Chevrolet Lumina

Chevrolet introduced the all-new Lumina in 1990 as a replacement for the outgoing Celebrity. The Lumina was the last of GM's new front-wheel-drive W-body designs to debut, as its corporate mates the Buick Regal, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and Pontiac Grand Prix, debuted two years earlier in 1988. The Lumina would undergo 2 generations, and last thru 2001 as a fleet model only.

1st Generation (1990-1994)

At first, a 4-door sedan was the only bodystyle, but a 2-door coupe debuted shortly afterwards (the Lumina line also spun off a minivan variant, the Lumina APV). Since the rear-drive 2-door Monte Carlo departed in 1988, the Lumina coupe was seen as a quasi-replacement by some, and the Lumina was also seen as a more direct competitor to the Ford Taurus much more than the Celebrity was. Base engine was the 92 hp 2.5L (151 cid) I4, but most models had the more powerful 140 hp 3.1L (191 cid) V6. The I4 had a 3-speed automatic while the V6 had a 4-speed auto. Base and sportier Euro models were offered, and differed visually with the base model having a chrome eggcrate grille, while the Euro had a blacked-out grille. The Lumina was touted for being the only domestic intermediate car with a fully-independent front and rear suspension and 4-wheel disc brakes, even on the base versions. 1991 models had a revised body-colored horizontally-slatted grille for both the base and Euros, but the big news this year was the introduction of the NASCAR-inspired Z34 coupe. The Z34 had an all-new 210 hp DOHC 24-valve 3.4L (207 cid) V6, available with either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic (in which hp dropped to 200). Visual differences included a unique grille, hood louvers, front air dam and rear spoiler, and special badging. Its main appeal was that it was a car that looked just at home on a NASCAR track as it did on the street.

In 1992, the Euro sedan could now have the Z34 V6 engine (called the Euro 3.4), but it was available only with the automatic. Lesser Euro and base models continued otherwise unchanged, other than ABS becoming standard on all models. All coupe models got the 3.1 V6 standard in 1993, while the base sedan got a new 2.2L (132 cid) I4 engine, replacing the 2.5. Euro, Euro 3.4 and Z34 models continued with no change other than new colors. For 1994, the base coupes were dropped, leaving only the Euro and Z34 coupes. The 4-cylinder engine was dropped altogether, as was the manual transmission in the Z34 coupe - it was now an automatic-only.

This generation Lumina was considered a bit of a trend-setter with its unique (for its class)independent suspension and the hot DOHC 3.4 V6 engine (the only Chevrolet model to receive this engine), but it also never offered an airbag, even as an option, when many other cars were by this time receiving passenger airbags in addition to the driver's. Its interior ergonomics were somewhat unconventional too, such as a dashboard that actually angled downward towards your lap, and power window switches that also worked against typical convention. These many quirks would be ironed out in the second generation Lumina, which debuted for 1995.