Over at the New York Auto Show, Chevrolet takes the wraps off of its newest Spark that promises an engine with more kick and boasts a handful of tech features.
2016 Chevrolet Spark specs and features:
1.4-liter Ecotec inline-4 engine
99PS of power
5-speed MT/Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
7-inch capacitive touch color screen
10-piece airbags
Rear-vision camera
Forward Collision Alert
Lane Departure Warning
Side Blind Spot Alert
In addition to the 16% power increase of its engine compared to its predecessor the dimension has also been tweaked with a slightly longer wheelbase and a 1.6-inch height drop. On the other hand, its 7-inch panel can be used to open MyLink which lets users connect their smartphones to the car to control music, watch television, and access the phone’s contacts.
The new Chevy Spark will be on sale starting on the last quarter of the year and will be available in 40 different countries. Stay tuned for its local announcement.
Chevrolet lent us a Spark to drive around for a week. What we received was the Spark LS that has the smaller 1.0-liter engine with automatic transmission. Was it a good city/out of town companion to us? Join us in our recent trip to Punta Fuego to find out.
The company made the Spark to feature cornered accents and pointy details combined evenly with the curves we usually see in this car segment. It puts that European compact vibe in terms of physique.
Up front, it sports a grille that’s sectioned by the company’s logo and flanked by the headlights. It’s interesting to note how these lights crawl up and extend to the side of the body and are pointy on both ends –very aesthetically pleasing, for us. At the bottom we have the slots for fog lights which unfortunately aren’t included in the standard package.
There’s already a built-in roof spoiler on the Spark LS which is a plus since other basic models don’t come with these. Open the 5th door and you have an average space for small to medium luggage or other equipment for your trip.
Inside, the three-spoke steering wheel frames the speedometer which is protruding, rather than built into the dashboard. We found it pretty unique and imaginative of Chevrolet but other than that, all other instrumentations look the same as other basic interior.
Watch our video test driving the Chevrolet Spark with a short highlight of its sound system.
Under the hood is a 16-valve DOHC 1.0-liter engine that drove great in the city, but when brought up to Tagaytay and Batangas’ steep roads, showed us its limitation. It wasn’t surprising, though, since there are four passengers inside. This resulted to a noticed stress on the engine and gradual loss of speed on Drive, but shifting to a lower gear helped the car.
In terms of seating and spaces, we all felt relaxed and comfortable – keeping in mind there were four of us inside the car with all our bags squeezed altogether at the back (seen below). Adding one more person, though, would make things uncomfortable.
The Spark LS has decent acceleration on flat roads and without extra weight on it. Driving it alone, it was easy to handle and maneuvers like an extension of the body. The driver is also positioned high, making visibility over the surroundings clear.
Some of YugaTech editors inside the Chevrolet Spark for a team outing.
With a combination of city and highway driving, the 1.0-liter Spark LS averaged 18km per liter.
From the get-go, we understoodthat this compact car is targeted towards motorists who are looking for a ride that doesn’t chug as much gas as bigger cars do. It’s just a matter of how balanced the car is in terms of passenger comfort, performance, and aesthetics to determine if it could be the city-dwelling automobile that you’re probably looking for.
With these in mind, we would say that the Chevrolet Spark delivers on both passenger comfort and aesthetics, but bringing it up on steep roads while loaded with passengers will show you until where its capabilities are.
The Spark is your city buddy, no doubt about that. It’s a good solo car to go about the city. With its 1-liter engine and compact frame, you get the most out of your fuel while having space to fit the things that you need. The 4-speed AT Chevrolet Spark LS which we tested costs Php598,888, while the 5-speed MT variant is at Php548,888. The 1.2-liter MT Spark LT, on the other hand, is also at Php598,888.
