Following the acquisition of the Daewoo brand, General Motors decided to keep on building the vehicles that made the Korean brand successful on the European market and the Matiz was the first option.
The Daewoo Matiz was built in 1998 by Daewoo in Europe after a design signed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Its low price and the decent interior were highly appreciated and the car was received well by the growing countries in Eastern Europe. The car was constantly updated by Daewoo until the Korean car-maker was bought by General Motors. The new owner launched an updated version of the Matiz, named Spark. The second generation of the Spark was introduced in 2009 with a new look based on a new platform.

The design was bold for the small-segment. It featured enlarged fenders over the wheels, creating an image of a larger car. The big headlights and the high greenhouse created a crossover image. It was larger than its predecessor and offered a much roomier interior.

Inside, the most attractive part was the instrument panel, which featured a motorcycle-like layout with a round speedometer and an LCD attached on the right, on a pod. The curved dashboard amplified the roomy feeling. There was enough room for five adults, but in the rear the shoulder room was limited.

Under the hood, there was a choice of three engines, depending on the market. The standard gearbox was a 5-speed manual, but a 4-speed automatic was available for the 1.2-liter gasoline unit.