Cruze sales pick up nicely with small sales of all-new Spark and Verano helping to improve total sales results.
Wayne Gerdes -
CleanMPG - Nov. 2, 2012
2013 Chevrolet Spark – $12,245 to start and a 32/38 city/highway rating with the 5-speed stick. The auto is rated at a much less enticing 28/37 mpgUS city/highway.
Chicago, IL -- Members of the Midwest Automobile Media Association (MAMA) were invited to experience the sporty “looking” four-passenger, five-door 2013 Chevrolet Spark up close and personal in an inner city setting many of us are all to familiar with. While priced for the for the first-time buyer on a budget, the unique interior and exterior styling offer what I deem to be an attractive city car both inside and out.
Meet the 2013 Chevrolet Spark.
2013 Chevrolet Spark Exterior
The Spark gained fame in Transformers 3 as Skidz (green) and Mudflap (orange), both who took on the larger and far more powerful Autobots with a feistiness not expected from characters so small. As art imitates life, the Sparks smallish exterior appears ready to “take on the town” while fitting in a parking spot barely larger than what a go cart would need.
The Spark’s Chevy signature two-tier grille and bowtie cannot be mistaken for anything but a Chevrolet. The hood has two shut lines boxing in the upper grille opening and flowing neatly back towards the inside edge of the A-pillar.
Wraparound front headlamps lenses stretch from the front fascia to the A-pillar while body-color front door handles, body-color rear door handles hidden within the C-pillar keep the upper profile clean. A lower feature line with a deep sill cutout, 15 in alloys, and flair off the back of the rear door into the center rear taillight lens give the Spark a youthful profile never before seen in a GM sub-compact. Ever!
From the rear, an integrated spoiler wrapping around the rear hatch not only enhances the micro’s appearance but also lowers its aerodynamic drag.
Best of all, this is all standard even on the base LS.
The Spark "fits" nicely when parked on an inner city street.
Directly out of the Sonic is the motorcycle-inspired instrument cluster featuring one of two large, full-color LCD screens within the confines of the Sparks’ instrument cluster and dash.
While the upper dash plastics were not exactly soft, they had a warm texture and accents that flow from the upper exterior to the lower central console with a decorative colored accent interior panel separating the upper and lower dash pieces.
The same decorative dash pieces were continued into the doors and to put it lightly, looked expensive, clean and added an uplifting feel to the interior of what is normally considered a penalty box. The Spark is anything but considering its price would make you think so.
Up top you have an honest to goodness textured cloth like headliner material on a soft foam backing vs. mouse fir on egg cartons that many Asian manufacturers force you to endure up to and including $30,000 offerings!
A/C and power windows are standard across the lineup.
A colorful, inviting and far more modern interior than its price tag suggests.
– Remember the “BringGo”!
The upper trim Spark like most Chevrolet’s nowadays incorporates MyLink with a seven-inch color touch screen, AM/FM/SiriusXM Satellite Radio, Bluetooth streaming audio, six speakers and voice recognition for connected phones with this capability.
What the Spark does not include is a CD player. And come to think about it, why should it with entire music library stored on your smart phone or USB device vs. bulky CDs in jewel cases. MyLink integrates your smartphone via Bluetooth, plug-in outlet or USB. This lets owners enjoy their own idea of connectivity while their smartphone is stowed neatly below.
Pandora and Stitcher Smart Radio are both integrated with the real kick @$$app just around the corner. It is called BringGo and is a fully functional embedded app that delivers
full-function navigation, on-phone maps and live traffic updates, for just $50. That is right. It does not cost $2,000 USD. It does not cost $1,500. It does not even cost $500 as the bottom we are seeing in some SW based NAVI systems today. This app brings full navigation capability to the Spark for just
$50.00!!! This is the kind of thing that makes luxury marque owners spending large sums for embedded HW NAVI based systems look like sheep led to the slaughter.
BringGo also provides easy access to emergency information such as police, fire and the nearest hospital; thousands of points of interest; local search via Google; Where am I? locator; live traffic functionality that provides crash reports, lane closures and alternative routes; three-dimensional maps and more.
While still a beta product with an approximate 2-second lag of the turn by turn directions from when they should be displayed on the large 7” touchscreen, once BringGo is finalized and released, it should be really good!
2013 Chevrolet Spark Drivetrain
The Spark is equipped with an old school 84 HP 1.25L I4 with a cast iron block and aluminum head mated to either a five-speed manual or 4 speed automatic. While the Spark’s drivetrain was 100% price driven, it does incorporate a dual-overhead cam with continuously variable valve timing. Expecting the latest direct injected low friction all-aluminum wonder mated to the very latest 6-speed MT or dual clutch AT is simply not going to occur at the price the Spark is being offered for but the combinations offered worked good enough. Again when consider the price a Spark can be purchased for today.
2013 Chevrolet Spark Ride and Handling
The Spark is built off from a platform with more than 62 percent of its underbody and 42 percent of its upper body composed of high-strength steel. This structure provides a flex limited structure and rigid mounting points for its strut based front end and torsion beam at the rear. With a wheelbase of just 93.5 in, it will pogo when driven over large undulations at higher speeds but only at higher speeds. Fortunately it is tuned stiff enough to feel sporty yet compliant enough not cause passengers to comment about a poor ride. This is more of a city car so driving 70 + around town is going to occur rarely if at all. Even still, the Spark is composed and with the ability to U-Turn within a tight inner city street (32.5 ft. turning radius), that alone will pay dividends for the inner city dweller for years to come.
2013 Chevrolet Spark Safety
Following the recent GM mantra that safety will no longer take a back seat no matter the price point, the Spark like its larger siblings the Sonic, Cruze and Malibu includes a class leading 10 airbags including front, side, side curtain, driver and passenger side knee and outward rear seat side airbags standard. To think many cars costing 3 X’s its price are still trying to get away with 6-airbags should make most here wonder about those manufacturers profit motives over the safety of their customers. Good for GM and good for GM owners.
On the active Safety front, ABS, ESC and Hill Start Assist are standard.
2013 Chevrolet Spark Fuel Economy Results
While not a calibrated drive by any means, the averaging fuel consumption display (aFCD) while behind the wheel of both the 5-speed stick and 4-speed automatic in traffic that sees most automobiles in single digits or lower teens provided excellent results.
49.4 mpgUS result displayed while driving the 4-speed AT through multiple tens of stop signs and lights when crossing multiple neighborhoods through the City of Chicago.
A 51.3 mpgUS result with the 5-speed stick while driving a 50/50 mixed inner city/highway drive across the City of Chicago at Rush Hour.
And what the Highway drive across the City of Chicago actually looked like from behind the wheel of the Spark… Yeah, it’s a stop and crawl for as far as the eye can see.
With the above, anything not propelled by a hybrid or non-hybrid achieving 30 + mpg is doing well. Busting out 50 + mpg averages in this type of traffic and inner city conditions shows the Spark has capability. Both of the above results were achieved when using simple basic and intermediate techniques. Add some advanced driving and both the MT and AT equipped Sparks are going to impress many a Prius owner and for just half the cost as well!
2013 Chevrolet Spark Early Conclusions
The Spark is an interesting addition to the Chevrolet lineup.
On the downside, the 5-speed stick is rubbery and imprecise but gets the job done when driving from point A to B up to 300 times a year. Both the stick and automatics short ratios will make you wish you had less highway travel as both see the engine spinning at 2,800 + RPM range at just 60 mph. The front and rear seat bottoms are a bit short for proper long distance thigh support and room for 4 may be stretching the point a bit if you have taller friends that will have to sit behind a taller driver.
Knee room is tight in back while headroom is fine.
The negatives are minor compared to how the Spark shines however.
It is small on the outside yet big inside so inner city folks will love its utility and ability to park just about anywhere.
The leather wrapped wheel in the 2LT trim “feels” like it belongs in a much more expensive automobile and is very comfortable to hold onto.
It is far more fuel efficient than its EPA ratings suggest as shown above -- a very pleasant surprise given GM’s past offerings -- so visiting the pump will be a lot less painful than most anything else this side of a Prius.
It looks great both inside and out for a budget minded buyers first automobile. In fact, because of the youthful design, it looks better than many B and C-segment offerings that cost $10 to $20,000 more $’s!
Best of all, it was just last week when I saw brand new 2013 Spark’s with both the 5-speed stick and 4-speed autos being offered for < $12,000 and $13,000 USD respectively on the West Coast!
A fuel efficient, safe and affordable automobile offered up as a cute hatch with a “wild” color selection including Salsa Red, Jalapeno, Denim, Lemonade and Techno Pink provides curb appeal like few others in the A, B and even C-segments.
The diminutive cute as a button Spark. Go try one as it is a lot more “car” than its purchase price indicates.
More Spark details can be found in the
2013 Chevrolet Spark Pricing, Options and Specifications write-up.
Thanks to GM's Connie Burke, Detroit Manager Communications, Fred Ligouri, North Central Region Communications manager, Sara LeBlanc, Chevrolet MyLink Infotainment Director for the detailed presentation on BringGo and Kathy Sirvio, Chevrolet Global Color and Trim Senior Design Manager for enduring my endless questions on the Spark's design.
Now back to our regularly scheduled program…
GM October Sales Results
GM this morning reported that its October U.S. sales were the highest since 2007. For the month GM sold 195,764 vehicles, up 4.7 percent compared with a year ago. Calendar year to date, the company exceeded 2,000,000 vehicles sales with 2,163,479, up 3.6% on a volume basis.
Sales of GM passenger cars increased 15 percent in October compared with a year ago. Crossovers were up 3 percent and sales of full-size pickup trucks were up 8 percent.
Combined sales of mini, small and compact cars were up 72 percent compared with a year ago, driven by strong Spark and Sonic sales and a 34 percent increase in Cruze sales. Chevrolet dealers also delivered a record 2,961 Volts.
GM October 2012 Highlights and Overall Sales
| Model | Oct-12 | Oct-11 | Oct-DSR % change | Oct-12 YTD | Oct-11 YTD | YTD-DSR % change |
|
Volt | 2,961 | 1,108 | +167.2% | 19,309 | 5,003 | +284.4% |
|
Spark | 2,134 | -- | -- | 8,447 | -- | -- |
|
Sonic | 5,495 | 3,833 | +43.4% | 70,241 | 5,539 | + a lot % |
|
Cruze | 19,121 | 14,295 | +33.8% | 199,721 | 201,819 | -1.4% |
|
Malibu | 9,629 | 10,239 | -6.0% | 189,094 | 181,505 | +3.8% |
|
Silverado | 38,739 | 36,656 | +5.7% | 336,939 | 333,092 | +0.8% |
|
| | | | | | |
|
GM Totals | 195,764 | 186,895 | +4.7% | 2,163,479 | 2,089,067 | +3.2% |
The daily selling rate (DSR) is calculated with 26 days for both Oct 2012 and Oct 2011. Year-to-date,
the DSR is calculated with 256 days for all of 2012 and 255 for all of 2011. All percentages reflect DSR.
Top 10 - Oct 2012 US Automobile Sales Leaders
| Sales Rank | Make | Model | Oct-12 | Oct-11 | Oct-DSR % change | Oct-12 YTD | Oct-11 YTD | YTD-DSR % change |
|
1 | Ford | F-Series | 56,497 | 52,511 | +7.6% | 520,230 | 468,899 | +10.5% |
|
2 | Chevrolet | Silverado | 38,739 | 36,656 | +5.7% | 336,939 | 333,092 | +0.8% |
|
3 | Toyota | Camry | 29,926 | 22,043 | +35.8% | 344,714 | 251,564 | +36.5% |
|
4 | Honda | Accord | 28,349 | 22,589 | +25.5% | 276,196 | 203,603 | +35.1% |
|
5 | Ram | P/U | 25,222 | 21,037 | +19.9% | 238,815 | 199,010 | +19.5% |
|
6 | Nissan | Altima | 24,623 | 21,838 | +12.8% | 258,663 | 222,392 | +15.9% |
|
7 | Toyota | Corolla | 20,949 | 16,244 | +29.0% | 243,652 | 203,135 | +19.5% |
|
8 | Honda | Civic | 20,687 | 16,173 | +27.9% | 254,716 | 183,557 | +38.2% |
|
9 | Honda | CR-V | 20,205 | 19,326 | +4.5% | 233,586 | 180,361 | +29.0% |
|
10 | Ford | Escape | 19,832 | 19,046 | +4.1% | 219,907 | 206,896 | +5.9% |
The daily selling rate (DSR) is calculated with 26 days for both Oct 2012 and Oct 2011. Year-to-date,
the DSR is calculated with 256 days for all of 2012 and 255 for all of 2011. All percentages reflect DSR.
Top 10 sales rank notes: No surprise that the top 5 remained the same as last month. Altima, Civic, CR-V and Escape pushed the Cruze out of the top 10. Civic rejoined the top 10 in October and wound up at #8 on the list. Civic and CR-V pushed the Escape back to #10. Corolla moved to #7 from the #9 spot last month.
B-Segment Sales Rank- Nissan Versa - 8,311
- Chevrolet Sonic - 5,495
- Ford Fiesta - 3,991
- Honda Fit - 3,773
- Fiat 500 - 3,720
- Hyundai Accent - 3,373
- Toyota Yaris - 2,579
- Kia Rio - 2,005
- Mazda2 - 1,124
C-Segment Sales Rank- Toyota Corolla - 20,949
- Honda Civic - 20,687
- Chevrolet Cruze - 19,121
- Ford Focus - 18,320
- Hyundai Elantra - 14,512
- VW Jetta - 13,476
- Mazda3 - 9,518
- Kia Forte - 5,911
- Nissan Sentra - 5,624
- Dodge Dart - 5,455
D-Segment Sales Rank- Toyota Camry - 29,926
- Honda Accord - 28,349
- Nissan Altima - 24,623
- Hyundai Sonata - 16,773
- Kia Optima - 12,948
- Ford Fusion - 12,690
- Chevrolet Malibu - 9,629
- Chrysler 200 - 8,758
- VW Passat - 8,355
Segment ranking items of note:
In the B-Segment, the Fiesta climbed from 6th to 3rd, Fit fell back a spot to 4th, Accent fell from 4th to 6th with the Yaris and Rio swapping positions near the bottom.
The C-Segment ranks saw the aging Corolla once again retake the sales lead while the Cruze fell to 3rd behind the Civic. The brand new Sentra fell one spot and from my understanding it was more of a supply issue with the new model. It is a better car than many above it.
The D-Segment ranks saw no changes from last month.
Automobile Manufacturer's US Sales Rank – Oct 2012 vs. Oct 2011 Comparison and Total Sales- GM Oct Sales up 4.7% with 195,764 vehicles sold.
- Ford Oct Sales up 0.4% with 168,456 vehicles sold.
- Toyota Oct Sales up 15.8% with 155,242 vehicles sold.
- Chrysler Oct Sales up 10.2% with 126,185 vehicles sold.
- Honda Oct Sales up 8.8% with 106,973 vehicles sold.
- Nissan Oct Sales down 3.2% with 79,685 vehicles sold.
- Hyundai Oct Sales down 4.1% with 50,271 vehicles sold.
- Kia Oct Sales up 12.6% with 42,452 vehicles sold.
- VW Oct Sales up 22.4% with 34,311 vehicles sold.
- BMW Oct Sales up 18.5% with 32,339 vehicles sold.
- MB Oct Sales up 9.0% with 26,642 vehicles sold.
- Subaru Oct Sales up 30.1% with 26,119 vehicles sold.
- Mazda Oct Sales up 1.6% with 18,622 vehicles sold.
- Audi Oct Sales up 14.5% with 11,708 vehicles sold.
Manufacturer's US Sales Rank items of note: BMW and MB passed up Subaru in October otherwise the rankings remained steady.
Through the first nine months of 2012, the Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) is running at approximately 14.7 million.
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