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Prizm is now a Chevy, wearing the blue bow tie for the first time since the Geo brand was axed by General Motors after the ’97 model year.

The compact Prizm and the smaller Metro survived the transition intact, probably thankful to be rid of the innocuous Geo name and brought into the big, broad Chevrolet fold.

For its debut, the 1998 Prizm has undergone a complete makeover, including a new aerodynamic body; a smoother, stronger, lighter aluminum engine; and new interior features, including some safety devices that are unusual in this price range.

Prizm is touted as Chevrolet’s best import fighter, and there’s a good reason. It’s actually a thinly disguised Toyota Corolla. Prizm and Corolla are built side-by-side at a General Motors/Toyota joint-venture plant in California.

As such, the Prizm benefits from Toyota’s renowned dependability. This is no small matter, as buyers can shop at the local Chevy dealer for a reliable Toyota built by American workers. And Chevy dealers get to clean up on Toyota’s reputation.

Several years ago, there was a price difference favoring Prizm over Corolla, but not anymore. The price is now basically the same. Our well-equipped test car pushed the bubble into the $20,000 range, clearly not the budget item it started out as.

It also butts heads with Chevy’s own Cavalier subcompact and the bigger Lumina.

But there are some significant extras on the Prizm not normally found in this popular price range. There are side-impact air bags, a $295 option that’s unique among budget compact cars, and pre-tensioning seat belts that tighten, then give in the event of a crash, further protecting the wearer. Both of these advanced safety features almost exclusively are found in automobiles costing much more.

Anti-lock brakes are also an option, unlike most Chevrolet cars that provide this important safety device as standard equipment. Another option usually not available on economy cars is an external thermometer, a $295 extra.

In appliance white with a nondescript blue interior, our tester wouldn’t set hearts on fire. But it did offer quiet, refined transportation both around town and at 75 miles per hour on the freeway.

The 120-horsepower engine provides plenty of pull for this lightweight sedan, even though saddled with an automatic transmission. Freeway entrances and passing maneuvers are accomplished comfortably, although accompanied with the inevitable booming exhaust note of its four-cylinder engine.

The transmission provides sporty shifting, letting the engine soar into the upper range, if you desire, where its power lies.

Prizm is surprisingly quiet and smooth-riding, thanks to improved chassis engineering and an increased level of sound-deadening material. As well as smoothing out the bumps, the new suspension is firm without being harsh.

Cornering is level and balanced, the rack-and-pinion steering is precise, and, overall, the Prizm performs considerably better than on e might expect from what’s essentially an econo-box. Its refinement and sophistication put it a cut above such competitors as Cavalier, Ford Escort, Nissan Sentra and Chrysler Neon.

As civilized as the Prizm may be, there are reminders of its humble roots. The interior is tight, with seats that provide little support and a blue-plastic dashboard that is bland and cheap-looking. The steering wheel is very plain, and the doors feel tinny.

But the Prizm ranks high in this hotly competitive price range — a nice-looking, well-built sedan at a reasonable price, with proven reliability, that you can buy and have serviced at any one of a zillion Chevy dealers.

Now that’s real practicality.

1998 Chevrolet Prizm

Vehicle type: Four-passenger, four-door sedan, front-wheel drive. Base price: $14,614. Price as tested: $20,300. Engine: 1.8-liter in-line four, 120 horsepower at 5,600 rpm, 127 pounds-feet of torque at 4,400 rpm. Transmi ssion: Four-speed automatic. Curb weight: Not available. Length: 175 inches. EPA fuel economy: 29 mpg city, 36 mpg highway. Highs: Refined performance. Quiet ride. Record for reliability. Lows: Bland interior. Tinny doors. Anti-lock brakes optional.