2017 Chevy Spark Activ is a Tiny Crossover That Works

With crossover vehicles and tall wagons making up two of the fastest-growing segments in the industry, it’s no surprise that Chevy is trying to get in on that action. Which is why the company just launched the 37 MPG, 2017 Chevy Spark Activ crossover you see here.

That’s right, kids. Despite the fact that Chevrolet dealers already offer the tiny, Chevy Spark-based Trax mini-ute that we drove last year, they’re getting another Spark-based pseudo-SUV. To me, the new for 2017 Chevrolet Spark Activ seems like a brilliant move.

As you can see, below, Chicco’s rear-facing seat fits well enough in the Chevy Spark (Activ or otherwise). The folding stroller that the seat locks into deal fits snugly in the rear, too, along with a decent-sized diaper bag. Stuff fits in a hatchback. That’s not news. Here’s the thing, though: that stuff does not fit in the Chevy Trax.

2017 Chevy Spark Activ | it Will Baby

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  Chevy Spark fits stroller and diaper bag …
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  Chevy Spark has room in the back …

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Basically, if you want to carry any kind of stroller in a Chevy Trax, you’re going to have to fold the seats down, which means this supposedly “smart” SUV is, at best, a 1-kid conveyance. As I wrote about the little city car back then:

In all my years of buying, renting, and test-driving cars, that’s simply never happened. Tiny cars like the Mitsubishi iMiEV and Mirage easily accepted an umbrella stroller. Even cars like the compact Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, and even Chevy’s own Sonic and Spark had no trouble fitting an umbrella stroller- or even the bigger strollers!- into the trunk. For the Trax to fail here is totally unforgivable.

It seems like someone at Chevrolet agreed. Agreed enough, at least, to ensure that their dealers had a tiny, SUV-like transportation appliance on the ground to sell to young families, even if the Activ takes a 4 MPG hit compared to the “standard” 41 MPG Spark. Here’s hoping the Spark Activ ends up in my test fleet soon, too- because the last time I drove a Spark around town it was stupid fun!

Source | Images: Chevrolet, via Autoblog.

GM Wants To Be New Leader In Diesel Powertrains

GM thinks the Volkswagen diesel cheating scandal has left a vacuum in the marketplace — a vacuum it would be only too happy to fill. Speaking at the Center for Automotive Research’s annual Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, Michigan last week, Dan Nicholson, GM’s vice president of global propulsion systems, said, “I am very optimistic about the diesel market in the U.S. It has been abandoned by others and we are happy to step in and be the leader. Frankly that’s what we’d like to do.”

Last month, Hinrich Woebcken, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, told Automotive News that his company won’t relaunch “clean diesel” as a core element of its brand identity in the U.S. He said Volkswagen will use diesels where they make sense until at least 2019. After that,  tougher emissions regulations will make the diesel engines extremely difficult to certify for sale in the US.

Nicholson disagrees. He said the upcoming standards will be tougher, but not impossible to meet. “I think the U.S. is one of the few diesel growth markets on the planet. There are a lot of diesel intenders and diesel-loyal people who are looking for a brand and vehicles to go after. They tend to be more tech savvy than the average customer. And they won’t stop wishing for a diesel. And we’ll go after those customers.” GM currently offers a diesel engine in its Colorado midsize pickup trucks.

Nicholson also said GM wants more continuously variable transmissions. “We’re relatively bullish on CVTs,” he said. “We’re optimistic about CVTs in the U.S. market for front-wheel-drive applications up to a certain weight level. You will see more of that from GM in the future.”

To go down that road, GM would have to decide whether to obtain CVTs for its cars from an outside supplier or build them itself. GM currently sells only one car with a CVT — the Chevrolet Spark. That transmission is supplied by Jatco, a subsidiary of Nissan Motor Co.

“We are happy with the product we are buying today,” said Nicholson. “It is enjoying good success in the marketplace. We usually look at make-versus-buy and volumes.” Nissan has switched all of its volume cars, including the midsize Maxima, to CVT. Honda has also been replacing its traditional automatics with CVTs.

Nicholson would not rule out the possibility of producing a CVT through a partnership with Ford Motor Co. The two companies have jointly developed a 10-speed automatic for rear-wheel-drive vehicles, and a nine-speed automatic for fwd cars and crossovers.

That fact alone should tell you how things have changed in the auto industry. For decades, Ford and General Motors refused to work together. It was an era when the “Not invented here” syndrome made sure there was little to no interchange of ideas between the two companies. Ford would not comment on the possibility.

Source: Automotive News

Chevy Spark EV Motor Factory Gets LEED Certification

How fitting is it that the motor for the Chevy Spark EV is built in a  factory that is LEED Silver certified? Even better, that factory is located in Maryland, where Spark EV sales will begin shortly.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design and is a program of the US Green Building Council. The General Motors eMotor building at the company’s Baltimore facility earned Silver LEED status recently by installing a 580 kilowatt solar panel array to the roof, installing LED exterior lighting, and switching to compact fluorescent light throughout the interior, according to a GM press release.

“Improving the energy efficiency of our nation’s plants and buildings is critical to protecting our environment,” said Jean Lupinacci, acting director of the EPA’s Climate Protection Partnerships Division. “GM is addressing this in its Baltimore plant by achieving a 15.5 percent reduction in energy intensity and is leading the way by making the buildings where we work, play and learn more efficient.”

Greg Martin, executive director of Global Public Policy for GM, said the company views its sustainability activity as a way to improve the communities where it does business. “We believe reducing our environmental footprint is good for the climate and good for our business,” said Martin. “Wherever we can, we are reducing our energy use, powering our plants with renewable energy and conserving resources.”

Chevrolet has recently cut the base price of the Spark EV to $25,995 and trimmed its lease payment to just $139 a month. Federal state and local credits and incentives can reduce the cost of putting a brand new Spark EV in your driveway to as little as $14,995. Factor in the gas savings from driving an electric car and your effective cost per month could be $50 or less. That’s pretty good for a fun little car with lots of features that gets high marks from Consumer Reports.

The new low prices have ignited a mini sales explosion for GM’s smallest EV. Last month it outsold the Chevy Volt for the first time, selling more cars in April than it sold in all of 2014. Too bad the car is only available in California, Oregon and Maryland.

2016 Chevy Spark Redesign Brings It Up To Par, And Then Some

The 2016 Chevy Spark will be a completely redesigned car, Chevrolet says. Billed as a “city car,” the diminutive Spark will be manufactured in Korea and sold in 40 markets around the world. Profit margins may not be as high as for SUV’s but the Spark will likely be a volume leader for Chevrolet.

“At its core, the new Spark is still the fun, agile urban car that made the first-generation model so popular, but it delivers that fun driving experience with greater sophistication,” said Sam Basile, executive chief engineer. “And while it’s a truly global car, it is targeted for more developed vehicle markets, allowing engineers to focus more precisely on the materials and technologies that resonate with customers in those markets.”

The 2016 Chevy Spark will be 1.6 inches lower for improved aerodynamics and sit on a slightly longer wheelbase. Under the hood will be a new 1.4 liter, 98 horsepower, all aluminum engine which can be mated to either a manual transmission of a CVT. With the continuously variable unit, the car will return 40 miles per gallon in highway driving.

The new engine is 16% more powerful than the one that powers the present version of the car and features an integrated exhaust manifold for reduced weight. Although the Spark slots in at the bottom of the Chevrolet line-up, it will offer some of the same electronic safety features found on more expensive cars, including Side Blind Spot Alert, Lane Departure Warning and Forward Collision Alert. Chevy’s 7 inch color touch screen with MyLink connectivity is also available.

The 2016 Spark will go on sale in the US in the 4th quarter of 2015. The current car has a battery electric powertrain optional. There is no word yet on whether that system will be carried over to the updated car or will be offered solely on the existing car as a separate model.