Chevrolet Spark-Cedar Herald Index

The Chevrolet Spark () is a city car manufactured by General Motors's subsidiary GM Korea from 1998 to 2022. The vehicle was initially developed by Daewoo and was introduced in 1998 as the Daewoo Matiz (). In 2002, General Motors purchased Daewoo Motors, which had the vehicle being marketed with several GM marques and nameplates.

The third generation was predominantly marketed under its Chevrolet brand, including in North America as the Chevrolet Spark and in Australia and New Zealand as the Holden Spark Barina. The fourth generation was launched in 2015, and also known as the Holden Spark in Australia and New Zealand. It also serves as the basis for the Opel Karl in Europe, Vauxhall Viva in the UK, and VinFast Fadil in Vietnam, the latter being manufactured under license.

Chevrolet Spark

A limited-production all-electric version, the Chevrolet Spark EV, was released in the U.S. in selected markets in California and Oregon in June 2013. The Spark EV was the first all-electric passenger car marketed by General Motors since the EV1 was discontinued in 1999, and the first ever offered for retail sale by GM (the EV1 was available only on lease).

Chevrolet Spark

In the South Korean market, the Spark complies with South Korean "light car" () regulations, which regulate overall vehicle dimensions and engine capacity with tax and parking fee benefits.

Chevrolet Spark

Production of the Spark at the Changwon, South Korea assembly plant ended in 2022. The plant would instead produce the second-generation Trax.

First generation (M100, M150; 1998)

M100 (1998–2000) The production of Daewoo Matiz started in 1998, and it was marketed in South Korea and many European markets, internally designated the M100. The exterior design is based on the Lucciola, a 1993 Fiat Cinquecento concept by Fabrizio Giugiaro at Italdesign, which had been rejected by Fiat. The 0.8-litre gasoline engine and the transmission were carryovers from the Daewoo Tico, but it now uses a multipoint fuel injection system. Engineering was carried out at Daewoo's Worthing Technical Centre in England. The car became the best selling Daewoo model in Europe and in India for the next four years.

It was developed on the basis of the Daewoo Tico, version under license of the Suzuki Alto, with which both Tico and Matiz share mechanicals and suspensions. From this origin derives its characteristic narrow width, imposed by the Japanese kei car tax category.

The Matiz was originally launched with just a 0.8-litre straight-three engine. It developed a maximum power of and a maximum torque of , and had a combined consumption of . It had a top speed of and could reach in 17 seconds. This engine was developed from the Tico unit by Tickford, a UK company based in Milton Keynes. The Tickford connection was acknowledged in the brochures distributed in UK showrooms.

It was released with three trim levels: E, S, and SE. The latter had air conditioning, wheel covers, body-colored bumpers, rear spoiler, fog lights, and a stereo, with optional features such as roof rails, power steering, central locking, electric front windows, antilock brakes, and driver airbag. In certain markets, it was also available with an automatic transmission.

M150 (2000–2005) This facelift was designed at Daewoo's Worthing Technical Centre in England, and introduced in South Korea in late 2000, and exported from 2001. The front-end structure was modified to accommodate a four-cylinder engine, although the introduction of this engine, the 1.0-litre S-Tec unit, was delayed until after Daewoo's takeover by General Motors in 2002.

The M150 is still produced by GM-Uzbekistan (previously UzDaewooAuto) in Uzbekistan. The car was launched to the Russian market as the Ravon Matiz in 2016, but was soon discontinued. In South Korea and Japan this updated Matiz was sold under the name Daewoo Matiz II.

Lechi (China) In China, the car was marketed as the Chevrolet Lechi. It remained in production until 2012, when an updated version was introduced as the Baojun Lechi. It is to be offered under both Chevrolet and Baojun brands during a transition period. The Lechi has also received certain powertrain updates, making the car economical enough to qualify for a subsidy and a tax break from the Chinese government.