While the tiny Chevrolet Spark minicar has been viewed by a various autoshow goers around the US, the A segment hatchback has previously only been available in foreign markets but with the 2013 model year that is about to change. According to a Tweet by GM Head of Communications Jason Laird, GM Product Boss Mark Reuss stated that the Chevrolet Spark will be sold in the United States, making GM the first company to offer an A, B, C, D and E segment vehicle in the US market.
In the past, Detroit’s automakers have been hesitant to offer minicars in the US but with the rising cost of fuel and the growing interest in highly fuel efficient vehicles without the high cost of a hybrid, GM believes that there is now proper demand to launch the Chevy Spark in the US. Little is known about the upcoming Spark but with drivetrain options in Asia beginning with a 1.0L engine that offers nearly 50 miles per gallon – the tiny Chevy could offer incredibly high fuel mileage with an incredibly low price.
The only problem is this…will American buyers find the Chevy Spark too small? The 1.0L engine may have a top speed that makes it difficult to keep up with highway traffic but for those who spend all of their time fighting through slow moving city traffic, the one liter Spark could be an ideal solution to the rising cost of gas and the higher cost of hybrids.
The 2013 Chevrolet Spark is expected to hit the US market in the first six months of 2012 but considering that it is a 2013 model, it will probably come towards the end of that time frame. The Spark was originally slated to hit the US market for the 2011 model year but when the company went bankrupt, they cancelled projects considered to be less profitable. Now that the company is back on track and making money, they are free to test the waters with new models such as the Spark.
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