The 2013 Chevrolet Spark won’t unseat the Nissan Versa as America’s cheapest car when it launches in late 2012. Starting at $12,995, the basic LS model comes with a fairly decent suite of equipment, including 10 airbags, air conditioning, auxiliary jack (hooray!) power windows, Onstar and 15 inch alloy wheels.
The 1LT trim will add a 7 inch touch screen, Bluetooth, a USB port, Chevrolet MyLink, power locks and windows, keyless entry and cruise control. All that will cost $14,495, so expect most of the models stocked by dealers to be the 1LT trim. The 2LT, at $15,795 adds mostly cosmetic changes, such as fog lamps, exclusive 15″ alloy wheels, body colored trim bits, heated leatherette seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. For comparison, a base Sonic starts at $14,600. All prices include destination.
This thng just cries out for the 1.4t engine.
And what’s up with the hideous roof rack? I hope that’s not standard.
I’m no GM basher, but $16k for the top trim? Seriously? I don’t think there’s a car in the class that should be that much. If they’re going to charge that, the top trim better get rid of the huge plastic faux grill and the plastic chunk above the headlights.
Why not? What can you get with same level of options in this segment in the same price range? Smart for 2 car or Scion IQ?
That’s the thing, I’d never pay $16K for either of those. If these things were getting 60-70 mpg, maybe. But I can buy a slightly less contented Fiesta or Focus for almost the same money, get the same mileage, and have a bit more room inside.
I understand that small cars can be expensive and still be worth the price, but there is definitely a point when it’s not worth it. I think paying this price for sub-compact is dumb, unless there is actually a benefit to buying such a small car. I don’t think any car maker has a compelling subcompact for sale in the US right now.
i actually think this pricing will give Kia and Hyundai food for thought. The sonic should be fairly successful at this price level.
Nowadays even economy sub compacts come with things like navigation and bluetooth. So it’s not surprising that the top trim would cost $16k. A Nissan Versa would cost the same or more with comparable level of equipment.
Perhaps I’m confused. Is this competing against the Fiesta/Sonic/Versa crowd or the Smart/IQ crowd? Are they all lumped together in the same class? I thought they were different, which is why I don’t see the point of stepping down from the Fiesta crowd into the Smart Fortwo crowd if it’s going to cost the same, use the same gas and have less interior.
All of the above, and the compacts that haven’t yet bloated up into almost-midsizers.
Cars these days are rapidly blending into a state where you pay one price, and pick from sliding scales of size, tech, and mileage.
Have you shopped around in the A-class in the US and looked at pricing?
It under cuts the Fiat 500, the Scion iQ and the smartfortwo.
With a curb weight of only 1,905 pounds the 85 HP engine should motivate the Spark to 60 in about 9-3/4 seconds, much faster than the Scion iQ (11.8), about on parity with the Fiat 500 (give or take 1/10 to 2/10 of a second) and faster than the smartfortwo at 12 seconds.
So, bigger than the Scion iQ and smartfortwo (don’t know about the Fiat). Certainly the Chevrolet brand doesn’t hurt compared to Scion, Fiat and smart – lets face it – the A-class offerings in North America is a cripple fight when it comes to brand, if anything Chevrolet and the larger dealer network helps, slightly.
To equip a Fiat 500 similar you have to go with a Sport and drop $19,500 sticker.
A Scion iQ with the added features that aren’t standard is $18,257 before dealer costs to install the Sirius radio and fog lights.
The smartfortwo comes in at $15,600 with no satellite radio, no touch screen radio, no floor mats, and no back seat.
The Spark is well priced.
Ok. It may well be the best priced of the bunch, but I won’t be in line to buy one.
Thanks for the comparisons, anway.
I’d consider $16k for a fully-loaded-except-automatic example with a decent mesh grille and the 1.4t.
Well, I wouldn’t actually, but I’d consider it an acceptable deal.
That said, I haven’t decided which Pokémon it reminds me of, which bothers me.
Blah. blah, blah, blah IT’s a DAEWOO for the love of Mother Earth! As far as I’m concerned, Daewoo is no Hyundai!
Squawk! DAEWOO! SQUAWWWWWWK!
Good parrot! Now where did I put my box of crackers?
Oh that’s right, it’s not a Daewoo, it’ not a Daewoo, it’s a Chevy it’s a Chevy, what a bunch of suckers!
Because the Aveo wasn’t enough, almost every GM is now a Daewood with cheap Chevy trim slapped on it.
Though, I never and still don’t really care for Hyundai.
I guess it’s progress. A few short years ago “It’s a GM” was sufficiently insulting for trolls.
If previous GM experience is your yardstick, Daewoo doesn’t seem half bad. Mind you selling Daewoos pretty much killed Suzuki, but I guess their customers expected better.
What in the world makes a jack auxillary?
It’s the jack that you plug your phone or iPod or whatever into, not the sort of jack that you use to lift the car to replace a tire (which is probably an additional option nowadays, this is an irritating trend).
Duh. Guess I’m showing my age (or lack of tech sophistication) when I automatically assume that jack refers to a mechanical device.
Does that include the destination charge? If so its not too bad. A base Ford Fiesta hatch is $14,895 with destination and NO options and those things easily go up from there once you start checking the boxes (don’t they all?)
The Fiesta is a B-segment car, like the Sonic. This is an A-segment car like the Scion iQ, Fiat 500, and smartfortwo.
When I think B-segment I immediately think of the Scion xB, tC, and the Kia Soul. I recently saw a new Fiesta and it was thinner and smaller than those other models. I see the Fiesta somewhere in between A and B personally.
Better off buying a Hyundai is your going to buy a Korean car.
I’m hoping that the battery version comes out with 100-mile range; I might give it a hard look if it’s $20k (after rebate)
How much does a basic Sonic Turbo cost? If only a few thousands more, I’d go with that! Very similar EPA numbers, better on the hwy, slightly less in the city, and a lot more power.