ROAD TEST: Chevrolet Spark 1.2 LT
Kitted out with the optional decal package and 'smoky black' alloys, the Chevrolet Spark LT seems like an automotive Chihuahua with an attitude twice its size.
Prankster Whackhead Simpson's gym-going, squeaky-voiced 'Herbert' character - remember the guy who "feels like Superman in his lucky red underpants" - would probably feel like a hot shot of note behind the wheel of this hatch. No doubt he'll order it with the 'Super Red' seat cloth option too.
Although you have to pay a little extra for the Superman suit, GMSA has packed a lot of kit into the 3.64-metre-long Spark LT. Everything from a six-speaker sound system - with steering wheel controls - to rear park assist, power windows front and rear, front and side airbags and a 'sport' front bumper.
But would Herbert pay the premium that the range-topping LT commands? After all, we're talking about a guy that inherited his underwear from his granddad.
The LT tallies up to R137 300 once you've added the smoky wheels and in that context I'm still convinced that the Kia Picanto 1.2 EX is a better all-rounder.
Yet that doesn't mean that Chevrolet doesn't have a weapon to fight off the Koreans - you just have to ditch the superman suit and sink to the very bottom of the Spark range.
In fact, the Campus (which is almost certainly sold on a lower profit margin) costs just R106 100 and not only is it cheaper than its Korean rivals, but it also offers a 1.2-litre engine as well as two airbags and ABS - where its rivals only offer a 1-litre and just one airbag.
Why not, then, buy the Campus and accessorise it yourself? Sure you'll probably want to get a sound system and alloys fitted and expend some elbow grease to wind up the windows but that - Herbert will tell you - builds character, and triceps.
PUNCHY ENOUGH
If you buy the cheapest one, then, the Spark offers strong performance for the money, its 1.2-litre 16-valve engine pushing 60kW at 6400rpm and 108Nm at 4800rpm.
According to our test kit, it has enough steam to get you to 100km/h in 13.9 seconds at Gauteng altitude, and GM claims it'll take 13.3 secs at the coast and reach 163km/h.
Not bad for a city car, but the motor often requires a good workout and in the process it does become somewhat noisy and thrashy.
Generally it feels quite composed in city traffic, but the Spark is not the happiest camper on the freeway, where the rev needle will creep past the 3500rpm mark while trying to maintain a cruising speed of around 120km/h.
In keeping with its main role in life - as a city car - the suspension has been set up for ride comfort and as a result it irons out the bumps with composure.
The road holding could, at best, be described as safe enough for the average driver but those racing stripes don't signal any ability to tear through a mountain pass - there's a fair amount of body roll and it's not the most composed small car around the bends.
PRACTICAL CITY SLICKER
Yet within its preferred urban stomping grounds, Spark provides an easy-going commute with its well-weighted steering, smooth gear-shift action and well-spaced pedals. The only notable omission is a foot rest.
There's a youthful flavour to the interior design, right down to the motorcycle-inspired instrument cluster, while the tactile quality of the materials and the overall build quality is rather good for a cheapie.
Particularly impressive is how the Spark's upright design allows for a spacious interior. Legroom is ample and almost befitting a car from a class above. In fact two normal-sized adults will fit in the back comfortably with space to stretch, although the car's narrow width means that putting three abreast would result in some serious intimacy taking place.
The real squeezing takes place in the Spark's 170-litre boot though, although it's not the smallest excuse for a trunk that I've seen and it'll generally swallow a pricey shopping spree or a few small tog bags.
VERDICT
The Spark's not the most refined city car on the block, but it is distinctive, practical and a good all-round performer.
That said, the top model I tested would not tempt me out of a Kia Picanto, but if you shift to the bottom end of the Spark range, it suddenly becomes a winning deal.
PRICE
Chevrolet Spark 1.2 LT (60kW) - R137 300 (as tested)
ALTERNATIVES
Fiat Panda 1.2 Pop (51kW) - R139 900
Honda Brio 1.2 Comfort (65kW) - R122 400
Hyundai i10 1.25 Glide (64kW) - R134 900
Kia Picanto 1.2 EX (65kW) - R129 995
Nissan Micra 1.2 Acenta (56kW) - R138 100
Toyota Aygo 1.0 Wild (50kW) - R129 500