Chevrolet takes aim at the minicar segment with its new Spark hatchback.
For a company that long ignored the passenger car market – especially the econocar segment –Chevrolet is making a big push with an assortment of offerings that can be described as small, smaller and, with the upcoming launch of the Chevy Spark, smallest.
The new microcar is the tiniest ever to grace the line-up of General Motors’ largest brand. But the automaker is intent on winning over buyers in a segment that it believes will be growing rapidly in the years ahead.
The challenge will be to convince buyers that the 2013 Chevrolet Spark is more than just a basic econobox, and that it has the features and styling of better-known competitors like the Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent and Toyota Yaris, and even smaller city cars.
GM will officially unwrap the 2013 Chevy Spark at the L.A. Auto Show later this week. It will roll into showrooms early next year to flesh out a line-up of small cars that already includes the unexpectedly popular Cruze compact and new Sonic subcompact.
GM was initially hesitant to enter the city car segment and originally planned the Korean-made Spark for other global markets where there’s an even bigger trend towards small, high-mileage offerings. But the automaker reversed course after holding a public contest to choose from one of three possible designs for the microcar.
The basic styling of the new hatchback bears a pleasantly familial resemblance to the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, including the somewhat concealed rear door handles. The design is intended to give a sporty feel to a segment normally not known for being all that fun-to-drive. The American version gets a distinctive grille and air dam, with foglights mounted below the bumper.
As with Ford’s Millennial-minded Fiesta, Chevy has opted for a variety of vibrantly hip color choices with youth-oriented names like Sales, Jalapeno and Techno Pink.
Under the skin, the 2013 Chevrolet Spark will be powered by a modest 1.2-liter DOHC inline-four making 85 hp. Buyers will get a choice of a 4-speed automatic or standard-issue 5-speed manual.
The interior is equally youthful but a bit more refined than might be expected from past Chevy small car efforts. The sporty theme is echoed through a gauge cluster designed to look like it was lifted off a sport motorbike.
Considering the market, Chevy will emphasize infotainment technology with the Spark offering the new MyLink system as an option. It will offer Bluetooth and provide access to such services as Pandora and Stitcher through a paired smartphone app. OnStar will also be available with an initial free trial subscription.
While the Spark is expected to be the lowest-priced entry in the Chevy line-up buyers won’t have to settle for a stripped-down econobox, the microcar coming standard with such essentials as air conditioning and power windows.
Stability control is now mandated on all vehicles sold in the U.S., but the 2013 Chevy Spark will also feature 10 standard airbags – a novel twist in which makers are loading up the airbag count on their smallest offerings in an effort to overcome traditional concerns about the safety of small cars.