Chevrolet's Spark of hip-hop genius

Nov 30 2009 David Whinyates

A MERE five years ago someone at General Motors had a spark of inspiration.

In the depths of the Asian economic crisis, the American giant had baled out Korean maker Daewoo.

Problem was, it had sunk money into a brand that arguably ranked lower in popularity than the Jedwards.

Cheap, certainly, cheerful, maybe, but when it came to quality and desirability, Daewoo had taken over Skoda's mantle as the make everyone loved to hate.

Quality and perception issues can be solved over a period of time - as Skoda has proved - but a quick fix was needed.

And some bright spark in GM's marketing department came up with the answerjust dump Daewoo and give the brand a name the world recognizes.

That name was Chevrolet - an American icon with a glorious heritage.

Since the name change, GM has been working hard to improve the quality and desirability of the Korean products and the results can be seen with every new Chevrolet which comes along.

And next spring the transformation will be complete when the appropriately named Chevrolet Spark hits our streets.

A replacement for the Matiz city car, it is far removed from its predecessor in everything but price with the entry level model costing just £6,945 - a higher base-line, but actually cheaper than the current one litre Matiz.

Styling is hip-hop generation, the interior funky and spacious and build quality and drivability represent a quantum leap forward.

Front end design provides a family link with the bigger Chevrolet Cruze, but the Spark has a character all of its own and, with a range of bright, trendy colours, it will certainly stand out on the streets.

The edgy design continues inside with a novel motorcycle-style instrument pod mounted directly behind the steering wheel containing an analogue speedo, digital rev-counter, fuel gauge and, on higher spec models, trip computer info. It's clear and easy to read and, at night, it's backlit by sexy, ice-blue lighting.

Fit, finish and trim materials are top notch and a vast improvement on the old Matiz and, in all but the entry level model, there are neat detailing touches around the cabin in a variety of materials depending on trim level, including satin finish steel, piano black or high-gloss red and carbon fibre effects.

Basic trim level is, well, basic, but £8,145 will buy you the Spark+ which offers air con, powered front windows and central locking.

Next up is the LS, from £8,445, which comes with bigger wheels, remote central locking, a sunglasses holder and enhanced cosmetic details. A Plus pack providing alloys, front and rear electric windows, trip computer, electrically operated and heated door mirrors, roof bars and steering wheel audio controls is available on the LS for an additional £500.

Topping the range is the £9,845 Spark LT which has bigger, 15 inch, alloys, climate control and exterior body kit and six speaker stereo.

So far so good, but the real bonus is the Tardis-like interior space.

The Spark is longer, wider and higher than the Matiz, but not massively so and the space inside comes as a real surprise. Even with the front seats well back, there's plenty of leg room in the rear and a high roofline means that there are no problems for taller passengers.

Access is good through the rear doors but it's a relatively narrow car and Chevrolet's claim that this is a full five-seater is stretching it a little. Yes, it will seat five, but it wouldn't be very comfortable on longer trips.

Boot space is little more than shopping sized, but the rear seats fold to provide a decent luggage platform when traveling two-up. There are plenty of useful storage spaces around the cabin.

The Spark is very a much a car for the hard grind of city traffic, but it is also perfectly at home on the open road.

It will come with a choice of 1.0 and 1.2 litre petrol engines. The smaller of the two needs to be worked hard initially but has a surprisingly wide fifth gear, with good pull available from around 30mph upwards, even on moderate uphill gradients. It offers comfortable and quiet progress at the legal motorway limit.

The 1.2 has much more initial urge - better for the quick response so often required in busy city traffic - and feels more relaxed at higher motorway speeds.

While the 1.2 is quicker off the mark and has a higher top speed, official fuel consumption and emissions of 55.4mpg average and 119g/km respectively are identical to those of the one litre engine.

Ride and handling seemed acceptable enough on an initial test drive which was conducted mainly in heavy city traffic and didn't really provide the opportunity to test these areas fully.

Tyre rumble was noticeable on some surfaces but generally road and mechanical noise levels seemed well damped.

Cute, edgy, fashionable and fun, the Spark is a surprisingly good package and it comes to the market at just the right time.

Buyers' expectations of even the smallest of cars are growing ever higher and the Spark will not disappoint.