Gautam Sharma•23 Jan 2014
NEWS
SPY PICS: Next-gen Holden Barina Spark
GM's new baby car spied undergoing winter testing in Scandinavia; set to go on sale in 2015These Automedia spy pics reveal a prototype of the new Chevrolet Spark (which we know as the Holden Barina Spark) being subjected to the icy climes of Sweden.
It’s believed the new baby car will go on sale internationally in the first half of 2015, replacing a model that has been on sale overseas since 2009 (that said, it only launched in the US in mid-2012).
Interestingly enough, GM is withdrawing the Chevrolet brand from the European market, so it’s likely the vehicle you see here will be offered in that continent wearing Opel badges.
As per the existing Spark, the new model will be built in South Korea, but no tech details are as yet to hand.
The current Holden Barina Spark has enjoyed modest sales success in Australia, notching up 1887 sales in 2013, well adrift of the light-car segment-leading Mazda2 (15,167 sales), Toyota Yaris (14,437 sales) and Hyundai i20 (14,100 sales).
The Barina Spark is currently offered here with a choice of two drivetrains – a 59kW/107Nm 1.2-litre engine mated to a five-speed manual or a 63kW/113Nm 1.25-litre motor hooked up to a four-speed auto.
Going on the accompanying images, the proportions of the prototype appear largely as per the existing car, but the bulky disguise is likely to conceal revamped front and rear styling.
Whatever the case, it is unlikely to threaten the segment leaders in the Australian market. It could be a different story in the US, where the existing Spark has been a surprising success following its belated introduction there.
Buyers in the US also have the option of choosing an EV (electric) version of the Spark, and even this niche variant managed to tot up close to 500 sales in that market last year.
– with Automedia
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Written byGautam Sharma
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