Chevrolet Announces All-New Compact SUV

FOR RELEASE: September 3, 2002

Chevrolet Announces All-New Compact SUV

CAMI Plant To Get New Chevy Product

DETROIT - Chevrolet will offer an all-new compact sport utility vehicle in 2004 called the Equinox. The Equinox will debut as a 2005 model and will be built at CAMI Automotive, Inc. in Ingersoll, Ontario.

Marketing Director Margaret Brooks says the Equinox will be Chevrolet's first crossover-based SUV.

"The compact SUV market is the fastest growing segment in the industry thanks to products that have set new standards for the class. We intend to further raise the bar in the Compact SUV market," Brooks says.

"This is an all-new entry for Chevrolet," says Kurt Ritter, Chevrolet General Marketing Manager. "Chevrolet is enjoying strong market share growth and the Equinox will help us to continue that success by expanding Chevrolet's successful family of SUVs."

Brooks says compact sport utility vehicles represent an important growth area for Chevy because the segment is changing.

"The Compact SUV market is being fueled by new products that are larger, more powerful and more upscale," Brooks says. "The Equinox will be a strong competitor in this growing segment."

The vehicle will be based on GM's Theta architecture, which is the same architecture as the Saturn VUE.

The new product represents an investment of more than C$500 million into the Ingersoll community. CAMI is a joint venture with GM of Canada, Ltd. and Suzuki Motor Corp. of Japan.

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