Chevrolet Spark (2010 - 2015)

2
reviewed by malteser2710 on 30 September 2014
4
reviewed by blindspot on 2 January 2013
5
reviewed by Neil23 on 9 November 2011
2
reviewed by bopit56 on 28 October 2011
5
reviewed by tonypony on 24 June 2011
4

1.2 LS+ 5dr Hatchback

reviewed by BoDuke on 24 October 2010
4
Overall rating
5
How it drives
2
Fuel economy
3
Tax/Insurance/Warranty costs
4
How practical it is

Great fun to drive, good city car, far from brilliant though

I actually live in Mexico so the version I have is specced differently, but it's roughly equivalent to the UK LS+ spec.

Things I like:

- I just love the handling, steering and suspension are spot on and the driving dynamic puts a smile on your face. Highly chuckable.
- Looks awesome in red, even more so with colour coded interior with matched seat trim and red panel inserts.
- Fits five adults no problem. Given the average stature of Mexicans, it might be more of a squeeze in the UK, granted.
- Fits two rear child seats with plenty of space, no "little kicks" in the back coming from the little kids behind.
- Very light clutch, brake, comfortable accelerator position, much easier on the legs in stop-start city driving.

Things I don't like:
- We bought it for the economy but we're getting nothing like the stated mpgs. Chevrolet's published urban figure is 17 km/l (49mpg), we're getting 12 km/l (34mpg). My Zafira 1.8 does the same. We live in a hilly city at 7500 ft above sea level, but even so, we're disappointed.
- Big A-pillar blind spots
- Due to the "hidden" rear door handles, reverse parallel parking is nigh-on impossible due to the massive blind spot. Door mirrors only option here.
- Air conditioning puny, ambient temperature currently 28-29 degrees and it's hardly arctic, not looking forward to using it when the mercury hits 35+ next spring.
- Needs tons of revs, 2000 rpm minimum to pull away from anywhere, nearer 3000 on any kind of incline.
- On six speaker models, the two extra speakers are hidden inside the forward doors, but with no grille or opening to let the sound out! Ridiculous and stupid design fault, no point at all to having these speakers.
- Always seems to slump forward or back for a short distance after applying handbrake on an incline or decline. Handbrake always holds after that, but it is disconcerting at times. Haven't tested this with a full load yet.

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About this car

Price£7,375–£11,215
Road TaxC
MPG55.4–56.5 mpg
Real MPG83.2%

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