Chevy Spark Photo Leaked - aka Beat

2010 Chevy Spark Beat image leak - low res

A production-ready picture of the Chevrolet Spark has been leaked out. Previously known as the Beat concept, it pushed aside two other small concept cars (the Groove and Trax) to earn its place on the Chevrolet production line.

The American morning show the TODAY Show had a Spark on partial display recently. During the show GM Vice President of Global Design Ed Welburn confirmed the Beat was the people's choice when it came to voting which of the three concepts should have been considered for production. A web-based vote gathered over two million votes and the Spark won.

Most of this compact seems to have retained the Beat concept's popular design cues so very little has changed in terms of looks. However one of the most notable changes is larger windows. The front end is less sporty, appears to be raised higher off the ground. A few lines have been altered including fog lamps, headlights and the grille. The side profile has also adapted to reality by accommodating rear doors, although a three-door version may be made similar to the Beat concept. It could also be that same version that will appear in the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen later on this year.

An engine range starting with a 1.2-litre (with and without a turbo) is envisaged while drive will be through the front wheels for a more spacious cabin. This is the car that GM may pin its hopes on for a global mass sales revival, even though in some countries like the US it may not be badged as a Chevrolet but a Pontiac.

The 2009 Detroit International Auto Show will reveal full details of the car.

Chevy Spark playing to a familiar Beat

Click above for a high-res image gallery of the Chevy Beat/Spark unveiling

While details remain sparse, General Motors rolled out its three-door Beat Concept from the 2007 New York Auto Show, promising that a version of the car will be produced beginning in 2010 for foreign markets, and for the US in 2011. Oddly, unlike the three-door sub-Aveo – sized hatch that rolled on to this morning's main stage, the production Spark figures to be a five-door hatchback capable of delivering 40 miles-per-gallon in the city. Officials indicate that a production version of the Spark will roll out at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and AB readers have already seen development prototypes running around.

Interestingly, the leaked shot that we showed you yesterday clearly shows a five-door vehicle. Perhaps it will roll onto display stands later in the show, but for now, GM has chosen to parade the 2007 three-door showcar around. We'll do some poking around, but in the meantime, take a gander at the high-res gallery of shots below and click through to the jump for the press release.

Gallery: Detroit 2009: Chevy Spark, aka Beat

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PRESS RELEASE:

Chevrolet Spark and Orlando Headed to the United States in 2011


DETROIT – An all-new Chevrolet Spark mini-car and Orlando seven-seat compact multi-purpose vehicle will come to the United States in 2011. The announcement was made during a General Motors press conference at the North American International Auto Show here today.

"Chevrolet Spark will bring great style, roominess and versatility to the segment of extremely fuel-efficient small cars in the U.S.," said Troy Clarke, president of GM North America. "The decision to add the Spark to Chevrolet's portfolio reflects the brand's commitment to being a fuel efficiency leader in the industry."

Originally seen as the Chevrolet Beat concept at the 2007 New York Auto Show, the four-door Chevrolet Spark will provide versatility with a fresh, youthful exterior and interior design that is reflected in the selection of materials and colors.

The Spark will make its world debut in full production form at the Geneva Auto Show in March 2009. Sales begin in Europe in the first quarter of 2010, followed by other markets around the globe.

"The Chevrolet Orlando show car, unveiled at the recent Paris Auto Show to positive public reaction, combines the versatility of a sport-utility, a family van and a wagon in a single vehicle," Clarke said. It has the added benefit of excellent fuel economy, because of its car-based architecture."

First photos and plans for the Chevrolet Orlando's global rollout will be released in the coming months. It will be in Chevrolet showrooms in the U.S. in 2011.

"These small vehicles make a big statement," said Ed Peper, North America vice president, Chevrolet. "With their fresh, clean approach, we believe Spark and Orlando will appeal to a wide range of customers who want excellent fuel efficiency, functionality and style in a small vehicle."

Meet the 2010 Chevrolet Spark! 47 mpg (U.S.)!

Click image above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Chevy Spark

The Autoblog/AutoblogGreen team is just rolling into Geneva this morning for one of the biggest auto shows of the year, and look what we found before we even got out of the airport: Sitting in the Chevrolet media lounge right by the train station is the brand-new Chevrolet Spark. Essentially a four door version of the Beat concept we saw two years ago in New York, the Spark will be launching in other parts of the world in early 2010 and in the U.S. a year later. Both the 1.0-liter and 1.2-liter engines are expected to top 47 miles-per-gallon (U.S.) combined and emit less than 120 g/km of CO₂. They wouldn't let us sit in the car yet but it looks surprisingly roomy at this first look. Hopefully, General Motors will be around long enough that we'll get to drive it.

More information on the 2010 Chevy Spark w/VIDEO

Click the Spark for high res images

It's less than a month until the Geneva Motor Show and the unveiling of the 2010 Chevy Spark. For those of you that have been paying attention for the past two years, the Spark is the production version of the Beat concept that debuted at the 2007 New York Auto Show. Compared to the Beat, the Spark has grown two extra doors but otherwise looks very much like the original. The Spark is following the lead of other mini-cars by using a more upright stance and pushing the wheels out to the corners to maximize interior room. Inside, the design of the instrument panel appears to be a simplified evolution of the twin cockpit look that has been appearing on other contemporary Chevrolets, including the Malibu, Traverse and Equinox. Under the hood, buyers in Europe will get a choice of 1.0 or 1.2L four cylinder engines driving the front wheels when the Spark goes on sale early next year. At the Detroit Auto Show, GM announced that the Spark will indeed be sold in North America beginning about a year after its European debut. A video design overview with Dave Lyon is after the jump.

2010 Chevy Spark beats a path to the web

As the hours wind down before the 2009 Detroit Auto Show finally kicks off in the morning, more vehicles are leaking through the manufacturers' embargo nets. The latest addition to the list is the 2010 Chevy Spark, teased earlier this week on Today by GM design honcho Ed Welburn. Spark is the production version of the Chevy Beat concept that made its debut alongside the Trax and Groove at New York two years ago. Beat was the winner of a public poll to see which of the three microcar concepts would make it to production. We also know that Beat/Spark's going to get some time in the limelight as a character in this summer's Transformers sequel.

The itsy-bitsy new "world car" has grown a second set of doors in production trim, but otherwise, its styling remains remarkably true to the Beat show car. Roof rails hint at real-world practicality, and the fact that GM is choosing Detroit to unveil it suggests that maybe, just maybe, we'll see it here after all. We'll know more as the show gets officially underway, but we can say one thing: it's more interesting than the car it's set to replace in other markets. We'll have plenty more when we see it up close.

Chevrolet Spark unveiled

Chevrolet Spark unveiled

General Motors opened the Detroit show by revealing the Chevrolet Spark concept, a version of the brand's forthcoming global city car, due on sale early next year.

The Chevrolet Spark concept is based heavily on the similarly sized Chevrolet Beat concept from last year's show, but GM has elected to rebrand this vital model in an effort to take on stylish rivals from the likes of Fiat and Ford in the UK.

The deep-bumpered lime green show model received an enthusiastic welcome at the Cobo Centre.

"There are wrong perceptions about the cars we make," GM's product czar Bob Lutz told the assembled crowd. "The only way we can change that is to offer modern products like this."

GM boss Rick Wagoner also revealed the first picture of the more conservatively styled production-ready Chevrolet Spark, which we'll see for the first time at the Geneva show in March.

The Chevrolet Spark is a frugal and inexpensive product which, Chevrolet sources suggest, the company is keen to get on the market as quickly as possible.

More than two million consumers apparently voted for GM to build the Chevrolet Spark (aka Beat), as opposed to two other larger concepts that were proposed by Chevrolet’s design house.

There are no details of powertrain options but expect frugal, low-CO2 petrol and diesel motors as GM strives to change its gas-guzzling image. The 1.3-litre CDTi diesel from the Vauxhall Corsa is a possibility, as is the 1.0-litre three-cylinder motor from the Suzuki Splash.