With one month left for an addition of a family member, I decided to buy a cost effective and economical car. 27 October 2007 is when I purchased my Chevrolet Spark. I chose the PS model as it had what I needed the most, AC and Power Steering. All the other fitments provided are cosmetic(Except ABS and Airbags).
With my limited resources I could only shortlist an Alto but I did not want it as it was very common and the features were bare minimum. I nearly brought this vehicle but as luck would have it, I chanced upon a newspaper ad featuring a Chevy Spark for a reduced price. When contacted the showroom salesman, he expressed his surprise about the price reduction and he advised me that he would contact me after confirming the same. I couldn’t wait for his call and
I reached the showroom before he could reach there. Since, I reviewed most of the vehicles in its class, I knew what Spark had to offer and I wanted the first one to buy it at the new price. Thankfully due to the price cut the Spark was within my reach. The price difference between Spark and an Alto was Rs.16k.
Some of you would be wondering, why a Spark is being compared to an Alto as they belong to different classes. The similarity between a Spark and an Alto as on 26th October 2007 was its price and nothing else.
Initially I thought I was wrong about the car, as the gears were very stiff, mileage was low and I didn’t have many choices of service centers to choose from. I had to settle for Sundaram Motors in Bangalore to get my Spark serviced. They sure knew how to manhandle a car very well. One of the problems I stated was the fuel gauge not displaying the status of the fuel correctly. What they did was fix that problem by giving me another big one. I couldn’t fill the fuel to the brim as it would start overflowing.
During one of my long drives, I realized this and I took it to an authorized service center(GeeYem Motors in Thrissur, Kerala). They found that the fuel cap found below the rear seat has not been tightened properly; instead it was hammered to its position. Imagine the lid of a 1.5l Coke bottle being hammered to its position. After much rough talking with Sundaram Motors, it was fixed. After that, I vowed never to visit Sundaram Motors. I have no idea if they have improved or not. I wouldn’t want to take that risk. I found an alternate service center in Bangalore named Frontl*ne Motors. It is near the RTO at Kengeri on Mysore Highway. They have been delivering as per my expectations.
As stated earlier, I was disappointed initially with my Spark, however its performance improved dramatically after its first service. One of my friends advised me to use the vehicle thoroughly before giving it for the first service as one can find the defects in it only after thorough use.
I would like to highlight what I love/like about this four wheeler:
• It is stable at speeds above 120 kmph and its gas suspension makes every drive smooth.
• Though it appears to be tiny, the interiors are spacious.
• Its build quality is good.(Not as good as Hyundai i10)
• It’s an ideal car for the city where you have a lot of stop and go traffic.
• It’s very easy to park this vehicle in a tiny spot.
• No matter how much you rev the engine, the noise or vibrations is hardly heard or felt inside.
• It gives me an amazing mileage of 22 kmpl and above on highways(without AC).
• The AC is amazing. The cooling is unbeatable.
• The AC vents are equipped with lids that prevent dust accumulation.
• Card holder, Side pockets, Bottle holders, shelves below dashboard, coin holder, additional space in the center to keep stuff like mobile, cigarette packs, etc.
In my opinion, it has a ride quality and comfort that is better than any other car in its class.
Having stated the above, I must mention that this vehicle definitely has a lot of scope for improvement. First and foremost, it lacks the RPM meter and the idea of placing the instrument pod in the center is impractical. It worries my granny who has a clear view of the speed at which I am driving. The idea of installing a digital clock in the top end model is daft as it is hardly required when you are very likely going to be installing a music system which can do the same. Trust me on this, the RPM meter is more important than a clock. The main reason I miss this is because the engine is silent and there are times when I have cranked this engine when it is running. The dashboard is such that you can never find a good place to install an RPM meter. I "sorely" miss the clutch foot rest during long drives.
At times, I have found the pillar at the right blocks my view. Though, I have not found it as a major problem.
To sum it up in a nutshell, it is a wonderful vehicle. Be it long drives or dragging traffic it is built to survive any hardships you put it up with. I have been enjoying this beauty for 2 years, 2 months & 2 days and it has never disappointed me.
Tips to New Spark Owners:
As stated in the review, use your car thoroughly before giving it for the first service.
You have an option of fitting accessories and fitments from other vendors. Some believe that they will get the best deal out of the showroom they purchased their car from. Do your research and then make your purchase.
Some items like the floor mat, steering wheel grip and perfume etc provided free from the showroom are useless. It is best to buy them from Car Decor shops.
Those of you who have purchased a PS model, it is advisable to install the fitment that covers the rear seat belts at the boot. This will enable you to install the rack where you can install the rear speakers. Please keep in mind that the rack needs to be heavy(preferably made out of MDF/Wood) as speakers cannot be fixed on a light rack.
The factory fitted plug points* for music systems are customised for Blaupunkt systems. So, if you don’t want a technician to chop them away, I suggest you opt for Blaupunkt system.(*You need to check with the showroom folks regarding this.)
The best time to fix a rear view mirror(left hand side) is when you are installing the sunfilm. You really don’t want your door fitment to be removed often. Trust me on this!
It is not mandatory to replace the seat covers that are factory fitted. You can use them for a while and then get new seats installed.
Try purchasing music system with a USB port at the back as USB stick can be obtrusive while driving. You can easily get the USB port to the glove compartment.
Buying a 2 din music system is of not advisable in my opinion as the extra space you get after installing a single din is very useful in putting mobiles, keys, parking and toll tickets.
I have been as forthcoming as I could be regarding this vehicle. In case, I missed anything, please leave a comment.