Microcar Battle Heats Up With Ford's Fiesta, Chevy's Spark and More To Come Page 2

By Marc Stern

Marc Stern

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Microcar Battle Heats Up With Ford's Fiesta, Chevy's Spark and More To Come
With gas prices slowly slipping upward again, gaining about two cents in the last week so that now... Read More

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screenshot from FiestaMovement.com website

That Ford may be right in its estimation is also backed up by the experience of Chevrolet which brought in the Suzuki Swift as its Aveo in 2005 and, with the exception of a minor update in 2007, has remained pretty much the same. Sales have been steady figures are not available at this moment as street observations have shown, but they never have been quite as high as even Scion's xB or xC, both small vehicles. Chevy is banking, though, that while its Aveo sales have been reasonable, that buyers are ready for the microcar market

The reason is obvious, gas prices are inching up again and it is costing more at the gas pump to keep your car on the road. For example, the automaker is due to release the Spark in 2011 actually late 2010. It is the product of GMDAT, the design arm of Daewoo that GM has kept working on advanced projects. South Korean-based GMDAT also designed the Matiz which is a big Chevy winner overseas.

The spark is a typical microcar. Early specifications call for a 1.2-liter four that will turn out a relatively anemic 78-horsepower. Based on a 93-inch wheelbase, the very stylish, sleek Spark weighs in at 2,250 pounds and will be available with a five-speed manual and an overdrive automatic. It's about 12-feet long.

It should compete nicely against the 2011 Fiat 500, if it appears here. The sleek 500, a venerable name in Italy, will be built on a 90-inch wheelbase and will achieve 40 mpg.

Interestingly, things are still up in the air in this segment of the market. Honda Fit sales, which weighs in at 2,575 pounds and rides on a 60-inch wheelbase, have been quite reasonable and, while they may not hit those of the popular compact Civic line, they are still pretty good, according to observations made while driving in the Boston area. It does feature an engine that's in the same category, 1.5-liter four that cranks out 117 horsepower. It features ABS and ventilated front disc brakes.

This is the same class as the Toyota Yaris, which is in the same size range, as are Scion models. This is a hot market segment that bears watching and you'll be seeing further updates and reviews as time goes on.