Chevrolet Spark – 2009 Geneva Motorshow
March 4, 2009 by Alborz Fallah
GM might be facing bankruptcy but at least it’s good to see the company is moving in the right direction – small cars. Chevrolet has just unveiled their new mini-car, the Spark.
Powered by a tiny 1.0 or 1.2 litre 4-cylinder petrol engine, Chevy says it will consume less than 5 litres per 100 km and emit less than 120g/km of CO2 emission.
The 1.0-litre puts out 49 kW and the 1.2 manages just 58 kW. Both engines are coupled to to a five-speed manual gearbox. Chevrolet says the 1.2-litre engine will propel the Spark from zero to 100 km/h acceleration in a, and we like to use their own words here, brisk 12.4 seconds!
The spark will make do with McPherson strut front suspension and torsion beams at the rear.
Standard safety equipment include driver, front passenger, side and curtain airbags. However Electronic Stability Control (ESC) will only be available as an option. We suspect with all the airbags the Spark will do rather well in the EuroNCAP crash test rating.
The Spark will be available with either 13, 14 or 15-inch wheels. Chevrolet says the car was designed to stand purposeful and poised – essentially a city car with ‘attitude’.
Although it looks rather small, the Spark is based on a 2,375 mm wheelbase with a 3,640 mm long body. Chevrolet has designed the car with minimal rear overhang to help with inner-city parking. Even so the Spark has at least 170-litre trunk volume, which, when needed, can grow to 994 liters by lowering the 60/40 split-fold rear seat-back.
Pricing details are sparse but we know it will begin production in October, with the first cars on European roads in early 2010. Other markets (no word yet regarding Australia) will begin in 2011.
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my comment , absolute puk:[ no wonder there going broke
Got to admire GM perseverance with the Cheverolet name. I is beggining to pay of. No doubts the winkers will come on saying it’s a “Daewoo” …..Nobbers.
Brisk eh – should be able to keep up with a moped just.
I wonder if all the muppets who put chev badges on there commodore will also chuck a daewoo badge on there girlfriends Barina or Spark haha
HAHAHAHAHHHAHAHA HORSE, SURELY YOU HAVE TO WIN A FUEL CARD FOR THAT COMMENT!!!!!!!!!!
Unfortunately no matter how far from the source this car gets, the underpinnings are still undeniably Daewoo.
Too little, too late – especially in 2011..
When I read the headline I thought “ah another electric car”, but apparently not.
I’m not sure the ‘bow tie’ cuts it on the grille of cars like this.
Maybe this car is more spark than the name would suggest, just looking at the model on the lefts hair!!!!!!! :-o
This is ugly.
It looks dated compared to the new Ford Fiesta which is available now in Oz.
The speedo and tach is interesting though. Would annoy you after about 10 minutes I reckon.
The new Spark looks fantastic and the next generation ahead of the likes of the ugly new Feista
I really wanted this to be a great car but frankly it is just another example of ugly small cars that just about everyone else is producing. Its probably got everything needed for practicality but why does it have to be ugly?
They also produce a Chevy Spark in India and that one is a really cute looking car.