Geo Cars

GM created Geo to compete with the growing small import market of the mid-1980s. The Prizm was built at NUMMI in Fremont, California, a GM and Toyota joint venture, while the Metro and Tracker came from CAMI in Ingersoll, Ontario, a GM and Suzuki venture. The Spectrum and Storm were built entirely by Isuzu in Japan. Geo's logo was a globe outline based on the Chevrolet emblem, and its first slogan was "Get to know Geo."

Geo sold on low prices and efficiency, and the Metro showed it best. Based on the Suzuki Swift, the first-generation Metro used three-cylinder engines, and the XFi version was rated at 53 mpg city and 58 mpg highway. The Prizm, a compact based on the Toyota Sprinter, won industry awards but was always outsold by its twin, the Toyota Corolla. The Storm was a sport compact based on the Isuzu Impulse, sold as a fastback or a wagon-like hatchback, with a DOHC engine in GSi trim. The Tracker, based on the Suzuki Sidekick, was a low-cost 4x4.

GM dropped Geo after the 1997 model year and moved its cars into Chevrolet. The Metro, Prizm, and Tracker carried on as Chevrolets until 2001, 2002, and 2004, so the Tracker outlasted the rest. In Canada, GM ran a counterpart brand called Asüna from 1992, giving Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealers a similar lineup of import-based cars.