Chevrolet Sparks

The 2011 Chevrolet Spark is a statement made by General Motors in the mini car market niche. Actually, the Spark comes as a replacement for the Matiz mini car that was launched on the European market. This new model is supposed to be a hit on the American market as well.

This Chevrolet small car was designed and engineered in Korea and it is the work of GM-DAT, a subsidiary of GM. It is based on many elements that were essential for the platform of the Daewoo Matiz. To power the 2011 Chevrolet Spark the engineers have chosen to use DOHC 1.0 or a 1.2-liter four cylinder engine. The transmission choices are a five speed manual or a four speed automatic. All the possible combinations generate a maximum of 63 bhp at 5400 rpm. For the American market the 1.2 liter will be used for all models. So, even if initially this mini car was built with the intention to be a competitor on the small car segment of the Asian market, the program became global. GM chose to manufacture this car that respects a mono form design in countries like Korea, Uzbekistan, India or Colombia.

The interior and exterior reflect the view of a Korean designer, Tae Wan Kim that took part in other important projects such as the design of the Fiat 500 or the Grand Punto. He actually stated that they wanted “a small car with a big personality” while proving in the same time that a “small car doesn’t have to look cheap”.

The body style available is the four door hatchback, while the grille and the lines of the outside design make it look a bit bigger than it really is. When it comes to the interior (inspired from the Beat concept car), the instrument cluster placed in the center has an impact on any viewer and includes a fuel gauge, a speedometer and even a tripmeter. The design is remarkable because the transition from a left hand driver market to a right hand driver market is fairly simple. The interior is comfortable and the quality is impressive. Actually, it has won the JD power customer satisfaction survey that proves my point. Moreover, the rear seats can’t be folded completely while the trunk space is of only 170 liters, but that’s generous if we remind ourselves that the Chevrolet Spark is a small car. The standard equipment on the American models includes power windows and a MP3 compatible sound system, while the base price that includes these options is under $12,000.

The 2011 Chevrolet Spark falls in the category of fuel efficient cars, but many wonder if it is suitable for a longer trip. That’s unlikely, but for a mini car the space is generous and it is faster than many of its competitors (for example Toyota iQ or Smart For Two) at a price below the price tags representative for this market segment.

It is very likely that by the end of 2011 this 2011 Chevrolet Spark model will become one of the best sold cars, because while the gas gets more and more expensive people are inclined to choose smaller, fuel-efficient cars. As a result the demand for large trucks or SUVs is slightly decreasing, making room for the new models that focus on these newer problems of the modern society. To prove my point I must mention some statistics saying that over 25,000 Smart cars were sold last year in the USA, while the Mini’s reached 54,000 units. That’s impressive and transforms North America in a market interested in such models.

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