My friend has bought a brand new Chevrolet Spark LT a month back, and I happened have driven it for some kms. Initial impression of this car came with a flurry of words in my mind – peppy, jazzy, sporty, cute and stylish. However, I also thought it would be a very cramped for space, suffocating people sitting inside it. Now, after driving it for quite a bit I shamelessly admit that I was absolutely incorrect to underestimate the space and comfort it offers. Chevrolet has really put in a lot of efforts while redesigning this car from the basket of Daewoo Matiz. Although the platform remains same, it’s quite incredible as how GM has managed to squeeze so much spice out of Spark. Here, are listings of my likes and dislikes of this car à
I like the look and design of this car. The car can seat 3 people quite comfortably in the rear, contrary to what Maruti WagonR or a Hyundai Santro can. I personally liked the driving position of this car. The front seats are placed at quite a height, giving you an authoritative confidence on the road. You get a feeling of taming the road. What is also helps is giving the driver a very good view of the road. The steering wheel of this Spark is also very good and responsive, however I do feel that GM could have improved it a bit more. If you have also driven Chevrolet UVA, then the steering wheel would seem to you a bit lesser in response compared to its big brother. The designing of the console cluster at center also enhances the ease of road view, although initially it may give you a weird feeling. The cluster is neatly done, though not very sporty or flashy. It has what requires to be placed where. Moreover, in front of the steering cluster there is also a temperature gauge and fuel indicator. The switch for the lights and indicators are given on the left-hand side of the steering wheel, which can be a bit awkward, as most of the cars running on Indian roads do have it on right. But, it again how fast you can get adjusted to it. The seats of Spark both at front and rear are just good. They may prove a bit tiring while on very long trips, but other than that its quite standard. The Spark LT model features an adjustable head-rest both at front and rear, which are pretty good. The Power Steering of this car is good, though may not be as good as a Hyundai. There are many storage spaces cleverly created by GM in this car. There are even minute details been kept in mind while designing this car. Imagine, who cares for a sunglass holder? But, they have even provided it. The front seats also feature pockets at their back, and quite useful. The Air-condition of this car is good. It cools you up quite quickly and without creating much of noise of fuss. The most striking thing about this car is, while you switch on the ignition believe me you won’t even know the engine has come to life. I turned the key twice not realizing the fact that it has already come to life(naah! If you think that I am a first time driver, you are wrong), that too on a quite road. Amazing isn’t it? Yes it is. The engine is very smooth and quiet. The car also provides a very good insulation from the outside noises and engine sounds once you roll up the windows. The cabin is very quiet and calm. The gear shaft of this is car needs improvement. It is not of a very high quality as was expected seeing all the features that were put onto Spark. There is a bit of hitch from 1st to 2nd and little bit of hitch from 2nd to 3rd. The boot is not like Jennifer Lopez’s……. yeah not that great. Its small and sweet like Maria Sharapova. I call this whacky! If you are planning to go for a very long trip with hell lot of things, then am sorry this is not the car for you. Spark LT comes with tubeless tyres, body-colored bumpers, body colored handle bars, rear and front fog lights, rear wiper, roof rails and rear spoiler. I bet you, you would love the car with all this accessories, it looks cool. Now…, yeah this car features an engine of 996cc and sports quite a good power and sufficient for city and highway driving. It can reach to a top speed of around 155 kmph. Now to come for the most important part of writing any car reviews, fuel efficiency? I can’t draw a very perfect picture as I do not own this car(its my friend’s) and moreover also it only 1 month old. However roughly, it can give you anywhere between 13-16 kmpl after 3rd service, and before that it would give you around 13kmpl. Little bit depends on your driving skills as well.
That’s pretty much what I felt about this car, after stealing it for few drives from my friend’s garage! I guess I have tried my best to cover all aspects, even if I missed something, bear with me. As, I am just not a pro, its only an attempt to help all prospective buyers(like me). I would request you to post comments and send me message whether you liked or disliked. Your comments and feedback would only help me to bore you even further with my ‘reviews’ and share my experiences. Thank You!