Chevrolet Cavalier - Toyota Cavalier

Toyota Cavalier

This article incorporates information from the equivalent article on the Japanese Wikipedia.

As part of a wider effort to avoid additional restrictions on exports to the US, the third generation model was briefly sold in Japan by Toyota under an agreement with GM, badged as the Toyota Cavalier as in return for the Geo/Chevrolet Prizm. Aside from the fact that it was right hand drive, the Toyota Cavalier also featured a leather-wrapped shift knob, steering wheel and park brake lever, wider front fenders, amber turn signals for Japanese regulations, power folding side mirrors, side turn signal repeater lights on the front fenders, and carpeting on the inside of the trunk lid. Interior seats were often flecked with color, and the rear seat had a fold-down armrest. Vehicles produced between February through December 1998 were available with a leather interior equipped with an automatic transmission only. All models featured wheels borrowed from the Pontiac Sunfire. The Toyota Cavalier was available in 2.4G and 2.4Z trim levels. While all Chevrolet-badged Cavaliers received a facelift for 2000, the Toyota did as well with the updated center console, head-lights/hood/front bumper, tail-lights, and colors available. TRD made a body kit and rear wing for the Cavalier, available exclusively in Japan. The car was sold only at Toyota Shop Japanese dealerships.

The Cavalier wasn't the only GM product sold in Japan; the Saturn S-series was sold in right hand drive conversions at Saturn dealerships (some former Isuzu dealerships) from 1996 until 2003, and some Toyota Vista Shops also retailed Saturns.

The Toyota Cavalier was entirely produced by GM in the USA and sold from 1995–2000. 1996-2000 Toyota Cavaliers came equipped with the 2.4 L LD9 engine, while the 1995 used the 2.3 L Quad 4. Due to the engine displacement and width dimensions (1,740 mm (69 in) for the coupe, 1,735 mm (68 in) for the sedan ) exceeding Japanese government regulations concerning exterior dimensions and maximum engine displacement, it was not considered a "compact" and incurred an additional annual tax, which had an effect on sales. Prices for the coupe started at ¥ 2 million yen for the coupe, and ¥ 1,81 million yen for the sedan.

The introduction of the Toyota Cavalier was not the first time the Cavalier was sold in Japan. Yanase Co., Ltd., a Japanese retail dealership that imports European and North American vehicles soon after the end of World War II, sold various GM products, to include the Cavalier. When the decision was made to sell the Cavalier as a Toyota, this disrupted operations at Yanase. When the Toyota Cavalier was cancelled, Yanase continued to sell Chevrolet and other GM products. Yanase also provides complete maintenance services for all vehicles sold.

Due to higher than typically average Motor-vehicle inspection (Japan) costs, a fair number of these vehicles are re-exported as Japanese used cars, most notably to Australia and New Zealand. Production of the Toyota Cavalier ceased in June 2000. Despite the fact that Toyota made great attempts to market the Cavalier to Japanese buyers, the Japanese public was not impressed with the quality of workmanship, typically expected of cars sold in Japan. The car was also introduced while economic conditions in Japan were beginning to decline as a result of the collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble or "bubble economy" that ended in the early 1990s.