The Chevrolet Onix is a subcompact vehicle marketed by General Motors in developing markets. The vehicle was developed by GM Brazil and currently spans two generations.
In 2015, the Onix became Brazil’s best-selling vehicle, propelling Chevrolet to become the country’s best-selling automotive brand after occupying the third best-selling spot for several decades. The commercial success of the Onix didn’t stop there, with the model then becoming the best-selling car in all of Latin America in 2016, despite not being sold in Mexico.
Following the Onix’s astounding success in South America, General Motors leadership decided to expand the nameplate’s international availability. By that token, the second-generation Onix began being assembled and marketed in China and then went on to launch in another 40 countries around the world.
First Generation

2013 Chevrolet Onix
The first generation Onix debuted on October 21st, 2012 on the evening prior to the 27th running of the São Paulo International Motor Show. The model was introduced as a 5-door hatchback body style. In February 2013, a sedan version of the Onix was added as the Chevrolet Prisma in Brazil and other South American countries.
The first-gen Chevrolet Onix was developed on the Gamma II platform shared with various GM global subcompact vehicles of the era, such as the Chevrolet Sonic. However, the Onix was designed exclusively for South America. For that reason, it was not commercialized in other regions of the world.

2017 Chevrolet Onix Activ
Initially, the Chevrolet Onix and its sedan variant – the Chevrolet Prisma, were manufactured at the GM Gravataà plant in GM Brazil. In 2016, Chevrolet launched a midcycle refresh of the Onix and Prisma. The launch of the facelifted Onix coincided with the introduction of two new entry-level versions that began production at the GM São Caetano do Sul plant. This facility will continue to produce the first-generation Onix and Prisma, which will coexist with the all-new, second-generation Chevrolet Onix.
Second Generation
The second generation Chevrolet Onix was shown for the first time on March 21st, 2019 during a special event in the city of Wuhan, China. The sedan version of the Onix was the first model of the all-new family of Chevrolet vehicles to be introduced on the new GM GEM Platform (Global Emerging Market platform).
In this way, the Onix name became a global Chevrolet nameplate. What’s more, the second-generation model marks the first time that the Onix name will be used for both the sedan and hatchback body styles, with the sedan model being called Onix Plus in some markets. By comparison, the first-gen model labeled the five-door hatch as the Onix, while its sedan variant was marketed as the Prisma.
The second-gen Chevrolet Onix will be sold in more than 40 markets worldwide, including China, Mexico, Central America and South America. To support this international expansion, the second-generation Chevrolet Onix is manufactured at the following GM plants:
- SAIC-GM Dong Yue plant for the Chinese market, and
- GM Gravataà plant for the South American market
- GM San Luis Potosi plant for the Mexican market and parts of the Central American market
Chevrolet Joy
After introducing the second-generation Onix, GM rebranded the first-generation Onix as the Chevrolet Joy to continue selling it in Brazil as an entry-level model.
First-Generation | Second-Generation | First-Gen Sold Alongside Second-Gen | |
---|---|---|---|
Hatchback | Onix | Onix | Joy2 |
Sedan | Prisma | Onix Plus1 | Joy Plus2 |
- In some markets, such as Brazil. The sedan is marketed in other markets simply as “Onix”
- In Brazil only
More Chevrolet Onix Resources
Follow these links for more Chevrolet Onix information: