Chevrolet revs mini Spark for US urban dwellers

Chevrolet is set to bring its new mini-car to US cities later this year. Dubbed the Spark, the vehicle is targeted at urban millennial drivers and currently sold in 100 markets around the world.

“We listened to what young people said they wanted in a car. So our engineers tuned and equipped the Chevrolet Spark specifically for first-time buyers and city dwellers in North America,” explained Chevrolet rep Chris Perry. “Spark is the perfect urban car because we’ve made it easy to drive, easy to park and easy to own.”

The Spark offers drivers the ability to easily drive up hills and inclines (hello San Francisco!) with Hill Start Assist Mode,  which holds the vehicle in place while the driver switches from the brake to the gas.

This feature will definitely help drivers who might be new to manual transmission cars.

The Spark also boasts Panic Brake Assist tech for scenarios where emergency braking is needed and automatically engages the brake at maximum force.

The Spark is a very small car with a length of 144-inches and a width of 63-inches – or 37-inches shorter than the Cruze and 8-inches narrower. In addition, the vehicle is equipped with an integrated 7-inch color touchscreen that displays video and photos, along with easy access to Pandora and Sticher via Chevy’s MyLink infotainment system – which also connects to smartphones.

Last, but certainly not least, the North American version of the Spark offers additional horsepower, 15-inch alloy wheels and a deeper grill with restyled fog lamps for improved style. The car is slated to hit Chevrolet showrooms later this year at an undisclosed price.