one price including taxes and delivery by freight to anywhere
in the country. GMB expects that the "one-price" feature will
be a very attractive sales point for Brazilian customers.
First, a blanket price can facilitate the e-commerce process by
bringing a greater level of perceived transparency, safety and
comfort to the purchase experience - especially during the earlier
stages of implementation.
Second, the unprecedented level of efficiency from vehicle design,
to manufacturing, to distribution, to the ordering and delivery
process, has enabled GM to offer a set internet price that makes
the Celta the best value for its customers. A fully-integrated,
seamless process allowed for a variety of savings, in -- for example--
taxes and inventory costs for GM and dealers.
Also, learnings from around the world including GM's Saturn Division
in the United States contributed to the Celta's one-price policy.
Having deleted price negotiation from the purchasing experience,
Brazilian dealers will focus on the service aspects of the transaction,
including accessories, trade-ins, GM Card bonuses, or third-party
financing -- adding significant value to the convenience of an
internet transaction.
Moreover, the simplicity of a Celta internet purchase can be personalized
further with the support of a dealer. Celta accessories, such
as an alarm system or sporty body accessories, will be sold separately
and installed only at dealerships. In yet another first, GMB designed
a process through which suppliers deliver accessories straight
to dealer, saving freight, handling and inventory costs while
reducing tax charges to the customer.
The Chevrolet Celta Internet Experience
GMB's cybercustomer can purchase a Celta simply by accessing the
www.celta.com.br webstite. As of September 18, purchases can be
completed from dealer kiosks and by late 2000, the full experience
will be available from home or the customer's preferred location.
The Celta website allows the customer to:
- Configure the Celta of their choice - Select options, create
and view a graphic model
- Locate dealership - Using a dealer locator, the customer can
link to the dealer closest to the invoice address. From the
kiosk, the dealer host is automatically selected.
- Select Payment Option - Financed or cash. GM Bank offers online
credit approval.
- Purchase direct from GMB - The specific Celta can be reserved
with $1000 Reais paid with a credit card or through the dealer.
- Direct Invoice from GMB - Outstanding balance paid through
credit card or printable payment order form (boleto bancario).
- Follow Up - Customer can check status of credit pre-approval,
order, payments, and the location of the vehicle.
- Confirm delivery information - Upon reserving the car, customers
will be provided an estimated date of delivery. The dealer contacts
the customer to confirm this information. Delivery will take
anywhere from 4 to 7 days (or 4-21 days during initial phase
of implementation, until 2000).
- Customize - Photos of car accessories available through the
dealership can be added to the customers graphic model of their
Celta. These can be ordered online and purchased separately
at time of delivery.
The Groundbreaking Gravatai Automotive Complex, Home of the
Chevrolet Celta
The Celta is manufactured at the Gravatai Automotive Complex,
inaugurated last July by the president of Brazil, Ferndando Henrique
Cardoso and Jack Smith, Chairman of General Motors Corporation.
The complex was designed to be among the most efficient in the
world.
The Gravatai Automotive Complex entails two main concepts: an
extremely lean and efficient vehicle production system and a newly-built
industrial site referred to as an "industrial condominium."
General Motors and sixteen world-class suppliers joined forces
and shared a wealth of global experiences to create an extremely
efficient automotive complex that functions as one single plant.
The GMB supplier team that makes up the Gravatai Automotive Industrial
Complex represents 60% fewer suppliers and 50% fewer parts that
would be necessary in a traditional manufacturing system.
At Gravatai, the traditional component development cycle was replaced
by a codevelopment process between GM and its system suppliers.
The most notably different element of production is that the GM
vehicle assembly plant receives pre-assembled modules delivered
just-in-time by neighboring suppliers that share space at strategic
entry locations to the production line.
Among the advantages enabled by the Gravatai production model
are increased speed by shortening routes, low inventories, the
reduction of bottlenecks, quick correction of problems, lower
costs, and most importantly, the ability to build a high-quality,
competitively priced small car, the Chevrolet Celta.
GM do Brasil , established in 1925, is comprised of manufacturing
complexes at Sao Caetano do Sul, San Jose dos Campos, Mogi das
Cruces and Gravatai: two parts distribution centers at Sorocaba
and Mogi das Cruces; a Proving Ground at Indaiatuba, administrative
offices at several locations and Banco General Motors in Sao Paolo.
The company markets vehicles under the Chevrolet and GMC brands.
Photos available through the
Wieck Photo DataBase.
Technical Specifications
Chevrolet Celta
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ENGINE
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Designation
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Chevrolet 1.0 MPFI C10NE
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Type
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inline 4-cylinder, single
overhead, cog belt driven camshaft, 8-valve
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Location
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front, transversal
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Cylinder bore (mm/in.)
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71.1/2.80
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Piston stroke (mm/in.)
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62.9/2.47
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Unitary displacement (cc/cu-in.)
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249.7/15.2
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Total displacement (cc/cu-in)
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999.0/60.9
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Connecting rod length (mm/in.)
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129.7/5.10
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Ratio r/l
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0.24
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Compression ratio
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9.4:1
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Fuel
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regular gasoline (93 octane
RON)
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Maximum net horsepower/rpm
(NBR ISO 1585)
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60.0hp (44.0kW) @ 6,000
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Specific power output (NBR
ISO 1585)
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60.1 hp (44.8 kW)/liter
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Maximum net torque/rpm (NBR
ISO 1585)
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8.3mkgf (81,0Nm, 60lbf-ft)
@ 3,000
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Rev limit (rpm) (fuel cut-off)
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6,500
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Mean piston speed at peak
horsepower (m/s, ft/sec)
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12.6/41.3
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Fuel supply
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electric fuel pump immersed
in tank
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Mixture formation
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Electronic, digital multi-point,
semi-sequential fuel injection
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Emission control
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3-way catalyst with oxygen
sensor (Lambda probe), closed loop
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Ignition system
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mapped, electronic spark
timing, management in conjunction with fuel injection
system
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Cooling
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liquid, sealed circuit with
integrated expansion reservoir, ECM-controlled electric
fan, water pump driven by camshaft cog belt
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Engine block material
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cast iron
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Cylinder head material
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Aluminum
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Valve diameter (mm/inches)
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Intake
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33/1.3
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Exhaust
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29/1.14
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Valve lash
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0, hydraulic fulcrum tappets
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Valve stroke (mm/in.)
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Intake
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8,41/0.33
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Exhaust
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7,65/0.30
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TRANSMISSION
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Designation
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F-17 Close Ratio
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Type
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manual transaxle, 5 speed
synchromesh forward and 1 speed reverse, floor shift
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Gear ratios
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1st
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4.18:1
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2nd
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2.14:1
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3rd
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1.41:1
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4th
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1.12:1
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5th
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0.89:1
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R
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3.31:1
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Driving axle ratio
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4.31:1
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Driving wheels
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front, transmission by half-shafts
and constant-velocity joints
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Clutch
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single, 180 mm diameter disc,
Belleville-spring clutch, mechanical actuation by Bowden
cable, zero-lash pedal
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SUSPENSION
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Front
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independent, McPherson-type,
transversal control arm, longitudinal arm, side-loaded
helical spring and pressurized shock absorber
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Rear
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semi-independent by torsion
beam, helical, minibloc variable-rate spring and pressurized
shock absorber
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STEERING
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Type
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rack and pinion, steering
ratio 22.6:1, 4.1 turns lock to lock, minimum turning
circle 9,80 meters/32.1ft. (between curbs) and 10,35 meters/33.9ft.
(between walls); negative scrub radius; 2-spoke steering
wheel, 380 mm/14.96inch diameter
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BRAKES
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Service
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hydraulic, vacuum-assisted,
diagonally-split circuits; front 236mm/9.3 in. diameter
by 12.7mm/0.5in. thick discs, and rear 180mm/7.08 in.
by 30mm/1.18in. wide drums, fixed-value proportioning
valve
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Parking
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mechanical, actuation on
rear wheels, floor-mounted pull lever between seats
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WHEELS AND TIRES
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Wheels
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4 1/2J x 13, pressed steel
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Tires
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145/80 R 13 T
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BODY
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Type
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Unitary construction, stamped
steel, hatchback sedan, 5 seats; fuel tank under floor,
fore of rear axle
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Number of doors
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3
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Drag coefficient (Cd)
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N.A.
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Cross-sectional area (m2/sq.ft.)
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1.88/20.23
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Corrected cross-sectional
area (m2/sq.ft.)
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N.A.
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FILING AND CARGO CAPACITIES
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Fuel
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46 liters/12.1 gallons
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Engine lubricant, filter
included
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3.5 liters/3.7 quarts
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Cooling system
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5.0 liters/5.3 quarts
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Transmission lubricant
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1.6 liters/1.7 quarts
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Cargo compartment (VDA)
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260 liters/9.18cu-ft
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Cargo compartment with rear
seat totally folded down (VDA)
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1.050 liters/37.08cu-ft
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WEIGHTS (kg/lbs.)
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Curb
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834/1,838.6
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Payload
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450/992
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Gross
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1,284/2,830.7
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Roof load, maximum
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100/220
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Towing maximum, without brakes
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400/882
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Towing maximum, with brakes
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650/1,433
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Weight distribution F -R,
curb/gross (%)
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64-36 / 49-51
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EXTERNAL DIMENSIONS (mm/in.)
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Length//width//height
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3,748/147.5//1,608/63.3 (1,766/69.5
w/mirrors)//1,429/56.2 (curb) and 1,342/52.8 (gross)
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Wheelbase
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2,443/96.1
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Track, front//rear
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1,387/54.6//1,388/54.6
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Ground clearance (curb//gross)
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149/5.86//127/5.0
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INTERNAL DIMENSIONS SAE
J-1100 (mm/in.)
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Headroom, front (H61)
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946/37.2
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Headroom, rear (H63)
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932/36.7
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Shoulder room, front (W3)
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1,304/51.3
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Shoulder room, rear (W4)
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1,316/51.8
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Leg room, front (L34)
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1,046/41.2
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Leg room, rear (L51)
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902/35.5
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Knee room, rear (L48)
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18/0.7
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Comfort measure (L50 + L53)
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1,596/62.8
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ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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Tension (volt)
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12
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Alternator (ampère)
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55 (70 with air conditioning)
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Battery (ampère×
hour)
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36 (55 with air conditioning)
– base Celta
42 (55 with air conditioning
– full Celta
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PERFORMANCE
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Top speed (km/h/mph)
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151/93.8
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Acceleration 0-100 km/h (0-62.1
mph) (s)
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15.5
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Speed recover 40-100 km/h
(25-62.1 mph) (s), 4th gear
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20.6
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Vehicle speed per 1,000 rpm
in 5th gear (km/h/mph)
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26.8/16.6
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Weight/power ratio, kg/lbs./hp
(kg/lbs./kW)
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13.9/30.6 (18.9/41.6)
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FUEL ECONOMY
(NBR 7024, km/litro/miles per gallon)
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City
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12.9/30.5
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Highway
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18.0/42.6
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Average 55/45% city/highway
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15.2/35.9
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MAINTENANCE (km/mi.)
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First service
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15,000/9,300 or 1 year
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Following services
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15,000/9,300 or every year
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Engine lubricant change
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10,000/6,210 or 6 months
(heavy duty, 4,000/2,500 or 3 months)
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Transmission lubricant
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level check every 15,000/9,300
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Camshaft cog belt
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replacement every 60,000/37,000
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Spark plugs
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replacement every 30,000/18,600
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WARRANTY
1 year or 1 year/50,000km/30,000mi in commercial use;
in this period, free roadside assistance in case of mechanical
or electric failure, under the Chevrolet Road Service
system
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COLORS
Mahler white, Atlantida green (solid); Escuna silver,
Corsario blue (metalic); Iate red (pearl)
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This vehicle conforms
to Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Program (Proconve)
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