Just last month we reported that the Chevy Spark minicar would find its way to America in 2012 as a 2013 model.
Now comes word that U.S. version of the Spark will receive small but significant design changes to meet U.S. safety standards.
The changes won’t have any impact on the car’s arrival in the U.S. market, slated for mid-year 2012.
Updates will include a larger grille, which will mirror the shape used on the Chevy Sonic, revised front-end styling and a modified lower air intake.
U.S.-bound Sparks will allegedly be powered by a 1.2-liter, four cylinder engine mated to a four speed automatic or a five speed manual transmission.
In Europe, the engine produces 80 horsepower and 80 foot pounds of torque, while delivering fuel economy of 46 mpg (based on the Euro test cycle, which produces numbers 10 to 20 percent higher than our own EPA testing).
The Spark will have the distinction of being the smallest car ever sold by Chevrolet in the U.S. market, as well as having the smallest engine ever offered in a Chevy automobile.
It will go head to head with the likes of the Scion iQ and the newly revitalized Smart Fortwo, both marketed to space-conscious urban dwellers.
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