By Glen Woodcock, QMI Agency - Chevrolet is betting large that the new 2013 Spark -- the smallest car it has ever offered -- will be the big hit the marque has been looking for since the wildly successful Cruze in 2008.At $13,495 for the base LS model, Spark undercuts the slightly larger Chevy Sonic hatchback by $660. Even fully loaded, Spark 2LT tops out at $19,745.
Spark is a microcar aimed directly at young downtowners, who live in small but upscale condos, and who buy into the creed that less is more.
The nimble little Spark has no trouble zipping through and around city traffic or keeping up on the expressway.
The target audience also likes to stay connected and Spark offers an optional MyLink system with seven-inch colour touch screen, USB port and BlueTooth.
With the $50 BringGo smartphone app, drivers will be able to access emergency information, search for points of interest, get 3D maps and locate their car's present position.
Bright colours help too, and Spark comes in eight different paint schemes including Jalapeno (green), Lemonade (yellow) and Salsa (red) -- some with matching interiors.
Only one engine is available, a 1.2-litre inline four with direct fuel injection, but it can be mated either to a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.
Headroom is good, front and rear. And back seat shoulder room and hiproom are almost on par with the front. It's legroom where rear riders will suffer, with a maximum of just 894 mm -- much less if there are tall passengers up front.
Spark has yet to be crash tested in North America, but with 10 standard airbags, and a four-star rating in European impact tests, good marks should be assured.
No comments:
Post a Comment