Chevrolet Spark: Big Safety, Quality in a Small Package

You’ve heard the saying good things come in small packages.  The Chevrolet Spark is no exception to that.  The Spark offers a sleek look with unsurpassed safety features for a car of its size. Let us here at McCluskey Chevrolet, your home of the Chevrolet Malibu, tell you about it.

For a generation of  Cincinnati, Ohio area buyers who grew up riding in child safety seats and wearing bike helmets, the 2013 Chevrolet Spark, all-new for the U.S. and Canada, provides safety and quality features typically associated with larger, more expensive cars. Take it from us at your Cincinnati Chevy Dealers, it’s truly a breakthrough.

Like its two Chevrolet small-car siblings, the Cruze and Sonic, the Spark arrives with a comprehensive list of safety and security features that provide protection for Cincinnati, Ohio drivers – before, during and after a crash. For Spark, they include 10 standard air bags; safety construction with high-strength steel; rollover sensing system; ABS, Panic Brake Assist and electronic brake force distribution; Hill Start Assist and StabiliTrak electronic stability enhancement.

In addition, Spark is the only vehicle in the mini car segment to include the safety and security of OnStar, including Automatic Crash Response and emergency services, and to back its quality with a five-year/100,000-mile transferable limited powertrain warranty.

“Not only does the Spark offer our customers the same level of safety as the rest of the Chevrolet passenger cars, it is also designed to help drivers avoid crashes, and to help protect them in the event one occurs,” said Keith McCluskey, CEO of McCluskey Chevrolet. “Because most young Cincinnati, Ohio area drivers grew up in a safety-conscious environment, the safety features of the all-new Chevrolet Spark will definitely appeal to them.

Before: Crash avoidance

The safest crashes are those that never happen. Spark provides several standard crash-avoidance technologies, including:

• Four-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS), for confident stopping ability
• Panic Brake Assist, which senses emergency braking and boosts the power as needed. In some circumstances, it may activate the ABS more quickly and easily compared to vehicles without the feature
• Electronic brake force distribution across all four wheels, for outstanding stopping performance and more even brake wear
• Traction control that limits wheel spin when one or both of the drive wheels begin to lose traction. The system brakes the spinning wheel and/or reduces power to limit wheel spin
• StabiliTrak electronic stability control, which uses sensors to continually monitor the driver’s steering input and the vehicle’s course. If it does not respond, the system automatically engages braking and traction controls to help put the vehicle back on its intended path
• Hill Start Assist, which, on an uphill or downhill steep grade, holds the brakes for two seconds to help prevent the Spark from rolling before the driver can accelerate
• Daytime running lamps make Spark more visible to pedestrians – especially important because Spark is expected to appeal to city dwellers – as well as fellow drivers.

During: Protecting the driver and passengers

In the event of a crash, Spark’s safety construction – like Cruze and Sonic – provides a “safety cage” that helps isolate crash energy from the driver and passengers. Spark’s strong; body-frame-integral structure combines the body and frame into a cohesive unit. To enhance its crash and rollover protection, high-strength steel makes up more than 62 percent of Spark’s underbody and 42 percent of its upper body.

Other standard Spark occupant protection technologies include:

• Ten air bags, including dual-stage driver and front-passenger air bags that deploy based on crash severity; front and rear seat-mounted thorax side air bags; full-length head curtain side air bags located in the roof rail; and front knee air bags that help protect the driver’s and front passenger’s lower extremities
• Three-point safety belts in all four seating positions, with pretensioners and load-limiters for the driver and front passenger
• Rollover sensing system that detects an imminent rollover crash and deploys the air bags.

After: Segment-only OnStar

Spark comes with six months of OnStar Directions & Connections service, including Automatic Crash Response. Built-in sensors with an injury severity predictor can automatically alert an OnStar advisor, who is connected with the vehicle and can summon emergency personnel to the exact location of the crash, even if no one in the car responds.

Spark also includes security equipment such as 24/7 roadside assistance as part of the powertrain warranty; anti-theft alarm system; an engine immobilizer; rear child safety locks and battery rundown protection.

Quality and durability

The Spark is built on an all-new front-wheel-drive architecture that includes structural enhancements, numerous noise-reduction features and attention to detail. Some highlights:

• Thicker window glass, multiple air/noise barrier applications in the floor, instrument panel and inner body panels
• Best-in-segment torsional stiffness, and a four-pointed mounted engine cradle, a rarity in the segment
• Single-piece body stampings for a stiffer, more rigid structure
• Acoustic headliner for sound insulation and extensive sealing including dual door seals
• Gap and flush relationships between body panels among the best in class
• No-maintenance timing chain and transmission fluid, and 100,000-mile spark plugs
• Electronic power steering means no fluid checks or top-offs
• OnStar vehicle diagnostics check engine, transmission, brakes and more, and provide automatic email updates.

The Spark is the answer for people who want a smaller car with safety features traditionally associated with mid-size and larger vehicles.  Plus, the Spark offers the quality and durability that people have come to expect from Chevrolet.