Spark a design revolution

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It's branded as a Chevy in Europe, but it wouldn't take much to sell the Spark as a Holden, opines DAVE MOORE.

Chevrolet says its new Spark hatchback has been "designed to appeal to car buyers in every inhabited continent across the globe, from India to Africa, Australia to the United States".

It was engineered in Europe. It is made in South Korea by General Motor's Daewoo arm, just like Holden's current Barina, Viva, Captiva, Cruze and Epica models.

"From the beginning, we wanted to have a revolution in size and design," explains Taewan Kim, vice- president of GM Daewoo Design. "We wanted to take a big step forward to deliver a completely new statement, especially in the design of the car.

"We wanted it to look ready to pounce. It needed to look great from 360 degrees and it needed to generate excitement."

The exterior features a wheels-out body in stance, and its single-arc roof line is accentuated by strong, clean body sides free of cladding, Kim says. The appearance is sleek, slightly aggressive and unmistakably more upmarket than some mini-car rivals, which tend to favour a cuter approach. Inside, the focal point of the cabin is the motorcycle-style instrument pod, which sits on top of the steering column and delivers all the essential information in a compact, easy-to-read manner.

The Spark's suspension is traditional, using MacPherson struts at the front and a compound crank, or torsion beam axle at the rear. The Spark will be available with VSES, or Vehicle Stability Enhancement System, which provides safety and control benefits, with electronic brake and traction control to provide anti-lock braking and enhanced yaw stability.

While the Australian and New Zealand market models might opt for other engine sizes, two power units are on offer for the Spark's European launch, petrol units with displacements of 1.0 litre (50 kilowatts) and 1.2 litres (60kW).

The engines are double overhead camshaft designs, with four valves per cylinder, and have multi-port fuel injection. They are both Euro V emissions compliant.

The two engines have port de- activation technology to improve gas recirculation, which helps fuel efficiency and idle stability.

They also have timing chains, rather than belts to ease maintenance and running costs.

At only 3.64 metres long and 1.6m wide, the Spark should easily fit into tight city spaces, yet thanks to its short overhangs and clever cabin design, the compact dimensions come without compromise.

Front-seat passengers enjoy up to 1.07m of leg room, , 1.3m of shoulder space and 1m of headroom, also rated among the best in the segment, according to GM Daewoo.

The Spark comes with six airbags as standard, and came within a single point of gaining a five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP.

Whether the Spark will be the next Barina has not yet been decided.

- © Fairfax NZ News