HANDS ON WITH CHEVY SPARK'S MYLINK INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM

By Stephanie Miot, PCmag.com - Chevrolet is bringing the car to the smartphone, since people already bring the smartphone to the car.

The 2013 Chevy Spark is the company's first foray into the U.S. and Canadian mini-car arena, equipping drivers with a new infotainment system that provides big technology in a minuscule car.

Tuesday's "Spark Your Senses" press tour dropped journalists at various trendy locations around the city (Bond No. 9, Momofuku Milk Bar, Pete's Candy Store) to prove that the Chevy Spark is a young, hip, infotainment-capable car into which millennials will be clamoring to the climb.

To do that, the car maker tapped into the need of every 16- to 31-year old's greatest fear: detachment from their smartphone.

Being forced to disconnect from your phone and keep both hands on the wheel can cause more anxiety for some people than maneuvering through crowded city streets, Chevy communications team member Annalisa Bluhm said Tuesday, following the test drive. So integrating the widely popular device directly into the Spark was critical, she said.

"Drivers can bring their digital life with them" Bluhm said, citing the ability to stream your personal library directly from your phone, or through radio apps built into the car's system. Without a built-in CD player, the Spark relies heavily on the driver to supply the tunes.

Chevrolet MyLink does carry AM and FM channels, as well as SiriusXM Satellite Radio (with a three-month trial service, before you have to start paying an annual fee), all of which run smoothly, as far as I could tell from the driver's seat. Radio seek and stereo volume buttons attached to the steering wheel -- what seems like standard procedure in modern cars -- carry over the hands-on-the-wheel concept that MyLink preaches. The system also includes a digital clock, Bluetooth connection for certain operating systems, and voice-recognition capabilities.

By connecting your smartphone -- via USB for iOS handsets or Bluetooth on Android -- the driver can follow GPS commands, audibly direct their music selections, and make or answer phone calls, presumably without losing too much focus on the road.

I was too knuckled down during my first time behind the wheel in New York City to test all of the MyLink features, aside from the occasional flick of the system's "home" button or a tug on the volume key.

But from the perspective of one of Chevy's demographic millennials, the system is just what any tech-savvy driver could hope for in a reasonably priced vehicle. Otherwise, its casual buttons and bright screen should prove easy for even the most uninitiated infotainment user to navigate.

'Just bring your phone and you're good to go'

Already filled with audio, pictures and movies, and telephone applications, Chevy's team didn't conspire to build just whatever apps the company deemed appropriate, MyLink global program manager Sara LeBlanc said Tuesday.

"We are listening to customers," she said, incorporating options like Pandora and Stitcher radio, and BringGo, an embedded smartphone map application that will work seamlessly with the Spark's MyLink system.

The BringGo app will be available in the Apple App Store and Google Play store sometime in the fourth quarter, though Bluhm could not specify a date. It is expected to land with a price tag around $50.

"Just bring your phone and you're good to go," said Cristi Landy, Chevy's small cars product marketing director.

Different than opening Google Maps and clumsily navigating a road trip through a 3-inch smartphone, BringGo turns the Spark's touch screen into a turn-by-turn global positioning system, which I found no need to test as my driving partner patiently read detailed directions to me from the provided navigation packet.

For convenience sake, the MyLink system and BringGo app will likely provide an update every six months to a year, Bluhm said. A simple but occasional trip to the Chevy dealer to upgrade will set drivers on their way toward the newest in-car technology.

Below the 7-inch, full-color touch screen is a USB port for connecting a smartphone to the MyLink system, or simply charging a device while the car is running. Engineers built a sort of cubby hole into the center of the front panel, where a smartphone, or even a small tablet, can sit comfortably, within voice-recognition distance but out of the way of the driver's sight, and therefore out of mind.

Are BringGo, Pandora, and Stitcher all Chevy has up its sleeve in terms of app development?

"I can't tell you everything today," LeBlanc joked, saying that the company is planning for future additions to its application stash, though remained mum on what users can expect.

Chevy Spark specs

Don't let the small classification fool you -- tiny as it may seem, the four-door vehicle has room to spare, though it does add to the ease of traveling in a crowded city. A whirl in the Spark feels comfortable, nothing a sedan-loving motorist wouldn't enjoy. From the driver's seat, the car feels spacious, not at all claustrophobic, and rather smooth, aside from a slow acceleration boost.

Selling in the U.S. market for three weeks already, the Spark comes in three flavors, beginning with the stripped down LS model for US$12,995.

For a MyLink-equipped vehicle, you will have to upgrade to the Spark 1LT or 2LT, both of which come standard with the infotainment system, Bluetooth connectivity, steering wheel audio controls, a USB port, and Sirius XM Radio. The cars cost US$13,495 and US$15,795, respectively.

Landy said that the Chevy Spark is being marketed toward "younger, more affluent, educated buyers," who want the up-to-date technology rolled into a slick vehicle, preferably for less than US$25,000, Landy said.

The Spark touts a 9.2-gallon gas tank, with EPA fuel economy of 32 mpg in the city, and 38 mpg on highways. It comes in a range of seven color options, including the classic black, white and silver, as well as chic Salsa red, Denim blue, Lemonade yellow and Techno pink.

Chevy compares its mini automobile to other vehicle-class cars like the Fiat 500, Smartfortwo, and the Scion iQ, boasting more passenger and cargo room in the Spark. Front to back, the new Chevy mini stands 12.05 feet (144.7 inches) long, and 5.24 feet (55.7 inches) wide, complete with 10 standard air bags, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, and OnStar access.