Chevrolet Spark

• Photos

• Videos

view all photos

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

view all videos

• 
• 
• 
• 

Originally known as the Daewoo Matiz, Chevrolet Spark is a perfect car for city driving, produced by General Motors. It is a small sized hatchback which can easily manoeuvre in tight city streets and can seat 4 adults comfortably. The controls are light and the hatchback has a light clutch with a slightly not so perfect gearbox but it is not that bad. The ride quality delivered by the Chevrolet Spark, which has received an update amidst the preparations of the Diwali festivities, is pretty good. The car isn’t meant for very rough and tough usage but is perfect for urban area driving. The upgraded Spark has 3 variants, 1.0, LS and LT which are available in petrol and latter two in LPG along with petrol fuel options. Under the hood, Spark has the 1.0-litre engine with a capacity of 995cc delivering a power output of  62.14bhp at 5400rpm and a maximum torque of 90.3Nm at 4200rpm . The powertrain comes mated to a 5 speed manual transmission and the mileage per kilometre for the new Chevrolet Spark is 18kmpl for the petrol version and 13.2 kilometres per kg for the Spark LPG. The new Spark has upgrades on the front, rear as well as restyled interiors. There are changes made to the front and rear bumper with a new honeycomb style grille bordered with chrome. Chevrolet’s bow – tie has gone a little nigger and the hatch also gets new pair of fog lamps along with minor tweakings to the tail – lamp. This seems to be an attempt to fit the Chevrolet Spark to the new design language which GM is adapting in all Chevrolet models. Spark comes with new body colors which are Sandrift Grey, Linen Beige, Caviar Black, Velvet Red, Summit White and Misty Lake. Inside, Spark gets a re – touched upholstery design language along with matching door pads.

Chevrolet Spark stands against India’s favourite car maker’s recently launched Maruti Alto 800 along with Maruti Alto K10 and Hyundai Eon. General Motors India is the fifth largest automobile manufacturing company in India following Maruti Suzuki which stands at number one position in the passenger car market, Hyundai which is at the second followed closely by Tata Motors and Mahindra Group.Looking at the scenario and positioning, Chevrolet Spark has to deliver way above average to beat the competition and make a stand for itself in the competitive Indian auto market. General Motors had entered the Indian market some 16 years back and has a line-up which includes some wonderful cars like the new Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Beat, the diesel model of which is considered to be one of the most efficient models in the Indian segment along with the new Chevrolet Captiva which has seen quite a few changes with this year’s facelift.

Editor's Take : The mileage of the Spark is good, and hence it is competitive in the A+ segment.

Chevrolet Spark has the 1.0-litre engine which is rated at 62.14bhp at 5400rpm and has a torque of 90.3Nm at 4200rpm. Despite being slightly on the heavier side with 840kgs kerb weight, facelifted Chevrolet Spark delivers an average mileage of 18kmpl (company claimed) with petrol fuel option. Running on LPG, the average mileage of Chevrolet Spark is 13.2 km per kg. Hyundai Eon petrol on the other hand delivers close to 17.3kmpl, Maruti Alto 800 while running on petrol also delivers near about 17kmpl and the Alto K10 returns a mileage of 15kmpl in the city. Whereas coming to Chevrolet Spark during city drives, the hatch delivers close to 15kmpl, the previous figure for Spark is approximate mileage expected on the highways. The competition, on highways delivers a little more in comparison, with Alto 800 delivering 22.74kmpl, Hyundai Eon returns with 21.1kmpl and one can expect 20.2kmpl from the Alto K10.

Editor's Take : The power of the Spark is good for its engine size and when compared to competition. On paper also it is good enough.

The power output of the Chevrolet Spark 1.0-litre 995cc 4-cylinder petrol engine, is 63PS at 5400rpm , which when converted is close to 62.14bhp at 5400rpm. The LPG models of the Spark are powered by the 8V 4 cylinder, SOHC MPFI engine and while running on LPG, Spark delivers 60.16bhp of power. One wouldn’t particularly call it a very powerful car but for a city drive, Chevrolet Spark is a decent purchase. In comparison to the competition, it delivers quite a decent figure. Hyundai Eon delivers a power of 55.2bhp at 5500rpm, Maruti Alto 800 churns out 47.3bhp at 6000rpm and Alto K10 delivers a power output of 67bhp at 6200rpm. Spark is powered by one of the most powerful engines in this segment.

These colors are available with all variants of Chevrolet Spark

Editor's Take : The acceleration of the Spark is decent and is good even while driving in daily bumper-to-bumper city traffic.

With its 1.0-litre engine which is capable of churning out a power of 62.14bhp at 5400rpm, Chevrolet Spark can reach the 100kmph mark in about 15seconds . The powertrain of Spark helps the car reach a top speed of 153kmph thanks to the finesse of GM technologies and the aerodynamic design which helps the hatchback accelerate very smoothly and up to a decent enough level.

View Chevrolet Spark Exterior Pictures

Chevrolet Spark is a good looking car as per a few people and not so much as per rest but like they say, you can love it or hate it but you can’t ignore it. The design statement of the Spark is such that one can’t help but notice it as one passes by. The already trendy looks have become trendier with the new upgrades that GM has blessed the facelifted Spark with. There are changes to the exteriors up front as well as to the rear profile. Up front, Spark gets new split honeycomb grille and a larger Chevrolet logo, in sync with the new design language that the Chevrolet cars have got this year.  Spark has body colored bumpers with full wheel covers in the high end LT model and hub caps to the wheel in the lower two; 1.0 and LS variants . Adding to the sporty looks are the company approved tinted glasses which are available across all variants. The rear profile also gets changes like an upgraded rear bumper. Chevrolet Spark has new rear bumper as well. Enhancing the exteriors are the chrome ornaments on front grille, sporty rear spoiler, satin silver roof rails, stylish fog lamps up front and chrome on fog lamp bezel which are all available in the LT variant of Chevrolet Spark.

Chevrolet Spark is one out of the good looking lot in the small car segment with sporty, trendy and very contemporary looks which are not part of the general crowd. The headlamps on Chevrolet Spark are small and cute looking with smooth curves up front and on the sides as well. From the looks of it, Chevrolet Spark does look very “Full of Life”. In comparison, Hyundai Eon has been scoring a little higher than the Spark and Alto ever since, with its more posh looks and a design which gives it a very proportionate size.Upgraded Spark although, might bring about a change in the minds of the consumers.

Exterior Measurements

Chevrolet Spark stands at a length of 3495mm, 1495mm at width, height of 1518mm and a height of 1518mm . In comparison, Hyundai Eon, Alto 800 and Alto K10, all are almost the same size with Hyundai Eon length at 3495mm, width as 1550mm and height of 1500mm. Alto 800 has a length of 3395mm, width of 1490mm and height of 1475mm whereas Alto K10 has a length of 3620mm, width of 1475mm and a height of 1460mm. In terms of the wheelbase Chevrolet Spark stands at 2345mm, Hyundai Eon at 2380mm, Alto 800 at 2360mm and Maruti Alto K10 which has a wheelbase of 2360mm as well. With a ground clearance of 170mm, Chevrolet Spark further proves to be the good city car. Hyundai Eon has a clearance of 170mm as well whereas Maruti Alto 800 and Alto K10 both have a ground clearance of 160mm.

View Chevrolet Spark Interior Pictures

Editor's Take : The front row space in the Spark is good and even the quality of the plastics is decent. It being tall, the headroom is decent.

Chevrolet Spark has got upgrades in the cabin as well with new stylish upholstery with dual tone – light urban and dark urban interiors . The seat covers are semi cloth and have design inserts. The rear seats across models are folding, resulting to an increased boot space. The top of the line variant LT has fabric insert on door trims to add more premium-ness to the interiors. The instrument panel also gets a new design and in the LT variant, the panel gets silver finish which adds to the sporty character of the hatchback. Unlike other cars in the segment which have almost the same dimensions, Spark does not have the sway which results into the car tipping onto their sides.  The drive of the Spark is very controlled and though passengers have to be seated in an upright profile the seating makes commutation within the city quite comfortable. The interiors might be very basic but GM has done a very good job with the styling and given a little life to the otherwise simple and very regular interiors that we get to see in this segment. Competing Hyundai Eon however has a little more plush interiors and fitment and quality in comparison to Chevrolet Spark.

Interior Comfort

To one’s surprise the cabin is quite spacious and comfortable despite the tiny look that it gives from the outside. The seats in the Spark cabin are quite comfortable and what makes them more comfortable is the sliding and reclining function of the front seats. This feature also helps the driver adjust his seat well and as a result one gets better visibility and a more comfortable drive.Across variants, Spark has a comfortable air conditioning system along with power steering and power window features available in the top of the line models. To add a little up market feel to the small hatchback, GM has blessed the car with instruments like a digital tachometer, digital trip – meter, digital fuel gauge, low fuel warning, door ajar warning , bottle holders in door trims along with cup holder on the centre console.

Editor's Take : The performance of this 1.0-litre engine is good and we should forget the fact that it isn’t built for outright acceleration.

The engine of Chevrolet Spark is the same as the previous version which is, 1.0-litre petrol engine with a displacement of 995cc . The engine comes mated to a 5 speed manual transmission system which churns out a power of nearly 62.1bhp at 5400rpm and along with this, Spark delivers a maximum torque of 90.3Nm at 4200rpm. Spark comes with LPG fuel option as well. The mileage for the petrol models, on an average is 15kmpl in the city and 18kmpl during highway drives. The LPG variants of the Spark are powered by 4 cylinder 8V SOHC MPFI engine which is mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox. When running on LPG, Spark returns a mileage of 13.2 kilometres per kilogram. In this mode, the hatch delivers a power output of 60.16bhp. Running on 155/70 R13 tyres and a kerb weight of 840kgs, the performance delivered by Chevrolet Spark is very good, particularly in the city and the car can zip from 0 to 100kms in just about 15.1 seconds . The top speed that Spark can touch is about 153kmph. Hyundai Eon on the other hand is capable of touching 0 -100kmph in about 17 seconds and has a top speed of near about 130kmph. Alto however, gives Spark a really tough competition in terms of the performance as it can zip from zilch to a century in almost the same time as Spark. What further enhances the performance of Spark are the comfortable steering, clutch and easy gearshifts which make the drive very easy for the driver and does not wear him out during congested traffic hours. The hatch delivers well on riding and handling quality as well, along with afore mentioned ease and comfort. In terms of its competitors, facelifted Spark is a good match and can give a tough competition to all in all field apart from its badging where this cute and trendy hatch has to compete with Maruti and Hyundai, who are the market leaders and favourite of the consumers in India with their easy and low maintenance.

Chevrolet’s Spark runs on tubeless 155/70 R13 tyres . The car has hub caps over the wheels on most of the variants expect the upper end LT which gets full wheel covers. With respect to its small size, the wheels give it a decent ride. Hyundai Eon and Maruti Alto 800 on the other hand run on smaller 145/80 R12 tubeless tyres . 13inch tyres with McPherson Strut with Anti roll bars front suspension system and Torsion Beam Axle rear suspension system, Spark gives a good handling and drive which might not be a very good one on extremely rough routes but decent enough for the usual ruggedness of the Indian roads.

Editor's Take : The handling of the Spark is decent and even the brakes are good on it.

Up front, 2013 Chevrolet Spark has Disc brakes and at the rear there are Drum brakes . The ABS, EBD and BA systems might not be in the car but the sporty hatch has brake boosters. The handling of the car with McPherson Struts with Anti Roll bar front suspension system, Torsion Beam Axle rear suspension system, 13inch tubeless tyres along with light steering and clutch, is very convenient. Usually cars carrying such dimensions; 3495mm length, 1495mm width, 1518mm height, 2345mm wheel base and a ground clearance of 170mm, start to sway at higher speeds and have a danger of toppling to their sides but Spark seems quite well rooted in this matter. 

Editor's Take : The Spark lacks features like ABS and single airbag that most of its competition gets.

As far as handling of Chevrolet Spark is concerned, rest assured it is one car which will not stress out the driver even in stretched and very heavy traffic conditions. The braking system is good, clutch is very light and gear shift are also good which result into no hassles for the driver. For the safety of the passengers, Spark has 3point ELR seat belts where ELR stands for emergency locking retractors which help in assuring the safety of passengers in case of an emergency brake or a collision. Further there are rear doors with child safety lock and the top end also has central locking along with anti – glare day/night rear view mirror . There is also a headlamp levelling device present in Spark which will help during night driving and result to better and more suited visibility.

Editor's Take : The Spark’s range topper gets all-four power windows, music system, power steering and even AC. The music system supports USB and aux connectivity.

The facelifted Chevy Spark LT gets an Audio System compatible with CD/MP3 and FM. It also features AUX – in and USB . The integrated speaker offers a good quality sound and results into a comfortable drive where one can enjoy the music along with a decent quality air conditioning, especially when one is stuck in a traffic jam. There is also the accessory socket in 2013 Chevrolet Spark. The hatchback also gets remote boot release, remote fuel lid release along with passenger vanity mirror etc.