Good job, GM !. Review on Chevrolet Spark

Initially I had shortlisted three cars within a budget of 3-4 lakhs (on road). They were the Maruti Alto, Chevrolet Spark & Tata Indica (my mistake !). When I went to the showroom I was in for a surprise. The Indica was a spacious car with good seats and boot space. Looks were reasonably good. But I was disappointed with the mileage and engine.

My next stop was at the Chevrolet showroom. I was instantly impressed by the finish and refinement of the car. It was not very spacious but could easily accommodate five people. The cost was just a twelve grand above the Alto, a two grand over the Indica.

The onroad price was 3.22 lakhs for the power steering version. I decided to take a test ride. I was welcomed by a blast of cold air on my face. The AC was efficient and quick. The pickup too was excellent. The highway mileage I was told was around 17 kmpl. Additionally the company offered a 3 year warranty which covered labor and spare costs. So I finally zeroed in on the Spark. Oops ! I forgot to mention. I never made it to the Alto showroom.

Following are some of my remarks about the Spark.

Looks & Interior: Cute with smooth flowing lines. The oddly shaped headlights and round tail lamps lend character to the car. The concentric lines on the tail lamp are a delight to see when they light up. However I wasn’t very happy about the tail lamp jutting into the rear glass.

The interior is spacious enough with ample legroom. The speedo and other dials are placed in the center console which is not a distraction. Behind the steering is a set of warning lights to indicate any malfunction. Cubby holes are present to hold items like bottles, magazines, coins, card etc.

A 12 volts outlet is present for charging your mobile etc. The seats are comfortable enough but under thigh support is less. But you could easily stretch your legs as there is ample legroom.

The rear view mirrors can be adjusted internally. The boot and fuel lid are remotely operated. The boot space at 170 liters is sufficient. The rear seats can be folded back to increase the space to an impressive 840 liters.

AC: The AC is efficient and quick. There is no considerable power or mileage loss when the AC is on. For sunny weather a sun film is a must. Ride quality and handling : The Spark excels in both these areas. The engine noise is very less.

The cabin is so silent during idling that you need to check the lights to know it is running. Maneuverability is excellent and the Spark threads its way through narrow lanes and traffic easily. Also, the car is small enough to fit into the tightest parking spaces. The ride quality is very good and the shocks absorb vibrations under most conditions. However, when riding through large undulations the car tends to bob a bit.

Engine and Performance:The Spark has a 1 liter 4 cylinder engine unlike the Alto which has a 800cc 3 cylinder engine. It builds up 63 bhp and drives at top speed of 150kmph. At 140 kmph the speed is hardly noticeable except on the speedo. The acceleration is good in the 20-80 kmph range and the braking is sharp. It adapts to the highway well enough. The average city mileage is about 13 kmpl. On the highway the mileage is between 16-17kmpl. The stability at high speeds is good. 0-100kmph takes about 15 secs.

Safety: Air bags and ABS are options. The car has a hexagonal shock absorbing frame and comes with tubeless tires which add to safety at high speeds in case of a tire burst.

To sum up, the Chevrolet Spark is a car worth the money you spend. The looks, ride quality, engine and fuel economy is much more than you can expect at this price. The 3-year /100, 000kms warranty makes it a car you can’t go wrong with !