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"The 2013 Chevrolet Spark is the bowtie brand&amp;#039;s first salvo into the mini car market here in North America, where it will compete with the likes of the Fiat 500, Smart Fortwo and Scion iQ. With all due respect, you&amp;#039;d be right in guessing expectations weren&amp;#039;t sky high when Chevrolet handed over the keys to a wide range of Spark models here in New York City as part of a nationwide media tour. After all, the best thing about many previous pint-sized Chevrolets has been their adaptability to serve as the punch line jokes. With a couple of well-timed limericks already floating around in my head, the Spark and I headed onto the mean streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn.        2013 Chevrolet Spark    Getting Back to Basics   Opting for the base model doesn&amp;#039;t mean looking like a cheapskate to the outside world. With a starting price of $12,995 (including destination charge), the entry-level Spark lacks some of the bells and whistles of its pricier stablemates \u2013 though not as many as you&amp;#039;d expect. Standard features include the usual suspects, such as air conditioning, power windows and locks, and 4-speaker AM/FM stereo. Chevy also equips every Spark with 10 airbags, ABS, and traction control, along with hill start assist and a tire pressure monitoring system.   Sweetening the deal are 15-inch 5-split spoke alloy wheels, a small rear spoiler, and choice of six no-cost paint options that include colors like Salsa red, Jalapeno green and Techno pink. Hidden rear door handles \u2013 cleverly located in the C-pillar \u2013 give the Spark a coupe-like profile and are similar in design to the ones used in the larger Chevy Sonic hatchback.        2013 Chevrolet Spark    The Spark stretches 144.7 inches in total length, making it 5 inches longer than a Fiat 500 but more than a 15 inches shorter than a Ford Fiesta hatchback. While cars like the Fiat might ultimately squeeze into a smaller parking spot, the Spark easily wins when it comes to rear seat comfort. The Spark&amp;#039;s rear seat is usable by two full-sized adults and the Chevy&amp;#039;s extra pair of doors makes accessing them much easier, especially compared to two-door rivals like the Fiat 500 and Mini Cooper. [Don&amp;#039;t even get me started on the bizarre and claustrophobic 3+1 rear seating arrangement used in the Scion iQ.]   With the Spark&amp;#039;s split-folding rear seat in place, there&amp;#039;s a useful 11.4 cu. ft. of cargo room. That&amp;#039;s enough room for running errands or packing for a weekend getaway, though you might have to leave the kayak and jet ski at home.        2013 Chevrolet Spark    You Want Smooth Roads?   If Chevrolet has anything to hide in terms of the Spark&amp;#039;s ride and handling, the bumpy and pothole-infested roads of New York City are going to expose any flaw. Powering the front-wheel-drive Spark is a 1.25-liter inline-4 that delivers 84 bhp and 83 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,200 rpm. Unless you&amp;#039;re driving on ice and happen to be traveling downhill, there&amp;#039;s no worry about overpowering the Spark with the available horsepower. Compared to the previous version, which has been on sale globally since 2009, the Spark&amp;#039;s engine capacity has been increased by 4-percent for improved mid-range torque. It&amp;#039;s no firecracker, but the engine felt sufficient in stop-and-go traffic and during short blasts along the notoriously chaotic Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.   A 5-speed manual and 4-speed automatic transmission are available across all trim levels: base LS, 1LT and 2LT. Chevrolet expects approximately 30-percent of buyers will choose to shift for themselves \u2013 a relatively high figure considering the American preference for automatics. That might be due to the manual&amp;#039;s edge in fuel economy, which is estimated at 32/38-mpg city/highway versus the 28/37-mpg averages offered with the automatic. The manual gearbox is light and easy to use, and definitely the best bet for anyone on a strict budget.        2013 Chevrolet Spark    Chevrolet tunes the Spark&amp;#039;s front Macpherson struts and rear compound crank suspension for each market, though I figured the 93.5-inch wheelbase would be overwhelmed no matter what Chevy&amp;#039;s engineers had finagled for the U.S. version. Instead, the Spark remained remarkably composed and quiet over some of the worst roads New York has to offer. In some applications, electric power steering can be something of a mixed bag, it helps increase efficiency but the feedback is overly artificial. Yet the system fitted in the Spark offered a nice blend of feel and accuracy.   The High Rent District   Moving from the base LS to range-topping 2LT covers a pricing span of only about $3,000. That&amp;#039;s not bad considering how pricey the Sparks&amp;#039; rivals become when loaded with options. Included in the $16,200 asking price for the Spark 2LT is Chevrolet&amp;#039;s MyLink 7-inch wide touch-screen radio with Sirius/XM capability and USB port, cruise control, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, machined-face alloy wheels, and sportier front and rear fasciae with a chrome exhaust outlet poking out the rear bumper. You don&amp;#039;t need to shovel on the extras but, if you do, it&amp;#039;s nice knowing the Spark won&amp;#039;t magically jump up a price category or two.        2013 Chevrolet Spark    Compared to the outgoing Aveo, the Spark is vastly more entertaining and vivacious \u2013 though you could say the same for just about anything with four wheels. The faint praise isn&amp;#039;t intentional, it&amp;#039;s simply hard getting used to the idea of such a capable mini car wearing a Chevy badge. From the steering feel and body control, to the splash of body-colored plastic on the dashboard and those swept-back headlights, the Spark is stylish and a solid bargain. Performance is modest though, let&amp;#039;s be clear, in this segment the Spark more than holds its own. An electric-powered variant goes on sale next year and, according to our moles, a more powerful (i.e. turbocharged) Spark RS-badged model could also be added to the range.   Who would have expected that Chevy&amp;#039;s new mini-car is no laughing matter? "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/reviews/a18375/2013-chevrolet-spark/>