Tested and RIPPED : Chevrolet Spark 1.0 LS

adya33 · 10th July 2007, 11:23

djay99, Nimz and EatMyDust

Kindly keep your discussion to PM as this thread is for Chevrolet Spark test drive.

djay99 · 10th July 2007, 18:05

EMD/Nimz and others,

Did any one try a real 0-60kmph or 0-100kmph?

Nimz · 10th July 2007, 19:30

@Mods regret inconvenience.

@ djay99 - I hve not tried a 0-60

OD and TG have and they put it at 15-16 seconds for 0-100 Kmph

IMHO - the 0-60 will be slower than a Santro or even an Estilo as peak torque is at a higher rpm.

Any takers for this argument???

Nimz

djay99 · 11th July 2007, 15:57

Nimz,
Please update forum with FE you are getting. I would love to know it.

EMD,
What about ur FE?

djay99 · 11th July 2007, 16:02

Nimz,
Autocar mag says Spark will reach 100kmph mark within 16 seconds where as santro, estilo and WagonR reach after 16secs. Yes peak torque will play imp role on highways n as you rightly said, you can feel some rush at 90 to 100kmph mark.
How is the gear shift now? The TD car has a bit rough shift. But still long throws are annoying dude.
But gearshift is much better in spark compared to Aveo, SRV and even Optra[Petrol].

Nimz · 11th July 2007, 19:20

Yes gear shifts are long in the Spark. So by the time you shift and get into the next gear the Swift may pull away from you.. But otherwise they are slick but not as good as the Swift!!

Told this as feedback to GM when the dealer called today asking for feedback and stuff..

FE - 12-13 kmpl city driving 80% and AC on 50%

Auto cut off to Auto cut off.. am travelling so unable to fill up. And this would be updated on the Spark thread on long term ownership section.

EatMyDust · 15th July 2007, 08:18

@DJ : I own the UVA not the spark, cant comment on the Spark FE

coolmob · 29th August 2007, 23:46

well i got the SPARK LS Model with Rs30000 discount + free floor mats + free GM genuine Keyless central locking. So on road was arnd Rs 350000 aaprox

its givin me FE of arnd 12-13 with AC on 90% in city driving before first service

Mr_Bean · 16th August 2009, 18:13

I test drove the spark LT today. My choice is spark LT red.

Below are my observations:
1.) Engine is super silent, peppy to drive, hardly could hear the sound of the engine, with the AC on in 5th gear the car did not stall at speeds between 35-40kms. Don't know the effect under full load (4 passengers). But does not revv-up like the Suzuki's.

2.) Gear shift - bit hesitant in the 1st and 2nd gear, I guess it should improve after the first service

3.) Suspension - good, gobbled up the bad roads pretty well. the level of insulation was above average.

4.) Back seat & boot- I did not observe this, 90% of the time I would be driving alone.

5.) Center console - I liked it, Shocking was the omission of the tacho. An after-market tacho on the right corner would help as lot of people shifting based on the rpms rather than the speed.

6.) Luxury - rear wiper, spoiler, defogger, beige interiors, rich fabric, wooden trims on request.

7.) Tyres - 13 inch, but the sales person told me that spark LT with ABS, airbags come with 14 inch wheels.

8.) Steering - Two spoke design, again the airbag version comes with 3-spoke and the chevrolet symbol on the steering will be gold plated.

9.) Exterior - Cute looking car, The black color goes well with the beige interiors.

Pricing
Spark LT (Chennai)
Ex-Showroom Metallic - 345,134 (after discount of 38777)
Insurance - 13416
Life Tax - 29740
REgistration & handling - 6100 (can be reduced further)

=============================================
total = 391393

Further Reduction:
Loyalty bonus - 7000
Corporate discount - 4000
Insurance discount - 2000
Total = 13000

Final total = 391393 - 13000 =378393
3 year/50000kms ownership warranty - replacement of engine part, wear & tear, consumables. Can be extended after 3 years at an minimal cost.

What is not covered (obvious):
Accidents
Racing mods
Tyres
Body scratches and damage

Freebies:
Mudflaps
Teflon coating
3M coating

Negatives:
Resale value
Service coverage

What do you guys say? I also have the palio 1.6 as my option, Which one should I go for?

sami316 · 17th August 2009, 18:01

Hi,

Even I test drove the Chevy Spark yesterday and found it really awesome. Its small exterior looks are really decieving as the interiors are quite spacious. The engine sound was nil and it is almost impossible to find out if the engine is on or off. Overall I was satisified with the TD. The clincher was the 3 year/45000 maintenance warranty. I am planning to lay my hands on one of these beauties shortly.

pareshpandit · 12th March 2010, 19:49

Hi all,

Well, I do agree that the Zen Estillo and the Spark may/maynot belong to a comparable segment by various parameters

, it is a kind of choice I am finding myself on the verge of making...

Not considering the obvious difference in Engine Power, Size and Price (though price is coming pretty close for me as in my case, with the Estillo, I stand to gain an added loyalty discount from Maruti), what would you say, which is better on the grounds of Drive Quality?

For me, the choice seems to clearly favor the GM stable with a much refined (read silent) engine, great suspension, a comparatively heavy build and better-screwed interiors et al. I think that GM offers an overall more comfortable ride for both the driver and passengers owing to all these.

Just wanted to make sure that my judgement is not overly biased in favor of the Spark...
So, what say you guys?

Many thanks in advance for the response/s...
Cheers!

GTO · 13th March 2010, 11:06

Paresh,

Car versus car, the Spark is clearly superior to the new Estilo. For starters, the Estilo now comes with a 3 cylinder K series (from the A-Star). This engine is pathetic in the city. Unrefined, jerky at low rpms...compare that to the Sparks unit which has decent refinement and linear power delivery. The Chevy is much better to drive overall.

pareshpandit · 13th March 2010, 15:25

Thanks for the thumbs-up on that one GTO; its great to get an affirmative form the experts!

Update is, we have booked (paid-for) the new Spark today. I took the 1.0PS and bought all the accessories that take it to 1.0LS, save the power windows. Will receive the vehicle by end of the coming week, hopefully!
Only thing that I would like to whine about wrt to this decision is that there is not fiery red color available for the spark any more; also, the old dash set-up suited my taste a tad bit better... But well, otherwise really happy for the Quality/Price ratio on this small car!

shineshine · 8th September 2010, 18:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

Paresh,

Car versus car, the Spark is clearly superior to the new Estilo. For starters, the Estilo now comes with a 3 cylinder K series (from the A-Star). This engine is pathetic in the city. Unrefined, jerky at low rpms...compare that to the Sparks unit which has decent refinement and linear power delivery. The Chevy is much better to drive overall.

Exactly!

When I sold my Palio, I almost zeroed in on New Estilo. I didn't even consider Spark, WagonR, Santro etc. But a single test drive with Spark convinced me more than ever. The Spark which I test drove had almost 16,000 on board but it didn't even had the slightest rattle/squeaks. But on the other side, the Estilo test drive vehicle which had only 4500 kms was rattling all over. On build quality Spark stays well ahead of Estilo.

One more point, the engine in Estilo is really bad on pulling in lower rpm in higher gear say third gear@20-25 kmph. You can feel the engine knocking.
But on Spark its just a breeze you can happily run on 3rd gear in very low speeds.

10th July 2007, 11:23	#106
adya33 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 1,839 Thanked: 183 Times	djay99, Nimz and EatMyDust Kindly keep your discussion to PM as this thread is for Chevrolet Spark test drive.
	() Thanks

10th July 2007, 18:05	#107
djay99 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 1,475 Thanked: 544 Times View My Garage	EMD/Nimz and others, Did any one try a real 0-60kmph or 0-100kmph?
	() Thanks

10th July 2007, 19:30	#108
Nimz BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 594 Thanked: 198 Times View My Garage	@Mods regret inconvenience. @ djay99 - I hve not tried a 0-60 OD and TG have and they put it at 15-16 seconds for 0-100 Kmph IMHO - the 0-60 will be slower than a Santro or even an Estilo as peak torque is at a higher rpm. Any takers for this argument??? Nimz
	() Thanks

11th July 2007, 15:57	#109
djay99 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 1,475 Thanked: 544 Times View My Garage	Nimz, Please update forum with FE you are getting. I would love to know it. EMD, What about ur FE?
	() Thanks

11th July 2007, 16:02	#110
djay99 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 1,475 Thanked: 544 Times View My Garage	Nimz, Autocar mag says Spark will reach 100kmph mark within 16 seconds where as santro, estilo and WagonR reach after 16secs. Yes peak torque will play imp role on highways n as you rightly said, you can feel some rush at 90 to 100kmph mark. How is the gear shift now? The TD car has a bit rough shift. But still long throws are annoying dude. But gearshift is much better in spark compared to Aveo, SRV and even Optra[Petrol].
	() Thanks

11th July 2007, 19:20	#111
Nimz BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 594 Thanked: 198 Times View My Garage	Yes gear shifts are long in the Spark. So by the time you shift and get into the next gear the Swift may pull away from you.. But otherwise they are slick but not as good as the Swift!! Told this as feedback to GM when the dealer called today asking for feedback and stuff.. FE - 12-13 kmpl city driving 80% and AC on 50% Auto cut off to Auto cut off.. am travelling so unable to fill up. And this would be updated on the Spark thread on long term ownership section.
	() Thanks

15th July 2007, 08:18	#112
EatMyDust BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 122 Thanked: 0 Times	@DJ : I own the UVA not the spark, cant comment on the Spark FE
	() Thanks

29th August 2007, 23:46	#113
coolmob BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: New Delhi Posts: 56 Thanked: 44 Times	well i got the SPARK LS Model with Rs30000 discount + free floor mats + free GM genuine Keyless central locking. So on road was arnd Rs 350000 aaprox its givin me FE of arnd 12-13 with AC on 90% in city driving before first service
	() Thanks

16th August 2009, 18:13	#114
Mr_Bean BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 891 Thanked: 241 Times View My Garage	Drove the spark LT (without ABS, alloys airbags)- Sundaram Auto, Chennai I test drove the spark LT today. My choice is spark LT red. Below are my observations: 1.) Engine is super silent, peppy to drive, hardly could hear the sound of the engine, with the AC on in 5th gear the car did not stall at speeds between 35-40kms. Don't know the effect under full load (4 passengers). But does not revv-up like the Suzuki's. 2.) Gear shift - bit hesitant in the 1st and 2nd gear, I guess it should improve after the first service 3.) Suspension - good, gobbled up the bad roads pretty well. the level of insulation was above average. 4.) Back seat & boot- I did not observe this, 90% of the time I would be driving alone. 5.) Center console - I liked it, Shocking was the omission of the tacho. An after-market tacho on the right corner would help as lot of people shifting based on the rpms rather than the speed. 6.) Luxury - rear wiper, spoiler, defogger, beige interiors, rich fabric, wooden trims on request. 7.) Tyres - 13 inch, but the sales person told me that spark LT with ABS, airbags come with 14 inch wheels. 8.) Steering - Two spoke design, again the airbag version comes with 3-spoke and the chevrolet symbol on the steering will be gold plated. 9.) Exterior - Cute looking car, The black color goes well with the beige interiors. Pricing Spark LT (Chennai) Ex-Showroom Metallic - 345,134 (after discount of 38777) Insurance - 13416 Life Tax - 29740 REgistration & handling - 6100 (can be reduced further) ============================================= total = 391393 Further Reduction: Loyalty bonus - 7000 Corporate discount - 4000 Insurance discount - 2000 Total = 13000 Final total = 391393 - 13000 =378393 3 year/50000kms ownership warranty - replacement of engine part, wear & tear, consumables. Can be extended after 3 years at an minimal cost. What is not covered (obvious): Accidents Racing mods Tyres Body scratches and damage Freebies: Mudflaps Teflon coating 3M coating Negatives: Resale value Service coverage What do you guys say? I also have the palio 1.6 as my option, Which one should I go for?
	() Thanks

17th August 2009, 18:01	#115
sami316 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 484 Thanked: 45 Times View My Garage	Hi, Even I test drove the Chevy Spark yesterday and found it really awesome. Its small exterior looks are really decieving as the interiors are quite spacious. The engine sound was nil and it is almost impossible to find out if the engine is on or off. Overall I was satisified with the TD. The clincher was the 3 year/45000 maintenance warranty. I am planning to lay my hands on one of these beauties shortly.
	() Thanks

12th March 2010, 19:49	#116
pareshpandit Newbie Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 6 Thanked: 0 Times	Spark vs. Zen Estillo on ride quality Hi all, Well, I do agree that the Zen Estillo and the Spark may/maynot belong to a comparable segment by various parameters , it is a kind of choice I am finding myself on the verge of making... Not considering the obvious difference in Engine Power, Size and Price (though price is coming pretty close for me as in my case, with the Estillo, I stand to gain an added loyalty discount from Maruti), what would you say, which is better on the grounds of Drive Quality? For me, the choice seems to clearly favor the GM stable with a much refined (read silent) engine, great suspension, a comparatively heavy build and better-screwed interiors et al. I think that GM offers an overall more comfortable ride for both the driver and passengers owing to all these. Just wanted to make sure that my judgement is not overly biased in favor of the Spark... So, what say you guys? Many thanks in advance for the response/s... Cheers!
	() Thanks

13th March 2010, 11:06	#117
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,545 Thanked: 300,757 Times View My Garage	Paresh, Car versus car, the Spark is clearly superior to the new Estilo. For starters, the Estilo now comes with a 3 cylinder K series (from the A-Star). This engine is pathetic in the city. Unrefined, jerky at low rpms...compare that to the Sparks unit which has decent refinement and linear power delivery. The Chevy is much better to drive overall. Last edited by GTO : 13th March 2010 at 11:07.
	(1) Thanks

13th March 2010, 15:25	#118
pareshpandit Newbie Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 6 Thanked: 0 Times	Thanks for the thumbs-up on that one GTO; its great to get an affirmative form the experts! Update is, we have booked (paid-for) the new Spark today. I took the 1.0PS and bought all the accessories that take it to 1.0LS, save the power windows. Will receive the vehicle by end of the coming week, hopefully! Only thing that I would like to whine about wrt to this decision is that there is not fiery red color available for the spark any more; also, the old dash set-up suited my taste a tad bit better... But well, otherwise really happy for the Quality/Price ratio on this small car!
	() Thanks