General Motors India Private Limited (GMIPL), the country's fifth largest passenger car maker, introduced a facelifted variant of its much popular entry-level Chevrolet Spark hatchback on the domestic turf on October 25, 2012. The new Chevy Spark boasts off a stylish new look that appears both sporty and visually appealing as compared to the car's direct competition rivals. The American auto major is looking to capitalise on the prevalent market trend towards small sized vehicles with its latest offering, which is anticipated to pose stiff opposition against the top market leaders like Maruti Suzuki Alto 800, Alto K10 and Hyundai Eon entry-level small cars.
The domestic car enthusiasts now have an option of petrol and diesel variants of reworked Spark, besides the American auto giant has already dubbed the new offering to be its next big crowd puller in India. Expressing his delight at the launch of new Chevy Spark, Lowell Paddock, President and Managing Director (MD), GMIPL, said, “The all-new Spark will build on the success of its predecessors and stand out against the competition in India’s rapidly growing small car market; The introduction of the all-new Spark reinforces GM’s commitment to continually roll out new and upgraded products that exceed the expectations of car buyers nationwide."
The new facelifted Chevy Spark flaunts flamboyant exterior finishing touches, featuring trendy design and curves along with a much more sporty overall outlook. The mature twin port front grille with chrome accents, stylish clear lens headlamps along with dual-tone front and rear bumpers complement the car's modish revamp. Further, the new Spark is available in six attractive colour options - Caviar Black, Linen Beige, Velvet Red, Sandrift Grey, Misty Lake and Summit White. The latest offering from the stables of General Motors owned subsidiary Chevrolet boasts off better looks and appeal than the erstwhile Spark model.
The brand new Chevy Spark comes with several eye catching interior additions, such as 'Dark Urban' coloured dashboard, doors and seats, which are resplendent with a sense of harmony. The interior cockpit and cabin space has been completely redesigned, while the Indian car enthusiasts will surely find the trendy and local culture inspired upholstery revelling. Further, the 'Wing inspired' and centrally placed on dashboard, the new instrument cluster featuring speedometer and buttons, combines a traditional and modern flavour with both analog and digital displays. Additionally, the new door mats entail the Chevrolet Spark's character with a more high end feel. The new hatchback also flaunts a generous assortment of storage space availability, besides providing sublime comfort in legroom and headroom areas for five adults.
Coming to under the hood specifications, the reworked 2012 Chevy Spark holds an efficient yet sturdy four cylinder, 1.0 litre S-Tec petrol motor, which churns out a peak power and torque delivery of 62 bhp at 5,400 rpm and 90.3 Nm at 4,200 rpm, respectively. Reportedly, the power and performance ratings of the car have been calibrated with maximum output at lower speeds, thereby making the new Chevy Spark a much interesting proposition for driving in the menacing routine city traffic along with flying on highways. The S-Tec engines has been trimmed with several first-in-class technical innovations, such as Dual Distributor-Less Ignition System (DDLI), Sequential Multi Point Fuel Injection (MPFI), Motorized Throttle Intake System (MTIS) and an Advanced Optical Sensor amongst others. General Motors claims the new Chevy Spark to be a reliable, smooth, efficient, noiseless, powerful and low maintenance requiring option in the Indian entry-level passenger car market.
General Motors India has definitely upped its game on the domestic turf and thus, has designed and engineered the Chevy Spark with several cutting-edge safety attributes. For instance, 51 per cent of the new Spark hatch's body shell comprises high grade and extremely strong steel, which ensures superior stability and rigidity, besides curtailing the car's net weight. Further, the latest offering from factory floors of American auto giant has been designed with carefully defined load paths along with energy absorbing profiles that protect both the driver and cohabitants, in case the car gets involved in a head-on or rear-end collision.
It is going to be an interesting face off between the new facelifted Chevrolet Spark and its direct adversaries - Maruti Suzuki Alto 800, Alto k10 and Hyundai Eon. The festive season is already underway and which car maker and product comes out on top, only time can tell. However, Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 has snatched all the limelight from other products, which has made the competition in the Indian entry-level market much more compelling.
