Chevy is a manufacturer with a large fan base consisting of millions of loyal customers who continuously await the latest iterations for their favorite lineups annually. Since the company’s introduction into the market over one hundred years ago, Chevy has become a worldwide household name, producing high-quality vehicles for generations. Throughout the vast selection of vehicles that Chevy produces-consisting of sedans, SUVs, Trucks, hybrids, and so forth-fans have recognized Chevy as a manufacturer plays a crucial role in the industry, continually pushing the bar towards innovation. Amongst the newest iterations of fan-favorite lineups, the 2021 Chevy Spark deserves mention, in particular, for its robust feature set, phenomenal fuel efficiency, and an affordable starting price to boot. Simply put, if you’re looking for an affordable, reliable, and efficient vehicle, there’s not much better you can do than the all-new Chevy Spark.
The 2021 Chevy Spark is offered in four trim levels with the base LS trim starting at an MSRP of $13,400. Even with its base level status, the LS offers an impressive feature set including a fully-fledged infotainment center, built-in Wi-Fi, and much more. The LS is promptly followed by 1LT which has a starting price of $15,300. This trim introduces features such as cruise control and LED daytime running lights, and replaces the 15-inch steel wheels of the LS to alloy ones. The 1LT is followed by Activ, which starts at an MSRP of $16,400, bringing forth a few key changes to both the Spark’s interior and exterior. Amongst the additions this trim offers, both your driver seat and front-passenger seat will have heating capabilities, and the standard cloth will be replaced by a stylish leatherette trim. Additionally, this trim includes a touring suspension, which makes for an overall smoother ride compared to its contemporaries. The last trim available for the 2021 Chevy Spark is 2LT. Starting at an MSRP of $16,800, this trim adds a touch of luxury to the lineup by using the same leatherette trim seen on Activ, but for every seat in the cabin. 2LT also includes a leather-wrapped steering wheel, along with keyless open and start technology.
What Powers The Spark?
The Spark is powered by a 1.4L 4-cylinder engine that serves as the only engine regardless of trim. This engine can, however, be paired with two different types of transmissions. The first of which is a 5-speed manual that comes standard, but those more interested in driving an automatic will have the choice of pairing their engine with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). This 1.4L engine is smaller than many engines on the market, but because of this, the engine is quite fuel-efficient. Although this engine only produces 98 hp and 94 lb-ft of torque, which may be lower than some of Spark’s competitors, it more than makes up for it with EPA-estimated ratings of 30 mpg city and 38 highway with the CVT. These ratings remain mostly similar when paired with the 5-speed manual transmission with EPA ratings of 29 mpg city and 38 highway. This small yet efficient engine makes the Spark a great choice for anyone looking for something fuel-efficient for the daily commute.
Safety Features
Chevy has gone to great lengths to ensure the 2021 Chevy Spark includes many highly sought after safety features, many of which aren’t typically found in the price range of the Spark. Even when looking at the base LS trim, an impressive amount of safety features are present, including 10 airbags situated throughout the cabin. Rear vision cameras are present on every trim and will display the back of your vehicle onto the infotainment center screen. LS also includes Electronic Stability Control, which is utilized to help prevent skidding and is an important feature to have when driving in inclement weather. Hill Start Assist also comes standard on the Spark and is useful for areas where there are a lot of hills. All trims come with a LATCH system for child seats, and each trim can be linked to OnStar and Chevrolet connected services. LED Daytime Running Lamps comes standard on every trim to help spatial awareness to nearby pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers on the road. Lastly, StabiliTrak is standard on every trim, which grants the Spark additional traction control.
Chevy also offers a slew of additional safety features that you may opt for. These extra safety features include Automatic Emergency Braking, which as the name suggests, assists in applying pressure to the brakes to prevent a collision if the driver can’t react quickly enough. This feature couples well with the available Forward Collision Alert, which will send the driver alerts auditorily and or visually to increase awareness of an impending impact. You may also opt for Lane Departure Warning, which will also send alerts to increase driver awareness should it detect the vehicle is unintentionally switching lanes. Lastly, you may also opt for Rear Park Assist. This feature works by utilizing sensors situated on the back of the Spark, and by working in junction with the included rear vision camera, you can easily back your way into a tight parking space.
What’s Inside The Interior?
The 2021 Chevy Spark has a rather small interior as it seats four passengers, albeit quite well. The Spark is great for lighter cargo such as groceries and luggage, and you’ll find 27.2 cu.ft of cargo space when the backseats are folded and 11.1 cu.ft when the seats are upright. What the Spark does very well is providing a hearty amount of connectivity features, even on the base model. Amongst these connectivity features is an infotainment center that includes a touch screen that measures 7-inches in length. The software included has user-friendly attributes and is rather impressive for the price of the vehicle. As mentioned, the Spark includes a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot so your family and friends can connect their favorite wireless devices straight to the vehicle’s on-board network connection and stream their favorite music, movies, or just browse the web.
Taking connectivity even further for the 2021 Spark is the integration of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, both of which come standard on every trim. Ever since these two software suites began their implementation into modern-day automobiles, they have been met with huge success, and manufacturers have taken notice. One of the primary factors behind its initial success is its ease of use with devices many drivers already have with them, such as iPhones or Android phones. Once you’ve connected your smartphone to the infotainment center and launch Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, you will be in awe at the incredible amount of features it adds to the infotainment center experience. From here, you’ll be able to make hands-free phone calls and text messages, access your digital assistants such as Siri, access your phonebook, utilize Apple or Google maps, and even access your entire music library. Many vehicles that are priced much higher than the Spark still lack these features, so it’s a massive advantage for the Spark.
Moving Forward With Chevy
Chevy knows what it takes to be a reputable manufacturer, and it has a reputation that has been continuously lived up to each year. Throughout the vast amount of vehicles that Chevy produces, all of which receive annual updates to this day, you’re bound to find the vehicle that works best for you. By visiting your local Chevy dealer, you can learn more about what purpose each vehicle serves, and more importantly, how a Chevy vehicle can serve you. Many Chevy dealers consist of a professional and knowledgeable sales team who are willing to take the time to listen to what you want in a vehicle and will help you accordingly, and many dealerships offer test drives so you can tell exactly what you’re getting. Chevy has been in the business for well over a century, its a company built on quality, and at this rate they’re more than likely to be here for at least a century more.
