Cuteness sells. The MINI Cooper and Volkswagen Beetle are two great examples and in the local context, the Nissan March is a fine one, too.
If a car company really wanted to make an effective push up the sales charts, style and sportiness are almost guaranteed to do it time and time again.
When the Chevrolet Spark first arrived on our shores some years back, it was cute as a button – so cute that General Motors accused Chinese automaker Chery of “stealing” its design when making its similarly proportioned QQ.
The new Spark makes sure that problem of mistaken identity will be a thing of the past (unless Chery tries to be funny again).
First previewed as the Beat concept at the 2007 New York International Auto Show (see sidebar), movie goers will also remember it as the Autobot Skids in Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen.
The Spark is a huge step forward in terms of design, comfort and quality compared to its predecessor. It still has five doors and is happiest pottering about town, but there are few other similarities.
For starters, the new nose is more eye-catching with its angular lines, longish headlights and split grille – all alluding to Chevrolet’s latest corporate snout (first seen on the Cruze).
The Spark is available in two engine variants, 1-litre and 1.2-litre, but only the former will be offered here. It sports twin camshafts, four cylinders and 16 valves but with a mere 995cc for combustion, the engine struggles – especially when moving off from standstill.
Three people can sit on the Chevrolet Spark’s backseat, but two will be happier; fabric pattern is sparky.
You really have to be forceful with your right foot to get going and even then, you will find cars zipping by in most instances.
Things get decidedly better once the speedometer needle climbs. Mated to a 4-speed automatic gearbox, the engine feels punchier and perkier while on the move.
You can stash a weekend’s gear in the Chevrolet Spark’s boot.
The car does a fairly decent job of cruising on the expressway, with the engine spinning at 2800rpm at 90km/h. In-gear acceleration is also sufficient for most overtaking manoeuvres – except when the road goes uphill.
Although the doors feel rather light and tinny, the Spark’s noise insulation is pretty decent – if you keep the tachometer far from the redline. It also scores well in the ride comfort and handling departments. Bump absorption is commendable, with the suspension system taking most road imperfections in its stride.
The Chevrolet Spark’s 1-litre engine may lack outright performance, but it is very frugal.
The way the car behaves after going over a pothole or a stretch of uneven tarmac is admirable. You can hear the dampers and coil springs working, but there is no “bouncing” – pretty good for a hatchback of this size. Surprisingly, another thing the Spark shines at is taking corners. Why surprising?
The skinny tyres measure 155mm wide (155/70 R14), which is barely wider than those found on minicars. Yet, at speeds which will see many larger cars with more generously equipped tyres understeer, the Chevrolet Spark holds its intended line of travel through a bend tenaciously.
That said, the Chevrolet Spark is more ideal for easy city driving, helped by good forward visibility and a tight turning circle.
The only gripe when moving around built-up areas is the thick rear pillars, which make parallel parking a bit tricky. But the responsive steering makes nipping in and out of tight spaces really easy.
Thanks to rear seats that can fit three average-sized adults, the Chevrolet Spark has enough room to seat five in relative comfort. There is even a dedicated three-point seat belt for the middle occupant in the rear.
Still, as with all cars of this size, if the driver and front passenger are taller than usual, legroom in the back is severely restricted. But headroom is good all round – even for those over 1.8m in height.
It may look small, but the Chevrolet Spark accommodates associate editor Tony Tan’s 1.8m tall frame comfortably.
From the driver’s perspective, everything looks neat and well organised, and most controls fall within easy reach. Kudos to the designers for the square instrument cluster, which is based on a motorbike’s instrument pod. It includes a large analogue speedometer and a digital rev counter.
Although the “meaty” steering wheel is nicely sized, it is fixed in place – you can only toggle the seat to adjust your driving position. There is an abundance of hard plastic everywhere in the cabin – the dashboard, door panels and centre console – but at least it varies in texture.
Alpine Motors, the local Chevrolet distributor, brought in a few units of the super-basic Chevrolet Spark (no decision has been made as to whether this first batch will be offered for sale or not).
The “official” version of the Chevrolet Spark will come to these shores in May, equipped as standard with electrically adjustable side mirrors, remote locking, front fog lights, rear speakers, leather seats, 14-inch alloy wheels and Navtrak GPS navigation.
Despite its skinny tyres, the Chevrolet Spark proves to be an eager handler.
If COE prices were cheaper than they are now, this small hatchback would make a good proposition as a first car for the new driver or a nice runabout for the value-conscious motorist.
Despite this, with the Chevrolet Spark’s introductory price of $65,999 (inclusive of COE), you will find it quite challenging to find another decent alternative.
Chevrolet Spark 1.0 (A)
ENGINE 995cc, 16-valves, inline-4
MAX POWER 68bhp at 6400rpm
MAX TORQUE 89Nm at 4800rpm
GEARBOX 4-speed automatic
0-100KM/H 17.5 seconds
TOP SPEED 143km/h
CONSUMPTION 16.7km/L (combined)
PRICE INCL. COE $65,999 (as of April 2011)
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