Cars for Everyone Else Who Can Afford One

04/10/96

NEWS RELEASE

CARS FOR THE BUDGET CONSCIOUS

April 3, 1996 (New York) -- Budget-minded car buyers will be surprised
at the selection of affordable cars available to meet their
needs. Economy cars have in fact become very stylish, and with the
addition of a few options, can be dressed up to meet any taste, and
still stay within a reasonable budget.

At the 1996 New York International Auto Show, April 6-14, at the Jacob
K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, visitors will see all the
newest and most exciting automotive offerings in this segment, and in
every other price and product category.

Dodge and Plymouth

Dodge and Plymouth's Neon is available in sedan and coupe body
styles. Two powerplants are now available: a 2.0-liter, 16-valve
single overhead cam, 132-horsepower four-cylinder engine mated to a
five-speed manual transmission and a 150-horsepower double overhead
cam version of the same engine. Both coupe and sedan are available in
base, Highline and Sport trim packages and this year, four-wheel
anti-lock brakes are available on all models as an option.

Eagle

Eagle's Summit is available in two-door coupe or four-door sedan and a
wagon. The coupe is available as a base DL model while the sedan comes
in a base LX model. Both vehicles are available in sporty ESi packages
which include a standard rear spoiler. New 14-inch wheels are
available on all ESi models. The wagon is available as a DL, LX and
AWD (all-wheel drive).

The Summit coupe is powered by a 1.5-liter, 92-horsepower
four-cylinder engine, while the sedan and wagon DL model receive a
1.8-liter, 113-horsepower, four-cylinder engine as standard
equipment. This 1.8-liter engine is available in the coupe ESi
model. A 2.4-liter 136-horsepower engine is standard on the LX wagon
and the all-wheel drive wagon models, and is available as an option on
the wagon DL. A five-speed manual transmission is standard on all
models, and a four-speed automatic is available as an option. Driver
and passenger air bags are standard on all models.

Ford

Ford's Aspire, introduced last year, is available as either a
three-door, or a longer wheelbase five-door model.  All Aspires are
powered by a 64-horsepower, 1.3-liter, four-cylinder engine with
sequential electronic fuel injection. A five-speed manual is the
standard transmission and a three-speed automatic is available for
this front-wheel drive car. An anti-lock braking system is available,
and all Aspires are equipped with standard driver and passenger air
bags.

Geo

The 1996 Geo Metro's sporty styling proves that an economy car does
not have to be dull. The coupe's aggressive body design and the
four-door sedan's more refined appearance have won wide-spread
approval.  This year, the Metro is offered in two models, coupe and
sedan, and two trim levels, base and Lsi. All are equipped with driver
and passenger air bags, rear door child safety locks (sedan,) and
optional ABS. Daytime Running Lights are a standard feature on all
Metros.

A 1.3-liter, 70-horsepower, four-cylinder engine is the standard
powerplant for the sedan, paired with a five-speed manual
transmission. The coupe's standard engine is a 1.0-liter,
55-horsepower, three cylinder also paired with a five-speed manual
gearbox. A three-speed automatic transmission is available as an
option.

Hyundai

The new Accent GT joins the Accent "L" three-door hatchback, and a
four-door sedan in Hyundai's subcompact stable. All models have the
latest safety equipment including standard driver and passenger air
bags and an optional four-channel anti-lock braking system. The GT is
available in a sporty coupe hatchback and comes with more power, a new
sporty appearance, and more interior comfort and convenience features.

Hyundai's 1.5-liter engine in the current Accent has been revised for
the GT version. It now has 16 valves, dual overhead cam and a 15
percent increase in power over the standard model to 105
horsepower. Other Accent models are powered by a single overhead cam,
92-horsepower four-cylinder engine. A five-speed manual transmission
is standard for all Accents and a four-speed automatic is
optional. The GT has integrated fog lights as part of its re-styled
front fascia. A rear-mounted body color spoiler has also been added to
the decklid.

Mazda

Mazda's Protege is available in three models: the economical DX, the
well-equipped LX and the powerful ES.  The DX and LX are equipped with
a 1.5-liter dual overhead cam, 16-valve, 92-horsepower, four-cylinder
engine, while the ES gets a 1.8-liter engine that generates 122
horsepower.

All Proteges have a long list of standard amenities including tilt
steering wheel, dual cupholders, and dual air bags. Cruise control,
power windows, power mirrors, power door locks and an AM/FM cassette
audio system are standard on the LX and ES models. CFC-free air
conditioning is optional on the DX and LX models and standard on the
ES.

Nissan

The Sentra is Nissan's option for the budget minded-shopper. It's
powered by a 1.6-liter, double overhead camshaft, 115-horsepower,
four-cylinder engine that's paired with a five-speed manual
transmission. Four trim levels are available -- base, XE, GXE and a
new GLE version. Each comes with dual air bags as part of the standard
package. Optional equipment includes a four-speed automatic
transmission and an anti-lock braking system for the GXE and GLE.

Suzuki

Redesigned last year, the Suzuki Swift returns basically
unchanged. Two new exterior colors are available -- Victory Red and
Bright Teal Metallic. The Swift offers such standard safety features
as driver and passenger air bags and optional anti-lock brakes. Power
comes from a 1.3-liter, four-cylinder, single overhead cam engine that
produces 70 horsepower. It's teamed with either a standard five-speed
manual or optional three-speed automatic transmission.

Toyota

Toyota has given the Tercel an optional power package and extra value
package for 1996. The power package on two-door DX models features
power windows and door locks. Two trim levels continue for 1996 --
standard and the DX. Driver and passenger air bags are standard and
four-wheel ABS is optional. The Tercel is powered by a 1.5-liter,
16-valve, twin-cam 93-horsepower, four-cylinder engine available with
either a four- or five-speed manual transmission or a three- or
four-speed automatic.