2016 Holden Spark Ready To Ignite Change For The Brand

Times are changing in Australia, and Holden has taken the winds of change and steered its course. The brand’s upcoming portfolio will be sourced from around the world, and here we have the first entrant into what we could potentially call “New Holden“.

The 2016 Holden Spark debuted overnight, thanks to the tremendous time difference, and the brand stated the all-new Spark is a sign of positive things to come from the brand.

Holden Managing Director and Chairman, Mark Bernhard, said Spark served as another proof point of Holden delivering its future product strategy, with a focus of fresh customers and segments.

“Spark takes the micro-car segment to a new level with technological sophistication and composed driving manners. Compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Spark offers connectivity and infotainment features previously unavailable in this segment – these are technologies that the target customers of this car will love,” Bernhard said.

Class-leading safety and technology is abundant behind the micro-car sheetmetal, which includes six airbags, hill start assist, a rear-view camera and the aforementioned CarPlay and Android Auto capability.

But, Holden was keen to highlight the 2016 Spark as not a direct import for Australian consumers. Instead, it underscored the engineering of the Spark as distinctly Australian. The brand accomplished this through unique suspension and steering tunes, tested and completed in Oz. Therefore, the 2016 Spark will be exactly what local consumers expect from an Australian car.

While the 2016 Spark was born from South Korea, Holden engineers frequently ensured the 2016 Spark was up to snuff on the Lang Lang proving grounds.

“Spark is a truly global car but our engineers have made sure it performs exceptionally in Australia’s varied road conditions,” Holden’s Director of Vehicle Performance, Ian Butler, said.

“Key to developing the drive characteristics, was a significant round of testing and development at our Lang Lang proving ground conducted by our engineers, in addition to giving target customers the chance to evaluate the car.”

As for other specifics, the 2016 Holden Spark features nearly identical design cues from the 2016 Chevrolet Spark, and also shares the same 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 98 hp and 94 lb-ft of torque.

The 2016 Holden Spark goes on sale in Australia in April 2016.