Americans will be deprived of the cheapest car: Chevrolet will stop producing Spark
The production of the compact model will end in the summer of 2022. As a result, the Trax (in other markets – Tracker) will become the base model of Chevy.
The Chevrolet brand is owned by General Motors. The brand's sales in the US have continued to fall since 2016, the “minus” intensifying with the onset of the crisis caused by the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Carsalesbase website, in 2021, Americans bought 1,435,205 cars of the brand (17.7% less than a year earlier). For comparison, in 2015, the local Chevy market was 2,125,347 units.
Pictured: Chevrolet Spark
Today, Chevrolet's entry-level model is the Spark compact hatchback. The results of the model can not be called particularly high: last year, buyers bought only 24,459 units (almost 27% less than in 2020). However, it cannot be said that the demand for this model began to decline significantly – its results have always been relatively modest, for example, over the past decade, the highest rate was recorded in 2014 (customers bought more than 39 thousand copies).
According to CarsDirect, despite sales of the compact being relatively low, the company has decided to end production this summer. The last “five-door” will roll off the assembly line of the Korean plant in August 2022. After US dealers sell the rest, the car will leave Chevrolet's US lineup. As a result, the small Trax crossover sold under the Tracker brand in other markets will become the base model.
In the photo: Chevrolet Spark salon
The Chevrolet Spark in the US now starts at $13,600 (approximately 1.04 million conventional units at current exchange rates). In turn, Americans can buy a 2022 Trax SUV for at least $21,400 (about 1.64 million conditional units at the current exchange rate).
Note that the current Chevrolet Spark is equipped with a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine. Its power is 99 hp and maximum torque is 127 Nm. For simpler versions, it works in tandem with a five-speed “mechanics”, while more expensive equipment received a continuously variable transmission (CVT).
In fact, there is nothing surprising in the decision to stop production of Spark, because the manufacturer has long been curtailing its “passenger” line, focusing on the most profitable and sought-after models in the US – crossovers and trucks. So, before that, the Chevrolet Cruze, Impala, Volt, as well as Aveo / Sonic left the lineup. The Malibu sedan is rumored to be leaving the brand's US lineup for the 2023 model year.
Remember, there was news recently that the Bolt EV and Bolt EU EVs could also leave the Chevrolet lineup in the relatively near future. At the moment, these cars are not being produced, and the plant where production began is being prepared for reconstruction. At the same time, the company has not yet officially announced what will happen to these “trains” after the reconstruction of the enterprise is completed.