Daewoo Matiz Third generation
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Also called | Daewoo Matiz Creative (South Korea) Chevrolet Spark (North America, Europe, Middle East, and South Korea) Chevrolet Spark GT (Chile, Ecuador and Colombia) Chevrolet Beat (India) Holden Barina Spark (Australia) |
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Production | 2010–present |
Assembly | Changwon, South Korea (GM Korea) Talegaon, Maharashtra, India Asaka, Uzbekistan (GM Uzbekistan) Bogotá, Colombia Hanoi, Vietnam (GM Vietnam) |
Body style | 5-door hatchback |
Platform | Global Small Vehicles |
Engine | 995 cc S-TEC II I4 1,199 cc Smartech II I4 (India) 1,206 cc S-TEC II I4 1,249 cc LL0 I4 (US) 936 cc TCDi I3 diesel (India) |
Transmission | 5-speed manual 4-speed automatic |
Wheelbase | 2,375 mm (93.5 in) |
Length | 2009–2011: 3,640 mm (143.3 in) 2012–present: 3,675 mm (144.7 in) |
Width | 1,597 mm (62.9 in) |
Height | 2009–2011: 1,551 mm (61.1 in) 2012–present: 1,549 mm (61.0 in) |
Curb weight | Minimum: 2,350 lb (1,065.9 kg) Maximum: 2,400 lb (1,088.6 kg) |
Designer(s) | Taewan Kim |
The redesigned Matiz (codenamed M300) was launched in 2009 and is based on the 2007 Chevrolet Beat concept car. Although sold globally as the Chevrolet Spark, in India this model retains the Beat name from the concept car, as the second generation Spark continues to be sold in this market. Prior to the 2011 elimination of the Daewoo marque in South Korea, the third generation Spark was marketed as the Daewoo Matiz Creative.
Concept
The Chevrolet Beat was unveiled at the 2007 New York International Auto Show alongside two other concept vehicles, the Trax and the Groove. The Beat is a front-drive, three-door hatchback concept, derived from the Daewoo Kalos. It was built in India, and designed by GM Daewoo in South Korea. It is powered by a 1.2 L turbocharged gasoline engine mated to an automatic transmission.
The Beat concept sports a Vertigo Green exterior paint job with the same hue carried over to parts of the interior. Its profile is high at the rear and tapering down evenly to the front of the grille. Headlights that appear to extend all the way from the base of the grille to the base of the windshield are LED-type. Oversize 17 inch wheels barely hide the matching green paint of disc brakes. Twin taillights that extend upward to the back-up lights are also LEDs.
In early 2007, GM conducted a poll testing the relative popularity of the Beat, Trax and Groove concepts on a Chevrolet website, with the Beat receiving nearly 50% of the vote, which ultimately determined the car making it into production. This car was designed to appeal to young car buyers in urban markets, infusing the energy, diversity and excitement of urban life into a car that would deliver good-looking fun, fuel economy and value.
GM displayed a prototype woodie version of the forthcoming Chevrolet Spark for the 2010 Paris Motor Show.
Production
GM presented a pre-production version of the Chevrolet Beat carrying the Chevrolet Spark nameplate at the 2009 North American International Auto Show. The production version was announced at the 2009 North American International Auto Show, but only the Beat concept was shown at the time. The production Chevrolet Spark was unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show. It became available in Europe in the first quarter of 2010, followed by other markets worldwide, with US sales set to begin in early 2012. Commercial production of a 5-door Chevrolet Beat started from December 15, 2009, in Halol, Gujarat, India. It was launched in India on January 5, 2010, during Auto Expo New Delhi, India.
The GM Daewoo Matiz version was unveiled in Seoul Motor Show 2009.
The Holden version, named Barina Spark, was revealed at the 2010 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney in October.
With M300, the original Suzuki platform was replaced by GM Global Small Vehicles platform, developed by GM Daewoo engineers.
In North America, the Spark was first delivered to GM dealerships in Mexico for the 2012 model year, replacing the Chevrolet Matiz (formerly Pontiac G2 Matiz). The United States version of the 2013 Chevrolet Spark went into production on April 16, 2012, and will be starting to arrive in dealerships beginning in August 2012.
Reported by Edmunds.com the 2013 Spark was the fastest selling car in the United States for July 2012, with just 6 days from when they arrived at dealers to when they were sold.
Beat diesel
General Motors has launched the diesel version of Chevrolet Beat in the Indian auto market on July 25, 2011. The 3-cylinder, 936 cc turbodiesel engine produces 62.5 PS and 160.26 Nm of torque, resulting in good acceleration and pick up. The 1.0 L, 936 cc diesel engine enables the car to cross the 100 kmph in 16 seconds and reach a top speed of 143 kmph. Chevrolet Beat Diesel offers mileage of 24 kmpl (56 mpg) as per the ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) test reports. The engine is based on the Fiat Multijet diesel technology.
Regional variations
- Europe: Engine choices include 1.0 and 1.2-litre I4 engines. In Italy there exists a variant of the Spark called the Chevrolet Spark Eco Logic that was built by BRC Gas Equipment from the end of 2009. This low emission version has a dual power LPG engine 1.0 and 1.2 16V with 113 to 119 g of CO2 emission.
- India: Production of the New Spark has started at Halol Plant near Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India. Initially the car will be sold in India and Far Eastern countries. The current Spark will be sold as the Spark Classic. The car uses an older 1.2 "Family 0" engine capable of petrol and LPG, marketed as SMARTECH II. GM India was reported to build an electric version of Chevrolet Spark with Reva Electric Car Company.
- United States: marketed as the Chevrolet Spark, the car uses a special up-stroked version of the "Family 0" engine (RPO code LL0).
- South Korea: The Matiz version was renamed to Matiz Creative. The car has a 1.0 L S-TEC II engine with 4-speed automatic transmission. Sales began on 1 September 2009. The Groove name used in one of the rejected concepts returned as a trim level. In 2011, this car is renamed as Chevrolet Spark, as part of phasing out the Daewoo brand in South Korea, making way for the Chevrolet brand.
- Australia: the Spark was released in October 2010 as the Holden Barina Spark. It comes in two guises; CD and CDX.
- Uzbekistan: Chevrolet Spark was released on August 26, 2010. It comes in three trim levels: L (1.0L MT), LS (1.0L MT/AT) and LT (1.2L MT).
Related
Technical
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Engines
Model Engine Displacement Power Torque 0–100 km/h Top speed Note CO2 emission (g/km) Petrol engines 1.0 I4 995 cc 68 PS (50 kW; 67 hp) @6400 rpm 93 N·m (69 lb·ft) @4800 rpm 15.5 s 96 mph (154 km/h) 119 1.2 I4 1206 cc 81 PS (60 kW; 80 hp) @6400 rpm 111 N·m (82 lb·ft) @4800 rpm 12.1 s 102 mph (164 km/h) 119 1.2 I4 1199 cc 80.5 PS (59.2 kW; 79.4 hp) @6200 rpm 108 N·m (80 lb·ft) @4400 rpm India only 1.2 I4 1249 cc 84 hp (62.5 kW) @6400 rpm 112 N·m (83 lb·ft) @6400 rpm 11.3 s North America LPG engines 1.2 I4 1199 cc 80.04 PS (58.87 kW; 78.95 hp) @6400 rpm 104 N·m (77 lb·ft) @4400 rpm India only Diesel engine 1.0 I3 936 cc 62.5 PS (46.0 kW; 61.6 hp) 150 N·m (111 lb·ft) @1750 rpm India only; introduced in 2011