Thursday, April 5, 2012

2013 Chevrolet Spark to Start at $12,995; On Sale Later This Year

2012 Chevrolet Spark (Euro-spec)

Chevrolet has announced its tiny, sub-Sonic-sized Spark subcompact is finally going to arrive in U.S. dealerships later this year, and that pricing will start at $12,995. The Spark has been confirmed, then delayed, and re-confirmed for our market, but last year the car was confirmed for good via Twitter. Chevy's announcement didn't include any pricing info for the electric Spark EV that's coming to market sometime next year as a 2014 model.

We've driven the Korean-designed subcompact hatch—it was developed by GM Daewoo—and found it competent, but with only 67 hp from a 1.0-liter inline-four it was painfully slow. We'll get the Spark with a larger 1.2-liter four making 83 hp, but don't expect road-burning performance. On the upside, the Spark is larger than both the Fiat 500 and Scion iQ, and it features four doors so rear passengers don't have to (necessarily) perform acrobatics to access the back seat. The Spark will arrive here with three available trim levels: base LS, 1LT, and 2LT. Complete pricing below:

  • LS: $12,995 + $925 for optional four-speed automatic. Includes: a five-speed manual transmission, air conditioning, power windows, auxiliary audio input, 15-inch wheels, 10 airbags, electronic stability control, traction control, OnStar
  • 1LT: $14,495 + $925 for optional four-speed automatic. Adds: Chevy MyLink with seven-inch color touch-screen audio display, USB input, Bluetooth, steering-wheel audio controls, power door locks, power mirrors, keyless entry, cruise control, and floor mats.
  • 2LT: $15,795 + $925 for optional four-speed automatic. Adds fog lamps, heated front seats, leatherette seating surfaces, leather-wrapped steering wheel, body kit, and silver roof rails.

The Spark certainly comes well-equipped, but we wonder how equipped it is to win the perception battle between it and the larger Sonic sedan and hatch. Chevy's new B-segment Sonic is much bigger and more powerful than the Spark, but doesn't cost a whole lot more. The Sonic sedan starts at $14,660 and the hatchback at $15,560; even though both of those base models come with roughly the same level of standard equipment as the base Spark LS, they pack 138 hp. The Spark's horsepower and torque figures, on the other hand, are both in the double-digits. Stir in American consumers' lukewarm interest in super-small cars—Fiat 500s and Smart Fortwos aren't exactly flying off dealer lots—and things aren't looking good for the Spark.



from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com




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