The times they are a changin'. Back in the day a shootout between new Chevy and Ford models would include talk of four-barrel carburettors, how wide the front bench seats were and for what distance the cars could lay black stripes. But no sir, not anymore.
Today, less is more. At least in the A-segment it is. Average car buyers want to spend less money for more stuff.
Where showroom window stickers once highlighted horsepower, today's buyers' eyes are more quickly drawn to claimed consumptions and inclusive features.
Hulking engine displacements have been traded for favourable carbon dioxide output and the ability to preserve petrol is more attractive than the ability to burn rubber.
So with that, we bring you a comparative test between Chevrolet's new Spark and Ford's new Figo budget-beating hatches.
In this neck of the market's woods, the price tag is everything; each and every feature that comes free as part of the package goes a long way towards its attractiveness.
But first of all, the new Ford Figo isn't exactly new. It's actually a previous-generation Fiesta, retouched around the edges and built in India.
So it's got some experience on its side. The new Spark doesn't. It's all new and its intergalactic aesthetics prove it.
But one man's intergalactic can be another's post traumatic and we're at odds on whether the space-station styling of the new Spark is hero or zero.
The headlights certainly take some getting used to. They're huge and the top corners just about reach the door side-mirrors.
The rear-door handles are not in their usual position but concealed next to the door windows, meaning many a passenger thought the Spark a strictly three-door affair. Some, in fact, commented that this added some sportiness and flair.
The Figo, as we said earlier, is previous-generation Fiesta, but styling cues have changed slightly; in this case we think that's to its advantage. It still has that mass-market appeal though and, suffice to say, most will subscribe to that.
On the inside we thought the Spark's seats comfier than the Figo's, but there were some practicality concerns with Chevy's contender.
The Spark has no height and reach adjustments on the steering wheel, versus the Figo's height-only offering. And call us old fashioned, but we much preferred the Figo's traditional rev counter to the tiny, electronic (read cheap-looking) display in the Spark.
There's tons of plastic in the Figo but it's been broken up cleverly with different colours around the radio and air vents. Our test unit was the top "Trend" model though, and lower "Ambiente" ones have a predominantly black fascia.
SOFT SPRINGS
The general interior feel in terms of quality of the Figo seemed to be just a little better than the Spark's. So the Figo scrapes through as our choice in terms of finish.
The Figo's also a much better car to drive than the Spark and it probably comes down to its size. It's longer, wider and lower than the Spark and it feels more settled in almost all situations.
It also feels as though you're sitting inside the Figo whereas it feels like you're sitting on top of the Spark, but, that said, it handled the rippled roads near our testing facility with a tautness that the Figo lacked.
The Figo's springs feel very soft, especially at the back giving it a very lackadaisical approach to uneven surfaces.
There's also more wind, road and engine noise in the Spark than in the Figo. Ford's done a better job with NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) levels, and it feels slightly less cheap while on the go.
PRETTY BASIC
Each has a rather noisy engines from the outside, but Ford's is disguised nicely from within the cabin.
Standard equipment is pretty basic at this level, but each cars, even at base level, has aircon, power steering, two crash bags and central locking. However, the Figo one-ups the Spark because it has antilock brakes and electronic brake-pressure distribution on all models and the Chevy only offers this spec on its highest LS derivative.
That said, the Figo only gets remote central locking on its top Trend model.
Pricing's the real deal clincher for this shootout because while the top models are similarly priced (R125 495 for the Chevy and R125 000 for the Ford), the Ford gets more kit for the money. And, just to drive the point home, Ford's base Ambiente model undercuts the base Spark by R5600 at R109 900.
VERDICT
The fact that the authors of this shoot-out both grabbed for the keys to the Figo when the weekend approached, answers the question of which we thought the better of the two.
And, ultimately, the deciding factor was drivability. Even though the Spark was slightly quicker in a straight line (13.9sec versus 14.8, 0-100) and more fuel efficient (7.2 versus 9.0 litres/100km averages), it was somewhat lethargic in its execution and felt at times like you were forcing it unwillingly to get from A to B.
The Figo had a more energetic delivery going for it, with an eager accelerator and positive-feeling gearbox.
But to be fair there's very little overall that either does wrong. In fact the less-petrol-headed (and younger) buyers out there may prefer the newer Spark.
Either way, they both deserve a test drive if that's the segment you're shopping in. - INL Motoring