It may be a small car, but the Chevrolet Spark has made a big impact globally.

On sale in dozens of countries, the Spark is one of General Motors' most-globalized models, and one of the best-selling small cars to ever wear the Chevy bowtie badge.

DON'T MISS: 2014 Chevrolet Spark With CVT: Gas Mileage Review

The Spark has racked up one million sales globally since 2009--when it first went on sale in India as the Beat--Chevy says.

The small hatchback is currently sold in 71 markets worldwide, with South Korea accounting for the largest single portion of the sales.

2014 Chevrolet Spark, Catskill Mountains, Apr 2014

2014 Chevrolet Spark, Catskill Mountains, Apr 2014

The U.S. is the second-largest market for the Spark--with sales up 10 percent this year to date, Chevy says--followed by Mexico, the first North American country in which the Spark was sold.

In the U.S., the Spark is offered with a 1.2-liter four-cylinder engine producing 84 horsepower and 83 lb-ft of torque, coupled to either a five-speed manual or continuously variable transmission (CVT).

MORE: 2013 Chevrolet Spark So Popular, GM Boosts Imports (Oct 2012)

The 2015 Spark achieves EPA fuel-economy ratings of 34 mpg combined (30 mpg city, 39 mpg highway) with the CVT; the manual gains 1 mpg in the city category.

Those ratings seem to accurately represent real-world performance. A CVT-equipped test car delivered an indicated 33.6 mpg in our hands earlier this year.

2014 Chevrolet Spark

2014 Chevrolet Spark

A small number of U.S. sales also include the 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV electric car, which sells at about 100 units a month in California and Oregon only.

The electric Spark trades the internal-combustion model's gasoline engine for a 100-kilowatt (130-hp) electric motor that produces 327 lb-ft of torque, powered by a 19-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack.

ALSO SEE: 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV: First Drive Report

The Spark EV is largely viewed as a compliance car, built to satisfy California's zero-emission vehicle sales requirements.

After a three-year model run (2014-2016), the electric Spark is likely to be replace by an electric version of the next generation of Chevy Sonic subcompact.

But in its gasoline form, the Spark offers the advantage that it is one of only two minicars with five doors (the other is the Mitsubishi Mirage), against the three doors of competitors like the Fiat 500, MINI Cooper, the three-seat Scion iQ, and the two-seat Smart ForTwo.

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