Chevrolet

Spark

Boasting a bold exterior and great spec level, the Chevrolet Spark is crammed with great features. It looks good, has a choice of trim levels and the asking price will leave you on very good terms with your bank manager.

Test Drive

Chevrolet Spark 1.2 LT RPS Manual

In a day and age where every penny counts, value for money is paramount – enter Chevrolet’s fun-packed city car, the Spark.

With funky looks that boast some eye-catching creativity the Spark is exceptionally good value for money and even the top-of-the-range LT model costs just over the £10k mark.

Quirky design features include hidden rear door handles that are flush to the body, a spoiler, sports bumpers and 15-inch alloys with the distinctive Chevrolet emblem in the centre of each wheel.

But there’s so much more to the Spark than just a city car. It boasts excellent economy figures, a fairly comprehensive list of creature comforts and a choice of engine sizes and bright, cheerful colours to select from. The test model was a pastel shade of pearl pink.

And don’t think the city is its limit either as the Spark can certainly strut its stuff alongside faster moving motorway traffic with the 1.2-litre, petrol-driven engine delivering ample power and acceleration as it moves smoothly through the five-speed manual transmission.

The interior is bright and cheerful with very supportive cloth seats that can be easily adjusted to find the perfect driving position and a smart black design throughout which is set off nicely by flashes of silver on the steering wheel, dashboard and doors.

There’s plenty of gadgetry throughout, including electronic climate control, a six-speaker sound system with CD player and MP3 compatibility, electric windows and plenty more besides.

The controls and readouts are ideally positioned for convenience and the instrument panel has an ice blue coloured illumination.

The cabin is deceptively spacious and there is ample room for four adults to travel comfortably without too much of a squeeze, although leg space in the back may become an issue on a very long journey.

The boot is relatively compact in size although it will easily cater for the weekly shopping run and can be expanded further by utilizing the split-folding rear seats option.

Elsewhere, there are a number of smaller storage compartments along with three cup holders.

But for me, the Spark is all about value. It is great fun to drive and loves weaving in and out of busy traffic and squeezing effortlessly into tight parking spaces.

And the £10.4k price tag along with combined fuel stats of 55.4mpg cannot fail to impress – and that’s on the top-of-the-range model. You can drop a few thousand pounds for entry level models.

The Spark proved an absolute pleasure to drive.

Admittedly, it wasn’t without its faults – it can be a little noisy at higher speeds and in very bright sunshine, there is a slight glare issue, but those minor gripes aside, it really impressed.

Chevrolet has packed an array of safety features into the Spark, such as anti-lock brakes with electronic stability control, numerous airbags, side impact beams, first class seatbelts and even an immobiliser to keep away any uninvited guests.

All in all, the Spark is bursting with character and delivers on all counts as the value-for-money city car that likes to offer that little bit more.