Auto Show Coverage

Once upon a time, American automakers refused to make a good, small car. Whether you want to blame union wages or coporate nickel-and-diming, American automakers and in particular GM simply could not produce a small car that could compete…at least here in America. But in other countries, like India, where small cars are all the rage, GM was able to compete, if not dominate, the market.

But times are a-changin’ my friends, and these days companies like GM have no choice but to produce cheap, fuel efficient car. I thought they were going to stop at the sub-compact Sonic, but I was wrong, as GM unveiled a veritable Skittles rainbow of cute, pastel-colored Chevy Spark mini-cars.

The Spark is mostly a carry-over from the foriegn market Chevy Beat, but with a few key aesthetic changes. The 1.2 liter four-cylinder engine delivers just 85 horsepower and 82 ft-lbs of torque, while delivering 40+ highway MPG and 30+ city MPG. The Chevy Spark also gets a whole lot of technology like a 7-inch touchscreen on the center console, standard air conditioning and power windows, and Bluetooth/Pandora connectivity.

Chevy didn’t make any mention of the Chevy Spark EV, which we assume is still a few months away from officially breaking cover. And if you ask me, the colors Chevy decided to show off were decidedly…girly. I much prefer the Chevy Sonic myself. On the same token, there aren’t many people my age that can afford much in the way of a new car, and if Chevy can keep the price of the Spark low enough, they might have a real winner.

But really, those colors…you can do better, GM.