1996 Chevrolet Beretta

1996 Chevrolet Beretta base model
The Beretta was unchanged as it entered 1996, its final model year.

The 1996 Chevrolet Beretta front-wheel-drive coupe once again entered a new model year with little new to boast about -- though that wasn't unexpected, considering it would likely be the Beretta's final season.

It continued with only a driver-side air bag, now one of just a handful of cars on the market (along with its Corsica sedan sibling) not to offer dual air bags. Even its N-body cousins at Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac finally added a passenger-side air bag this year, though a couple of other GM offerings (the Buick Century and Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera) were also among the few that did not.

Beretta was still offered in a base coupe and sportier Z26 variant. Standard on the base model were anti-lock brakes (still not a common standard feature on sports coupes), air conditioning, automatic door locks, and a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine with 120 horsepower. A five-speed manual transmission was standard, while a three-speed automatic was optional. The Z26 added aggressive lower body panels, a rear spoiler, 15-inch aluminum wheels, and came with only one powertrain: the 3.1-liter V-6, rated at 155 horsepower, mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. That combination was optional on the base Beretta.

Though its Corsica sibling was expected to be replaced by a redesigned front-drive sedan to be called Malibu (a name used by Chevrolet in the past), it was uncertain whether a coupe version was to be offered. Either way, the Beretta would soon be bowing out of Chevrolet showrooms.

1996 Chevrolet Beretta Z26
The sporty Z26 was one of two Beretta models offered for 1996.

1996 Chevrolet Beretta Facts

Model

Weight range (lbs.)

Price range (new)

Number built
Beretta

2,756-2,990

$13,490-$16,690

 42,476

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