Over the last few years, the mini car segment in America could be classified as an afterthought. But with robust entries like the Fiat 500 and upcoming Scion iQ, consumers are beginning to have a choice of variety as well as substance, rather than crude tin cans with tires. The 2013 Chevrolet Spark looks to keep with the new rhythm of the mini car market while bringing a few surprises to the table.
Perhaps the most surprising news is that the 2013 Spark will offer the new Chevy MyLink infotainment system, giving drivers the luxury of streaming Pandora or Stitcher from their smartphone though the speakers via Bluetooth, among other conveniences, all accessed via a seven-inch touchscreen. Air conditioning and power windows will also come standard, as will 10 airbags for safety.
Cleverly named color choices such as Salsa, Jalapeno, Denim, Lemonade, and Techno Pink (yes, it comes in pink) will hopefully strike a chord with outgoing and creative buyers, as will the futuristic motorcycle-inspired gauge cluster similar to that of the Chevy Sonic.
Finally, the Spark will launch in the U.S. and Canada with a 1.2L Ecotec four cylinder engine, which will be good for a subtle 82 horsepower delivered through a standard five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic transmission, while offering “competitive” fuel economy. We’ll withhold judgement on the power rating until we drive the car for ourselves to see if the vehicle is at least powerful enough to get out of its own way.
The new Spark will launch in mid-2012. Additionally, look for an all-electric version of the Spark to enter the market in 2013.
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Comments
Looks like (from what I can tell), OnStar will not be offering Directions and Connections, “Turn-by-Turn” like it currently does for the 2012 Sonic. The Spark will only offer OnStar’s Safety and Security. However, it appears you can “MyLink” your smart phone’s map to the color screen. That’s pretty cool!
82hp is just not enough.
Do you really need more ? how often do you find yourself driving over 80 ? Don’t get me wrong I would never buy this car lol just a thought. Seems like it’s more of a city car not to big not to small easy to get around in should be great on fuel. 🙂
hummm I wonder how much of that 82 horsepower gets to the wheels lol 🙂
dang the interior looks really nice for such a minicar
This car is exciting, dealers will probably shun it. But the fact that we will have the option to purchase a fun economy car this size from GM is exciting. I could see this being a 3rd vehicle for some people.
These colors are assumed to be cool for this type of vehicle, that may be the case in other markets like Korea, but not here in the states. To me these colors are hideous…
cute characteristic like a puppy in a rotweiller world go chevrolet wake up smart car