Chevrolet sheds coming to U.S. in 2012

The Chevrolet officially unveiled its North America version of the upcoming Chevrolet Spark compact car back at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. At the time it was introduced as a 2011 model year car – but obviously that opportunity came and went without a Spark.

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Several months later, Chevrolet’s North American president, Mark Reuss, confirmed that the Spark will in fact arrive in the U.S. as a 2013 model year vehicle sometime in early to mid-2012 – and today the automaker has let loose a handful of other new details.

Leftlane had already reported that the Spark was expected to receive a 1.2-liter engine good for 78 horsepower in Europe, but now GM says that engine will in fact arrive with 83 horsepower for the U.S. Torque figures were not given.

It was also revealed that the car will come standard with a five-speed manual transmission, commensurate of its likely low entry price, and simply stated that “an automatic transmission will be available.” The failure to specify how many speeds the automatic transmission could possibly be due to the fact that a final decision has not been made, but others believe it is due to the fact that the Spark will use a rather outdated four-speed automatic.

To give some perspective to its size, the Spark will arrive at four inches longer than the Fiat 500, three feet longer than a Smart ForTwo and 14 inches shorter than the Chevy Sonic.

The car will come with many trim levels, with some featuring a color touch screen radio, Chevrolet MyLink infotainment connectivity with Pandora and Stitcher internet radio, Bluetooth connectivity, heated leatherette seats, and exterior touches like chrome accents and alloy wheels.

The new five-door hatchback will actually slot below the revised Aveo (Now known as the Sonic) when it goes on sale, giving Chevrolet the full gambit of vehicle sizes in the U.S. Jason Laird, executive director of North American product communications for GM also tweeted on the matter, “Spark minicar will give Chevrolet A-B-C-D-E segment coverage for the first time in the U.S.”

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Other facts and speculation

GM says that the new small car will be capable of greater than 40 mpg on the highway, with battle set to take place with Scion’s upcoming iQ. Some reports suggests the U.S. car will be good for 46 mpg on the highway, but GM has yet to confirm fuel economy details.

Depending on global markets, safety equipment includes driver and passenger front air bags, front side airbags, roof rail head curtain airbags, anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control. Other safety features include pretensioners for front seat belts and three-point belts in the rear. Spark has been developed and is expected to achieve high crash test ratings.