NEW YORK MOTOR SHOW: Holden's next Spark

General Motors has lifted the lid on its next-generation micro car, the Spark.

Revealed simultaneously at the New York and Seoul motor shows, the 'all-new' Spark will be released for sale in Australia in the first quarter of 2016.

Under the sleeker skin the Spark has a slightly enlarged wheelbase while sitting around 40mm lower than its predecessor. This aids aerodynamics and therefore efficiency, although headroom doesn't suffer, thanks to a redesigned interior that features seats with lowered hip-points. Higher-density seat foams couple with improvements to material quality to improve interior ambience.

Michael Simcoe, vice-president of GM Design, said of the Spark: "With a lower roof height, thinner pillars and a more efficient package, where the wheels are pushed to the edges of the fenders, the car now has a more substantial, firmly planted presence.

"In short, the Spark has grown up. It retains its youthful flair, but reflects the maturation of the global micro-car market and customers' desire for richly-styled and highly contented choices."

A 'more robust' platform architecture has enabled GM engineers to better tune the Spark for improved handling dynamics while offering a quieter ride with improved refinement. "Even though this is a truly global car our engineers have been working hard to tailor the vehicle to ensure it resonates with our customers in Australia," said Ian Butler, Holden director of vehicle performance.

Butler added that the Australian-specification Holden Spark will "feature unique suspension and steering tunes, following thousands of kilometres and months of extensive work, at Lang Lang and on public roads," he continued. With current Cruze offering a high standard of ride/handling balance, this bodes well for the Spark.

Stefan Jacoby, president of GM International, said: "The all-new Spark is proof that Holden is accessing GM's global operations to assemble its biggest and best ever product line-up.

"This new model onslaught will ensure Holden has world-class products in every major segment – a true customer-driven product strategy."

The Spark forms part of Holden's commitment to launch 24 new vehicles and 36 powertrain options over the next five years.