Chevrolet Kadett

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Chevrolet Kadett
ManufacturerChevrolet
Production1979–1994
SuccessorOpel Astra
ClassSmall family car
ManualsService Manual

The Chevrolet Kadett is a small family car produced by Chevrolet and originally designed by German company Opel.

Kadett
Production1937–1940


Kadett D

Kadett D
Opel Kadett D
Production1979–1984

The Vauxhall Astra and Opel Kadett were known as the Chevrolet Kadett in South America. A range of three- and five-door hatchbacks, plus an estate were available.


Kadett E

Kadett E
Opel Kadett E Caravan
Production1984–1991

The Kadett E was introduced in 1984, and was voted Car of the Year in 1985, largely due to its advanced aerodynamic body styling. The 1984 model was also developed into a more conventional "three box" design with a boot (trunk), badged as the Vauxhall Belmont in the UK and the Opel Monza in South Africa. A convertible version was also available, for the first time in 1987, built by Bertone of Torino/Italy. For the 1984 model, capacities were raised to 1400, 1800 and a new 2000 cc engine, again used on the GSi and Vauxhall Astra GTE. In 1988, a 16-valve twin-cam version was developed for a high performance GSi/GTE model, yielding 156 hp (115 kW) in manufactured form.

The Kadett E has been seen as a grey import in the UK, however it is not as popular as the Vauxhall Astra.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, South African Kadett GSis were nicknamed the Superboss, equipped with a more powerful 2 L engine developing 125 kW, and were successful in touring car competitions in that country.

The Kadett E was introduced in Brazil as the Chevrolet Kadett, but the three-door station wagon was called the Chevrolet Ipanema.

It formed the basis of the Daewoo LeMans (later known as the Daewoo Cielo, Racer and Nexia) in South Korea, and also as Heaven in Chile (Nexia being the HB version), which was sold in the United States and New Zealand(!) as the Pontiac LeMans, and in Canada (initially) as the Passport Optima. LeMans sales ended in 1993]. The Nexia is still being produced at UzDaewoo plant in Asaka, Uzbekistan. The Cielo is still being produced at a semi-independent (from GM) plant in Craiova, Romania (the license will however expire in fall 2005).

Kadett F

In 1992, GM Europe decided to standardize model names across its two brands, and Opel adopted sister company Vauxhall's name for the Kadett, Astra, for the replacement car which débuted that year, for Europe. Only in South Africa did the Kadett name continue on the first Opel Astra hatchback, until 1999, when all models took the Astra name.

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