Asüna

Asüna was a captive import brand created in 1992 by General Motors as a counterpart to Geo in Canada.

Preceding the Asüna brand was the Passport brand, which sold a Korean (Daewoo) made badge engineered Opel Kadett E known as the Passport Optima (which hit Canadian shores in 1988) as well as a selection of Isuzu SUVs. General Motors Canada changed its branding strategy in 1991, disbanding Passport (the Optima was rebadged as Pontiac LeMans). Isuzu was grouped together with Saab and GM's new, import-fighting Saturn division to form Saturn-Saab-Isuzu dealerships. The Geo brand was introduced in Canada in (model year) 1992, offered at Chevrolet-Oldsmobile-Cadillac dealers (who had been selling the Geo brand's products as Chevrolets from 1989 until the brand's introduction). Sales of Geo vehicles were relatively successful, prompting Pontiac-Buick-GMC dealers to request GM Canada to provide a lineup of similar "import" vehicles. Asüna was created to fulfill this demand.

The Pontiac LeMans dropped its model name altogether in favour of trimline designations, selling as Asüna SE in base trim hatchbacks and sedans, and as Asüna GT as a higher trim hatchback. The Asüna lineup was rounded out by the Sunfire (a rebadged Isuzu Impulse) and Sunrunner (a rebadged Suzuki Sidekick, taking the GMC Tracker's place in the Pontiac-Buick-GMC lineup).

Asüna sales could not match Geo's, and the Asüna brand was eliminated in 1995. The SE/GT and Sunfire were dropped from the GM Canada lineup and Sunrunner was later rebadged as a Pontiac.

List of vehicles

 * Asüna Sunfire (1993)
 * Asüna Sunrunner (1992-1995)
 * Asüna SE/GT (1993)