Chevrolet Spark LT - Team-BHP

djay99 · 10th September 2007, 13:48

Hi BHpians,

Got a Chevy Spark LT Mint Green delivered last thursday(6 Sep) from Sundaram Motors, Bangalore.

This is a fully loaded model with features like AC, PS, four power windows, central locking, rear wiper with defogger, front fog lamps, roof rails, spoiler, 60:40 split rear seats, rich blue fabric seats..........

I was quite satisfied with the overall performance of the car when i took a TD.

I am really happy that i bought this car. Clocked 250KM in 3 days.
Its powerful, got gr8 ride and handling, looks good, good interiors and a gr8 city car. Can be driven easily in congested city traffic of bangalore in 2nd and 3rd gear.

AC is powerful but takes some time to start and doesnot have immediate chilling effect like swift or even an alto.

Gear box is not gr8 since the shift action is long and a bit notchy. I believe it takes some time to get adjusted. May be it gets settled after a couple of service.
Ride is a bit harsh in slow speeds and as speedo needle increases, ride gets better and better.
Power steering is light and accurate.
Car is easy to manouvre and drive in city traffic. Cabin is really silent.
Have not crossed 70KMPH since its in runin period.
Got Autocop XS fitted from sundaram same day and got ICE fitted on saturday from Car shringar. I will post ICE details in ICE section.

Pros:
Great build quality
Great ride and handling
Easy to drive in congested city traffic
Gr8 on highways
Silent cabin
Head turner on roads
Fun to drive on open roads
3 year / 1 lac km warranty

Cons:
No Tacho
A bit pricey

Over all a gr8 car

crazydiablo · 10th September 2007, 13:53

Great buy. Have been hearing a lot of good things about the car. Any comparison to the other small cars in the same cat? Mileage?

abhilashvk · 10th September 2007, 14:06

Congrats on the purchase. I heard that the car handles extremely well on highways above 100 Kms. Quite unlike Wagon R and Santros.

BUSA · 10th September 2007, 16:06

Congrats, what was the OTR price? And why didnot you opt for ABS?

djay99 · 10th September 2007, 16:46

@BUSA,
OTR for Spark LT is 4.57-.22 = 4.35 Lacs.
22K is discount including corporate disc.
If i opt for LT optional pack which is 4.97-0.22 =4.75 onroad, i would have got a swift VXI.
I didnot like alloys design provided by chevy. Also i dont want alloys for my chevy.

I was expecting the car with Apollo Acelere 155/70 R13 tyres but i got MRF ZVTS 155/70 R13 tyres for my car. Which one is good? I heard acelers are really good.

Nimz · 10th September 2007, 19:48

congrats Djay!

Yes the appolo stock ones are really good.. silent but a little soft..

Well you also said it.. the word I look for in Spark reviews.. "fun to drive".

very very fun to drive..

@abilash - You are right. It handles superbly.. And its the best chassis you can get this side of 5 Lacs.

prskumar · 10th September 2007, 21:09

Congrats on the purchase. Mint green looks very cool.

CrAzY dRiVeR · 10th September 2007, 21:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by djay99

I was expecting the car with Apollo Acelere 155/70 R13 tyres but i got MRF ZVTS 155/70 R13 tyres for my car. Which one is good? I heard acelers are really good.

One small doubt.

MRF ZVTS is tubeless? Can you see?
I thought ZVTS is tubed and ZV2k was tubeless.

djay99 · 11th September 2007, 11:15

@CrazyDriver
I will check the tyres and let you know.

@Nimz
Did ur sparky completed 1st service?
If yes then wat did the service guys do?

BMW-X5 · 11th September 2007, 12:39

Djay,

Congrats on your purchase.No noubt it is the best looking hatch around.

Even I think ZVTs are tube type tyres.My WagonR came with 145/70 R13 ..the worst tyres i have ever seen !!

djay99 · 11th September 2007, 13:02

@BHpians
I have MRF ZV2k tubeless.
Sorry for writing as ZVTS.

These MRF tyres make loud noise when i move on a rough patch of road.

Before getting delivery of the car, i asked sales guy to swap MRF tyres with Apollo acelers. He said that is not possible.
What do you guys think about these tyres?

Nimz · 12th September 2007, 00:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by djay99

@CrazyDriver
I will check the tyres and let you know.

@Nimz
Did ur sparky completed 1st service?
If yes then wat did the service guys do?

they wash the car and everyone right from the guy from the washing team to the security guards keep asking you for money..

Well I had asked them to change my front tyres with the spare as I had bent my rim a little due to some exuberant off roading.. and that was it. they just wash the car and ask you if you have probs and I assume they do some checks..

radek · 12th September 2007, 11:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by djay99

@BHpians

These MRF tyres make loud noise when i move on a rough patch of road.

Before getting delivery of the car, i asked sales guy to swap MRF tyres with Apollo acelers. He said that is not possible.
What do you guys think about these tyres?

I dont know about MRF tyres, to what extent it makes noise, But my Apollo tyres also make lot of noise when they hit rough patch. But as Nimz says some of these noise problems (e.g. blower/fan noise) are effect of super silent engine. In other cars, these noises will be hidden under engine noise.

djay99 · 12th September 2007, 11:42

Guys,

I checked my tyres this morning and they are MRF ZVTS tubeless. I think MRF is selling ZVTS under tubeless category.

I agree that sparky handles really well with confidence. Yesterday evening had been to Garuda mall and parked the car in basement (-2) floor. When i was coming out from basement, a honda city was following me and i was taking zip zap zoom turns. The guy later told me that i drive very well. I said sparky drives really well and with 100% confidence

Yesterday night had been on a cool 60KM drive outside bangalore @1AM. Was enjoying the drive in my sparky.

I wanna change engine oil in 1st service at 1000 KMS. Service guys are telling me not to do so. I said i will pay for the oil.
Its always better to change engine oil after runin period.
What do you guys suggest?

Nimz · 12th September 2007, 19:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by djay99

Guys,

I wanna change engine oil in 1st service at 1000 KMS. Service guys are telling me not to do so. I said i will pay for the oil.
Its always better to change engine oil after runin period.
What do you guys suggest?

Yes you should but I couldnt stress this with the service engineer..

I was told the secret of a long engine life is regular oil changes.

Nimz

10th September 2007, 13:48	#1 (permalink)
djay99 BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 460 View My Garage	Chevrolet Spark LT Hi BHpians, Got a Chevy Spark LT Mint Green delivered last thursday(6 Sep) from Sundaram Motors, Bangalore. This is a fully loaded model with features like AC, PS, four power windows, central locking, rear wiper with defogger, front fog lamps, roof rails, spoiler, 60:40 split rear seats, rich blue fabric seats.......... I was quite satisfied with the overall performance of the car when i took a TD. I am really happy that i bought this car. Clocked 250KM in 3 days. Its powerful, got gr8 ride and handling, looks good, good interiors and a gr8 city car. Can be driven easily in congested city traffic of bangalore in 2nd and 3rd gear. AC is powerful but takes some time to start and doesnot have immediate chilling effect like swift or even an alto. Gear box is not gr8 since the shift action is long and a bit notchy. I believe it takes some time to get adjusted. May be it gets settled after a couple of service. Ride is a bit harsh in slow speeds and as speedo needle increases, ride gets better and better. Power steering is light and accurate. Car is easy to manouvre and drive in city traffic. Cabin is really silent. Have not crossed 70KMPH since its in runin period. Got Autocop XS fitted from sundaram same day and got ICE fitted on saturday from Car shringar. I will post ICE details in ICE section. Pros: Great build quality Great ride and handling Easy to drive in congested city traffic Gr8 on highways Silent cabin Head turner on roads Fun to drive on open roads 3 year / 1 lac km warranty Cons: No Tacho A bit pricey Over all a gr8 car __________________ Cheers DJ ------------------------- Getz Prime CRDi VGT Chevy Spark LT

10th September 2007, 14:06	#3 (permalink)
abhilashvk BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Bangalore/Calicut/Kochi Posts: 367 View My Garage	Congrats on the purchase. I heard that the car handles extremely well on highways above 100 Kms. Quite unlike Wagon R and Santros. __________________ Abhi Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.

10th September 2007, 16:06	#4 (permalink)
BUSA Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bombay Posts: 5,192 View My Garage	Congrats, what was the OTR price? And why didnot you opt for ABS? __________________ thecarsandmore.blogspot. com

10th September 2007, 16:46	#5 (permalink)
djay99 BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 460 View My Garage	@BUSA, OTR for Spark LT is 4.57-.22 = 4.35 Lacs. 22K is discount including corporate disc. If i opt for LT optional pack which is 4.97-0.22 =4.75 onroad, i would have got a swift VXI. I didnot like alloys design provided by chevy. Also i dont want alloys for my chevy. I was expecting the car with Apollo Acelere 155/70 R13 tyres but i got MRF ZVTS 155/70 R13 tyres for my car. Which one is good? I heard acelers are really good. __________________ Cheers DJ ------------------------- Getz Prime CRDi VGT Chevy Spark LT

11th September 2007, 11:15	#9 (permalink)
djay99 BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 460 View My Garage	@CrazyDriver I will check the tyres and let you know. @Nimz Did ur sparky completed 1st service? If yes then wat did the service guys do? __________________ Cheers DJ ------------------------- Getz Prime CRDi VGT Chevy Spark LT

10th September 2007, 13:53	#2 (permalink)
crazydiablo BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore/San Francisco Posts: 229 View My Garage	Great buy. Have been hearing a lot of good things about the car. Any comparison to the other small cars in the same cat? Mileage?

10th September 2007, 19:48	#6 (permalink)
Nimz BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 362 View My Garage	congrats Djay! Yes the appolo stock ones are really good.. silent but a little soft.. Well you also said it.. the word I look for in Spark reviews.. "fun to drive". very very fun to drive.. @abilash - You are right. It handles superbly.. And its the best chassis you can get this side of 5 Lacs.

10th September 2007, 21:09	#7 (permalink)
prskumar BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 118	Congrats on the purchase. Mint green looks very cool.

11th September 2007, 12:39	#10 (permalink)
BMW-X5 BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 57	Djay, Congrats on your purchase.No noubt it is the best looking hatch around. Even I think ZVTs are tube type tyres.My WagonR came with 145/70 R13 ..the worst tyres i have ever seen !!

11th September 2007, 13:02	#11 (permalink)
djay99 BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 460 View My Garage	@BHpians I have MRF ZV2k tubeless. Sorry for writing as ZVTS. These MRF tyres make loud noise when i move on a rough patch of road. Before getting delivery of the car, i asked sales guy to swap MRF tyres with Apollo acelers. He said that is not possible. What do you guys think about these tyres? __________________ Cheers DJ ------------------------- Getz Prime CRDi VGT Chevy Spark LT

12th September 2007, 11:42	#14 (permalink)
djay99 BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 460 View My Garage	Guys, I checked my tyres this morning and they are MRF ZVTS tubeless. I think MRF is selling ZVTS under tubeless category. I agree that sparky handles really well with confidence. Yesterday evening had been to Garuda mall and parked the car in basement (-2) floor. When i was coming out from basement, a honda city was following me and i was taking zip zap zoom turns. The guy later told me that i drive very well. I said sparky drives really well and with 100% confidence Yesterday night had been on a cool 60KM drive outside bangalore @1AM. Was enjoying the drive in my sparky. I wanna change engine oil in 1st service at 1000 KMS. Service guys are telling me not to do so. I said i will pay for the oil. Its always better to change engine oil after runin period. What do you guys suggest? __________________ Cheers DJ ------------------------- Getz Prime CRDi VGT Chevy Spark LT Last edited by djay99 : 12th September 2007 at 11:45.