So its official now! GM India is all set to revamp the Spark for the Indian market. We saw this one coming as GM India told us way back at the launch of the Tavera Neo3 to watch out for an announcement during the second half of 2012.
Internationally, the Chevrolet Beat replaced the Spark hatchback. However, in India, Chevrolet choose to sell the Spark side-by-side with the Beat, positioning it at a slight premium.
However, the Spark isn’t getting much volumes as it should in the segment it is placed in. Sales have dropped to under 1,000 units in recent months.
Our good pals at MotorBash have spotted a test mule of the facelifted Spark testing in Pune. As one can see, the front fascia is completely covered. A previous spy pic of the same test mule also had the rear masked. MotorBash predicts the following changes:
- Honeycomb grille
- Reworked air-dam
- Chevy bow tie logo integrated in the grill
- Chrome splash
- Modified fog-lamp slots
- Redesigned front bumper
- Reworked tail lamps
Have you seen this facelift somewhere before? Indeed you have! This is a production version of the Spark EV that was showcased at the 2010 Delhi Auto Expo. The twin port grille has been transfered, but the headlight cluster is similar the model on the market. The foglight containers are pulled back, reminding us of the Cruze facelift.
This is a perfect time for a Chevrolet Spark facelift. Maruti Suzuki is working on a new 800 cc car for the market. The segment is currently dominated by Alto, Nano and Eon – all of them (apart from Alto) are fresh entrants in the market. Maruti introducing a new 800cc car will certainly stir up the segment.
In this scenario, a Spark facelift will present a strong contender in the segment. As much as we would like GM India to plonk the Smartech Diesel engine in the Spark, the American automaker has decided not to pursue this direction. It will carry the same 1 liter petrol engine perhaps with a few tweaks to increase fuel efficiency and performance.
Hopefully GM India will continue the LPG option for the Spark.
Chevrolet Spark EV from Auto Expo 2010
[can't see the slideshow above? Head over to Flickr]
[Source: Motorbash.com]
