What year did the Chevy Sprint come out?
The Chevy Sprint came out in 1985. It was introduced as a badge-engineered version of the Suzuki Cultus/Swift for the North American market by General Motors.
Origins and launch
The following points summarize the key launch details of the Chevy Sprint and its initial market presence.
- 1985 model year introduction in the United States and Canada as a badge-engineered Suzuki Cultus/Swift, marketed by General Motors as the Chevrolet Sprint.
- Part of GM’s strategy to expand into the subcompact segment by leveraging an existing Suzuki platform under a GM badge.
- The Sprint’s production and sales tapered off by the late 1980s, with GM shifting the model lineup toward the Geo Metro in the early 1990s.
These points capture the core launch details and the early lifecycle of the Chevy Sprint.
Legacy and transition
In the broader GM lineup, the Sprint name faded as the platform evolved into what would become the Geo Metro, introduced for the North American market around 1990. The Sprint’s badge and its Suzuki-based underpinnings largely transitioned to the Geo branding, marking the end of the Sprint as a distinct GM model.
Summary
The Chevy Sprint debuted in 1985 as GM’s badge‑engineered version of the Suzuki Cultus/Swift for North America. Its lifecycle was brief, with the name largely phased out by the late 1980s as GM shifted to the Geo Metro in 1990, ending the Sprint era in favor of a rebranded subcompact lineup.
