Chevrolet Spark 1.2LT review

"The Spark is OK, but it's certainly not revolutionary"

What is it?

The Chevrolet Spark is the latest European Chevy, and it banishes the old but oddly characterful Daewoo Matiz to the pages of GM’s murky history. What’s more, this car is going to go global, with the Spark and its variants underpinning city cars in over 100 countries worldwide. So it better be good.

What’s it like on the outside?

According to Chevy, the Spark is the first car to have been designed by you, via an online vote. Chevrolet built three concepts – the Trax, the Beat and the Groove – which it took to the 2007 New York Motor Show. The Beat came out as the winner, and inspired what you see here.

To be fair, the Spark’s swept back headlights and stocky profile are straight from the concept car. But the rest of the Spark is a little dull. And the massive Chevy grille, which dominates the front of the car, is a little OTT.

What’s it like on the inside?

Chevrolet made a big fuss about how the interior of the Spark was inspired by motorbikes. But apart from the rather incongruous instrument cluster, it’s hard to fully see what they mean.

To be honest, the Spark is a cheap supermini and the interior reflects that with some cheap plastics and so on. My top spec car has plenty of kit for the cash, like climate control, electric windows all-round and a multifunction steering wheel. The space is good too, and the seats are comfy if not that supportive and it has a boot that should swallow a fair bit of shopping. Visibility is really good too.

What’s it like to drive?

Making a car that drives better than the old Daewoo Matiz wasn’t going to be hard, and the Spark duly delivers as an OK steer. Its wheels might be more akin to those of a bike than a car, which results in understeer, and lots of it. The steering feel is good though, so at least you have some warning of when the tyres are about to wash out from under you.

The 1.2-litre engine is a bit gutless and sounds noisy and unrefined. But I’m going to wait until I drive the finished UK car before I completely make up my mind though, as Chevy bods are planning to cram the engine bay with sound deadening here to improve refinement.

Verdict

Despite its unique online conception, the Spark certainly isn’t revolutionary. In any way. But it is an improvement over the outgoing Matiz. It is better to drive and better built than the old car and certainly is well specced. But its engine just isn’t that good and the styling isn’t that well resolved really. However, the big ace card the Spark has is that its global economies of scale keep the price in check which is the number one route to success in this market sector.

By Craig McAlpine