Chev has certainly put bucketloads of effort into jazzing up the latest Spark. The sexy little green LS that I zipped around in was way more appealing than the first generation of this Noddy Car and infinitely more eye-catching.
With a host of new contenders in this entry-level segment, the decision to provide more car for your money was a wise one on Chevrolet's part. The LS, which is higher specced than the base model L, has antilock braking with electronic brake-pressure distribution, crash bags, power windows and 14" alloy rims.
Each model has power steering, a 1.2-litre, 16-valve engine and a five-speed manual gearbox.
And the best news of all is the new Spark is bigger than its predecessor, with more generous legroom and headroom for front and rear occupants.
Also, despite the boot space looking stingy, we actually packed it full of school bags, paper waste, tennis racquets, computer bags, camera bags, sports bags and so on and so forth, without any effort. You can also flip the rear seats down for added storage space.
Loved the dinky new steering column-mounted rev counter/info gauges: very funky, very different, and adding an element of fun to the interior.
One niggle, for me, was the driver's seat. I kept feeling as though I were sitting on something hard - like a pencil or pen that might have rolled under me.
When I felt, and looked, I realized it was the design of the seat - a sort of ridge in the cushion. Not comfortable if you're not amply padded in the nether regions.
Otherwise, the new, grown-up Spark was a refreshing experience: nippy, with surprisingly good suspension (you don't always find that in mini-cars), responsive acceleration, great visibility all round and its hydraulically assisted steering a huge improvement on the earlier model.
It's got character, a bold face, loads of oomph, and is certainly an option well worth considering for the first time car buyer, or for those who spend their lives perambulating around the city and through traffic.
A pleasure to drive, even better to park, easy on the fuel consumption... what more could you want?
The LS comes in at R125 495 but, if your budget is really tight, you can opt for the base model at R115 495.
Chevrolet says the new Spark is "perfect proof that a car doesn't need to be big to be noticed". Never a truer word...