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ChevroletSparkPriceRange-6945-9845OnSale-March2010WeLike-AcheapCitycarthatisgoodlookingratherthanjustfunctional.WeDislike-SomeofthematerialsarenotthehighestofqualityOverall-AgoodlittlerunaboutforanyonewantingasecondcarortostayintheCitytousedailyDailyThelasttimeChevroletwantedtosellasmallcitycarittookanexistingonetheoldDaewooMatizandputonashinynewChevroletbadge.ThereisnosuchcostandcornercuttingwiththenewSparkthoughthisisabrandnewdesignthatwasevenvotedforbythecarscustomers.ChevroletshowedoffthreeconceptcarsattheNewYorkmotorshowin2007theBeattheGrooveandtheTraxandaskedthepublictopicktheirfavourite.TheBeatwonandthefunkystylingoftheconceptcarhasthankfullymadeitthroughtothecarthatwillbegoingonsaleinMarch2010.Butdespitenottakingthecheaperoptionofre-badginganexistingmodelChevrolethasnotmadeacarthatwillbreakthebank.Withpricesstartingatjust6945thisisacheapcar.Evenifyougoforthetop-of-the-rangeversionyoucanstillgetchangefrom10000.Getintothedriversseatandthequalityoftheinteriorplasticsshowswheresomeofthesavingshavebeenmade.Thedoorpanelsinparticularlackafeelingofsturdinessandfeelliketheyllshowupscratchesovertime.Butdespitenotbeingmadeofthebestofmaterialsthekitonofferisgenerous.Thefirstthingthatstrikesisthestereowhichisturnedonandcontrolledbyahugecentralbuttonthatmakesiteasytouse.ItmaybesimplisticbutthereiseventheoptiontoaddaUSBandauxinputsockettotheCDplayersoyoucanconnectallmannerofmp3players.Someofthehighertrimlevelsevenaddcontrolsontothesteeringwheelsoyoucanchangethevolumewithouttakingyourhandsoffthewheel.Othertoysonofferincludeclimatecontrolfourelectricwindowsandalloywheels.Howeverplumpfortheentry-levelversionandyoullgetnoneofthesethebasicSparkreallyissimplisticandonlyboastssixairbagsasstandard.OnesafetyfeaturethatdoesntfeatureasstandardisESPanti-skidtechnology.Thisisonlyavailableasa350optionwhichmayexplainwhytheSparkonlyscoredfouroutofapossiblefivestarsintheindependentEuroNCAPsafetytests.GiventheSparkislikelytospendmostofitstimeinanurbanenvironmentitisunlikelytobeinvolvedinmanyhighspeedsmashesandaroundtowniscertainlywherethecarfeelsathome.Thesteeringisniceandlightmakingparkinginatightspotabreeze.IfparkingisastrugglethoughthelittleSparkhasanotherhelpfultoythatyouwouldnormallyonlyexpecttofindonabigexpensivecarparkingsensors.At150theyarenotanexpensiveadditiontotheSparkandmayhelpitinanurbanenvironment.Wefoundthebeepthesensorsproducedtobealittlequietbuttheycouldbeausefulaidforpoppingintotightspots.AmazinglyChevroletsaystherewillevenbetheoptionofasatellitenavigationsystemfromthemiddleofnextyearsomethingthatisalmostunheardofoncarsinthispricebracket.Thesystemisexpectedtocostwellbelow1000soshouldbeintakingwiththefrugalnatureoftheSpark.Thisprudentnatureisseenintheenginerangeaswell.Atthemomentthereareonlytwoenginesonoffera67bhp1.0-litreand1.2-litrewith80bhp.Neitherofthetwoisquickbutthe1.2-litreismarginallymoreurgent.Itisinfinitelymorecapableatlowerspeedsinacityenvironmentasitismuchmorecomfortabledivingfortightspotsthanperformingsweepingovertakingmanoeuvresontheopenroad.Infactitstrugglestoovertakeeverythingbuttheslowestofvehiclesandrequiresafairbitofrevvingtodoso.The1.2-litreismorecomfortableoutoftownbutinanurbanenvironmentthereislittletochosesoifyouarechoosingtheSparkasasecondcaroranoccasionalrunaboutthenthecheaper1.0-litremightbethebetteroption.Bothofthemarefrugalthoughwithbothqualifyingfora35ayeartaxdiscandmanagingfuelconsumptionfiguresof59mpgand55mpgforthe1.0and1.2respectively.DespiteitssmallouterdimensionsthereisasurprisingamountofroominsidetheSparkespeciallyintheback.Twosix-foottallblokeswereabletogetintothebackseatsandhaveenoughlegroomwithoutdemandingthedrivermovefromtheirnormaldrivingposition.Thebootisadequateinsizewithoutbeinghugeanditallowsyoutodropdowntherearseatsindividuallyforabitmoreflexibility.Therear-seatfoldingmechanismwasanotherareawhereevidenceofthecostcuttingcouldbefound.Theseatbasescomeupandawayfromthebodyofthecarandareattachedbyspindlyarmsthatwefoundquiteflimsy.GrantedtheSparkisunlikelytobealoadcarryingtoolbutthenatureoftheseatfoldingmeantthisissomethingthatshouldonlybeusedonanoccasionalbasis.ThereisnopretendingthattheSparkisanythingbutacheaplittlecar.Theinteriorplasticsreflectthisintheirbasicandslightlyflimsynatureandtheenginesaremuchmoreaboutgettingthecaraboutthanwildperformance.ButasacheapcarweliketheSparkalot.Itisfantasticallywell-equippedandwillbeevenmoresowhentheoptionofsatnavcomeslaternextyear.Bestofallitisgoodlookingwhichmeansthatthecheapoptiondoesntalwaysmeandrivingaroundinadulluninspiringboxonwheels.PleaseMentionAcrossKentWhenYouCallOurAdvertisers0781352526226ChevroletSpark-TheLittleExpress