The Chevrolet Spark has been discontinued and no replacement is planned, making the Beat hatchback GM India’s new entry-level model.
With sales diminishing over the years, GM India has silently discontinued its entry level hatchback the Chevrolet Spark in the country. The Spark that made its India debut during its second generation was on sale for 8 years now, but the more recent years saw sales diminishing dramatically compared to the competition. Dealers too have confirmed that production for the Spark has been stopped and have already cleared their inventory or are in the process of doing so. For the previous month, 0 units of the hatchback moved out of showrooms.
The Chevrolet Spark originally started life as a Daewoo Matiz in 1999 in India and was sold briefly till Daewoo closed down operations. With GM taking control over Daewoo’s operations, the Matiz was rebranded as the Chevy Spark globally and was introduced in the country as GM’s entry-level hatchback in 2007, tailored for the Indian market. The car has been pretty much the same since then and received a major facelift only in 2012. For the most period of last year, the Spark barely did 150 units per month, not even coming close to the figures of its rivals that feel astronomical in comparison.
The third generation Chevrolet Spark (replacing the second generation model overseas) was launched in 2010 and made headlines for its radical styling. At present, the hatchback is sold alongside the previous generation Spark under the new ‘Beat’ moniker. GM India has no replacement planned for the Spark, making the Chevrolet Beat the American automaker’s entry-level model in the country and is available in both petrol and diesel engine options with the optional LPG kit.
Internationally, the Spark brand has moved up to the fourth generation that was unveiled earlier this year and will make its India debut in the future with a compact sedan version reportedly planned as well. The new Spark comes with a host of tech upgrades including Android Auto and will be positioned above the outgoing Beat in India.
