One of the things I like most about the Spark is that it means we don't have to pay much attention to the Matiz any more. Chevrolet's (originally Daewoo's) rather unfortunate city car has been replaced by something which is outstandingly better in just about every way.I'm not sure that this applies to the appearance. The Matiz was pleasantly cute, if you like that sort of thing, whereas the bulkier and sharper-edged Spark looks to me like a baby Vauxhall Corsa that has dressed itself up like a Mack truck. Like other Chevrolets, it seems a bit overstyled.Also like other Chevrolets, the effort to give as dramatic a visual effect as possible continues inside, at least in the top-of-the-range LT tested here - and I think that's a good idea. It certainly helps to disguise the fact that, inevitably for a cheap car, the interior trim isn't of the highest quality. It looks more impressive than it feels, and that works for me.The other thing about the interior is that there is so much of it. You wouldn't think so to look at it, but the Spark has a phenomenal amount of space for passengers. I'm six feet three inches tall, and you could put one of me in each of the four "proper" seats (there's a sort-of fifth one in the centre rear but not many people would be able to use it) and I'd be quite happy, at least for a medium-length trip.Luggage space is more limited. The official volume is 170 litres, which is reasonable if not dramatic for the size of the car, but getting anything in there is made more difficult by the high load sill and narrow tailgate.Sparks are available with a choice of 1.0 and 1.2 petrol engines. The car reviewed here is a 1.2, with an impressive maximum output of 80bhp, and it's as quick as most owners will need it to be. Don't expect to spend much time in the outer lane of a motorway, and do expect some side-wind effect and an above-average amount of engine, road and wind noise (clearly there isn't much room for sound-deadening in the Spark).Motorways were never going to be the favourite environment of a car like this, of course. Surprisingly, the Spark is at its very best on twisty country roads, where a sporty driver will find enormous levels of grip, excellent balance and beautifully precise steering. Before I drove it, I really had no idea it would be so much fun in these conditions.The steering is still wonderful in urban driving, though there's something about the operation of both the throttle and the clutch which makes the Spark difficult to drive smoothly when, for example, you're making a three-point turn in a back street.The worst thing about being in town with a Spark is that it's so difficult to see out of it. All the pillars are very large - you need to be very sure of what's going on around you before pulling away from a T-junction - and the glass area at the rear is feeble.It's not just that Chevrolet has fallen into the trap of designing windows which taper as they head towards the tailgate; in addition, some fool has decided (possibly when drunk, but I don't have evidence to back this up) to mount the rear doorhandles in the side windows and surround them with a plastic moulding which occupies space that would more usefully have been filled with glass. Your chances of crashing into something - or someone - while reversing are therefore that bit higher than they might have been.This is clearly a safety issue, but no official body tests for that sort of thing. On other safety matters, Euro NCAP gave the Spark a four-star rating for crashworthiness, and the only reason it withheld the fifth and final star was that ESP is not fitted as standard. Choosing it as an option would be a good move, but if you do so you'll send the price of the car tested here beyond £10,000, which in my view takes it into slightly uncomfortable territory.Part of the reason for that, though, is that this is the most expensive Spark, with the 1.2-litre engine and range-topping LT trim which includes 15" alloy wheels, climate control air-conditioning, the extra interior design work mentioned earlier, a body styling kit and a six-speaker audio system. The less well-equipped LS and LS+ are respectively £1150 and £650 cheaper than the LT and are likely to be more popular for just that reason. Engine 1206 cc, 4 cylinders Power 81 bhp @6400 rpm Torque 82 ib/ft @4800 rpm Transmission 6 speed manual Fuel/CO2 55.4 mpg / 119 g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 12.1sec Top speed 102 mph Price From £10431.00 approx Release date 01/01/2010
Our Rating
