Chevrolet Teases The 2016 Spark

2016 Chevrolet Spark (Credit: Chevrolet )

The next generation of the Spark is about to debut, and Chevrolet has been gracious enough to provide everyone with a shadowy preview of the tiny car. While the current Spark has styling one certainly wouldn’t characterize as subtle, it looks like things are going to be kicked up a notch or two for the 2016 model. We can’t see every last detail of the body, but Chevy promises it’s more aerodynamic and sophisticated.

For now we’ll have to be content with believing Chevrolet. Apparently the next generation will show how the Spark is all grown up and is no longer the rebellious teenage car we’ve all grown to love. That’s following the general trend in the market segment as people who were the target market are getting older and taking on more responsibilities. In fact, over a quarter of all Spark buyers are under 35.

Whether you like the Spark or not, there’s no denying its popularity. Over 1.1 million cars have been sold worldwide. It was originally launched in 2009 for the Indian market as the Beat. Right now, it’s for sale in 71 markets, with South Korea being at the top one. Interestingly enough, the second-place market for the Spark is the United States, with Mexico in the third spot.

Expect to see a lot of the next generation Sparks in the near future. The 2015 model has been selling strong, outpacing the model’s sales results from January and February of 2014 by 32 percent.

Plenty of spy photos have been floating around. The interior looks to be quite a bit nicer than in the current Spark. Wild colors will likely remain, but the “motorcycle-inspired” gauge cluster seems to be on its way out. The infotainment screen looks larger as well, which follows the general industry trend.

Don’t look for a next-generation Spark EV, because that’s rumored to be replaced by the new Bolt (or whatever Chevy’s going to call it). The Spark EV will be sticking around for about a year and a half, exiting just in time for the new electric car to launch.