The 2016 Chevrolet Spark gets a more mature styling over the funky outgoing model and promises to offer better materials and improved tech on the inside.
Spied on a number of occasions since the beginning of this year, General Motors has finally unveiled the all new 2016 Chevrolet Spark (Beat in India) to the world ahead of its official public debut at the New York International Auto Show set to commence later this week. To be sold in over 40 markets globally, the next generation Spark has grown a lot more mature than the outgoing version in terms of design and also boasts of having better materials, safety features, fuel efficiency and improved tech inside the cabin.
Sporting a more grown up profile over its predecessor, the 2016 Chevrolet Spark is based on a sophisticated and more robust architecture that also underpins the new Opel Karl and Vauxhall Viva small cars in the GM family. The Spark gets sharper in terms of design sporting a dual-port grille flanked by elliptical headlamps and also boasts of a marginally longer wheelbase improving interior comfort while the height has decreased by 40 mm for better aerodynamics. GM says the new architecture has enabled engineers to tune the new Spark’s ride and handling more precisely, offering improved control and refinement.
Internationally, the 2016 Chevrolet Spark will be powered by the 1.4-litre Ecotec petrol engine that churns out around 98 HP of power (16 percent more than the outgoing model) and will come paired to 5-speed manual and CVT automatic transmission options. The fuel efficiency has been rated at around 17 km/l on the highway. Apart from the all new engine, the new generation Spark will also be loaded on safety with the feature list including Side Blind Spot Alert, Lane Departure Warning and Forward Collision Alert. The small car also gets the next generation MyLink infotainment system with a 7-inch touchscreen display.
The new Chevrolet Spark is scheduled to go on sale in the US in the last quarter of 2015 and will be manufactured at the company’s facility in Changwon, South Korea. In the Indian context, the current Beat will continue in its existing avatar easily until next year and reports suggest that the next generation Spark for India will be based on the Amber platform and won’t be this version. We might see some styling traits making it on the Indian model though. More details are set to emerge at the New York Auto Show.
