Chevrolet Spark 2012

Chevrolet Spark 2012

2012 Chevy Spark
2012 Chevy Spark First Drive
It was one of GM’s most enlightened moves maybe ever when it decided back in the still relatively happy days of 2007 to introduce three bold minicar concepts at the 2007 New York Auto Show. The Trax, Groove and Beat appeared (perfect for New York, since urban citizens generally speak only in monosyllables), and a little contest ensued to pick a favorite.
And now we’ve just driven around Athens, Greece, in the production version of the Beat, apparently the winning entry. Eventually to be known to us as the 2012 Chevrolet Spark, the new mini-size car will go on sale in Europe this coming March.

Chevrolet Spark 2012

We really love these proper European minicars in the context of stressed-out city streets. The 2012 Chevy Spark is not a revelation, but it is what one should expect for this market segment in European terms, and that’s saying a lot for a car that must fit into a genre that has become a sort of art form.
But when it comes our way as currently planned in 2011, can the 2012 Chevy Spark excite Americans for more than one selling season? The appeal of the Smart Fortwo in America suggests that so far we see a tiny tot like this as a bauble, not a necessity.