The Beat Begat Spark, And It Was Good: New Spark for 2015

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GM Strikes A Beat; Gives America The Spark It Needs

2010-chevy-spark-beat-image-leak---low-res.jpg

So... This is it. The small car we weren't promised, told we weren't going to get, and now will be getting. No official deets as of yet (presumably coming tomorrow), but I'm willing to bet it will be good news indeed.

So, It Is Happening...​

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MORE Info at Inside Line

So, 24 or so hours ahead of time we see that, for sure, GM is bringing the Spark to the US and Canada next summer. What are we in for? A sub-compact that measures less than 130 inches long, and weighs in at less than 2,300 lbs. Powered by a 1.2L four-cylinder, it puts out 85 BHP and 82 LB-FT of torque. Standard gearchanging will be done by a five-speed manual, optional is a four-speed automatic.

2013_chevrolet_spark_int_ns_111411_717.jpg


Although they're not talking about pricing, they say they're going after city-dwellers, first-time buyers, and the "youth market." So, think of the people who are buying Fiat 500s, MINI Coopers and Toyota iQ's and you get what they're after. The car looks pretty decent, seems to have enough room for four, and should come with a plethora of standard features for not a whole lot of money.

Having owned a sub-90 BHP compact that weighed in nearly the same, I'm interested to see how it drives. Reviews from other parts of the world seem somewhat reasonable, if a bit complainy. We'll find out soon enough...
 
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Thankfully a stylish Daewoo that will finally take over where the Aveo failed. I guess this will be positioned under the Cruze.
 
Well, now the Ford Fiesta finally has a competitor for the “Most Disproportionally-Styled Car” award.

800px-FordFiestaSedan.jpg
 
^^^ It's not too easy to make a stylish car in this small segment that doesn't look goofy in some ways... I do like what they've done with the wheels and how big they look compared to the rest of the car. And the front end is very stylish for a car of this class I think. Doesn't look at all cheap-o American or very economically minded like the Japanese cars that fill the lower end.

Duphman
Thankfully a stylish Daewoo that will finally take over where the Aveo failed. I guess this will be positioned under the Cruze.
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Isn't this based on an Opel or something?
 
I believe this rides on the Gamma platform that they've been developing for a few years in Korea and in Germany, so if it is shared with an Opel, it'd likely be the next Corsa. Probably.

Hopefully the press release tomorrow sheds some more light on it. I'm beginning to wonder that, because of the shape, if this is that Chevy-badged MPV that they were talking about earlier this year. You know, the one they're building down in Indiana or Illinois?
 
It would look better if they cut off the top-half of the headlight, but it would also look a bit more generic.
 
I like it, so much better then the Aveo. At least this give those who are diehard American car fans something to buy with a bowtie on it. Although probably most of the car is from overseas somewhere. I still think I would take a Honda Fit.
 
actually, I think it looks like a Fit with a bowtie on it :P

i'm getting tired of Chevy's new headlight design signature. it makes them look Pedestrian.
 
It looks like it uses the 2008 Vauxhall/Opel Agila platform, but with a Vauxhall front instead of what looks like a Skoda.

Looks sharp though.
 
As I said in the other thread about this...

Robin.
I think that would most likely be based on the Corsa D platform (Fiat Grande Punto) but it looks ten times better than the new Corsa. I really think Vauxhall messed up the style on that one!
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Personally I dont think it looks all that bad, the new Corsa should have looked more angular (like that beat but slightly longer) but they went all soppy on it.

vauxhall_corsa2006_001.jpg


WHY VAUXHALL WHY!!!

Robin.
 
As long as we get the turbo 1.2 we were promised and don't make it overly expensive, I'm all for it. I'm not sure about the design, though; something just doesn't look... right. Dunno what, but....
 
I can't imagine it being remotely expensive, prices will probably start in the $10,000 range.
 
Sage
Well, now the Ford Fiesta finally has a competitor for the “Most Disproportionally-Styled Car” award.

800px-FordFiestaSedan.jpg
Click to expand...
You think you can do better and still meet Europe's pedestrian safety standards? No, I didn't think so, lol. Personally I feel the people should simply not walk out in front of cars. Then we'd have cars that looked decent.
 
So, There Are More Details... Kinda

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The car that rolled out in Detroit was actually a three-door, not a five-door, but we otherwise have an idea of whats going to happen.

  • Should be available in Europe by the middle of 2010
  • Will likely make it to the US by the begining of 2011
  • Should do 40 MPG in the city
  • Will have a five-door option
  • It IS smaller than the current Aveo

Oh, and, it will be accompanied by the Orlando:

chevyorlandodet09_lead.jpg


That too will be in show rooms by 2011, and based on the concept car, it could also have the 150 BHP 2.0L turbodiesel engine.

...Too bad on the timeframe, but nevertheless, GM is making good decisions indeed.
 
I would really like to be seeing these cars coming out a year earlier than they are planned. GM is going to need it I think. And the government isn't going to be wanting to keep throwing money at them for another year because their date to get things back on track is further away than when Ford will be getting it's awesome new cars on the market.
 
I can't decide whether I like the lambo-esque window lines.
 
I love it! Finally a Chevrolet I might actually consider driving. On the condition that they only sell it in green with those rims.
 
The Semi-Official Official Debut

...At Geneva...







Give or take, the production version looks a lot better than the concept version that debuted a year or so ago. Still, the fact that it won't show up for another year or two is concerning, because in all honesty, how hard can it really be to get this car ready for sale in the US?
 
Isn't the first pic the same as the one in the first post albeit with more "open area" visible around the car and a lower res?
 
These are the first photos I recall of the rear, and the first drawing we've seen of the interior. The interior, BTW, looks like its using a lot of the corporate pieces too. The knobs on the dash look like they've been taken out of the Malibu, the digital gauge is similar to what you can get in the Cobalt SS, and has what appears to be a digital display out of a G8 at the top.

...Although thats a lot of random guesses on my behalf...
 
The nose and the wheels are screaming Peugeot something and the rear quarter view is so similar to the Corolla Verso that I'd demand royalties if I was a Toyota boss but overall not bad, not at all. I still wouldn't buy one though but I can see a lot of people disagreeing with me.
 
The front looks pretty Chevy IMO, not Peugeot. And the Matrix/Vibe look a lot more like the Verso than this car does.

It's a good looking car I think. I'd like it better if the dash integrated with the center console better, but there's nothing wrong with a budget car looking like a budget car. And that gauge cluster is a little bizarre too.
 
to ME it screams Renault...a bustle butt Megane, anyone?
you KNOW it's a gussied up Aveo...
 

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