Downsize (automobile)
Downsizing in the automobile industry is the practice of redesigning a vehicle to retain the interior volume, and often the nameplate and styling of a larger car to a smaller platform. General Motors was among the first to announce a downsize strategy for the whole company.[1] The first car to be downsized was the 1977 Chevrolet Impala, which retained the interior space, but took up the bulk of previous intermediate cars. The 1978 Chevrolet Malibu was about the size of the Nova, which was replaced by the 1980 Chevrolet Citation. The Chrysler K platform provided mid-size room in a compact front wheel drive size. A less expensive strategy was to simply rebadge or mildly restyle smaller vehicles, as nameplates such as the Ford LTD and Plymouth Fury would be applied to smaller platforms.