"Ask your dad how many horsepower his 1974 Mustang II had and he’ll tell you 10 less than the Spark in a car that weighed significantly more. Advances in engine and electronic technology allow 98 ponies to do a lot more today, giving the Spark snappy acceleration off the line, but still struggling to pass or merge at higher speeds."-KBB
2018 Chevrolet Spark Engine and Transmission
The 2018 Chevrolet Spark is powered by a 1.4L I-4 naturally aspirated engine that outputs 98 hp @ 6200 rpm, and has a torque output of 94 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm. It comes with a 5-speed manual or a CVT, and we recommended the manual. Front-wheel-drive is standard.
This Chevy is made for the urban jungle, and its engine character tells so. However, it still needs all its horses to be used for decent drivability that can keep up with the traffic. The manual gearbox is more fun to drive and is better at shift times than the slow and lousy CVT.
Models |
2018 Chevrolet Spark |
2018 Mitsubishi Mirage |
2018 Kia Rio |
2018 Ford Fiesta |
MSRP |
$13,050 |
$13,395 |
$14,200 |
$14,505 |
Engine |
1.4L I-4 |
1.2L I-3 |
1.6L I-4 |
1.6L I-4 |
Transmission |
5-speed Manual |
5-speed Manual |
6-speed Manual |
5-speed Manual |
Drivetrain |
FWD |
FWD |
FWD |
FWD |
Horsepower |
98 hp @ 6200 rpm |
78 hp @ 6,000 rpm |
130 hp @ 6,300 rpm |
120 hp @ 6,350 rpm |
Torque |
94 ft.-lbs. @ 4400 rpm |
74 lbs.-ft. @ 4,000 rpm |
119 lbs.-ft. @ 4,850 rpm |
112 lbs.-ft. @ 5,000 rpm |
The Kia and the Ford Fiesta get the biggest engines, whereas the Mirage gets a 1.2L Inline-3 engine which is rare. The Rio is also the only car that gets a 6-speed manual. All cars get FWD as standard. The Mirage makes the least power and torque among these four cars. The Rio has the most power and torque output at 130 hp and 119 lb-ft. The Fiesta is the most expensive car at 14,505 dollars. Peak torque kicks in the earliest on the Mirage, but it's the Rio and the Fiesta that get the most torque in the lower rpm's.
2018 Chevrolet Spark Acceleration
The 2018 Chevrolet Spark 1.4L with the 5-speed manual gearbox sprints from 0-60 mph in 10.4 seconds, and the quarter-mile comes up in 18 seconds. The top speed of the car is rated at 117 mph. With the CVT, the 0-60 mph run takes place in 10.2 seconds, with the quarter-mile coming up in 17.6 seconds. The CVT has a top speed of 114 mph.
Models |
2018 Chevrolet Spark |
2018 Mitsubishi Mirage |
2018 Kia Rio |
2018 Ford Fiesta |
0-60 mph (sec) |
10.4 |
12.2 |
10.8 |
9.3 |
Quarter-mile (sec) |
18 |
18.8 |
17.9 |
17.3 |
Engine |
1.4L I-4 |
1.2L I-3 |
1.6L I-4 |
1.6L I-4 |
Top Speed (mph)
|
117 |
110 |
111 |
120 |
The Fiesta has the quickest 0-60 mph time of 9.3 seconds, thanks to the precise gearbox and a lightweight body. The Spark is in second place, whereas the Rio takes 10.8 seconds, and the Mirage is the slowest at 12.2 seconds. The quarter-mile rankings are the same, but the Rio is faster than the Spark by 0.1 seconds. The Rio has the least top speed, whereas the Fiesta has the most top speed at 120 mph.
2018 Chevrolet Spark Ride and Handling
The 2018 Chevrolet Spark has a soft suspension setup, which gives it a decent ride quality on even bad roads. However, too much speed and the car will get bouncy which will cause the underbody to touch the ground. The handling on the Spark is good enough around the city: it's planted, precise, and the suspension aids to deliver better performance. Around turns, the car is stable with a little body roll but there's not enough juice from the 1.4L I-4 engine to enjoy them.
The power steering on the Spark is very well weighted, with good steering control and there's a good response as well. Maneuvering in the city is a simple task, and the light body combined with this steering makes parking an easy task. High-speed stability is not the best, and we recommend sticking to the Spark to enjoy the urban jungle.
2018 Chevrolet Spark Braking
The 2018 Chevrolet Spark gets a braking setup of a 9.3-inch front brake rotor and a 7.9-inch rear brake rotor. The Spark has an impressive braking performance and stops from 60-0 mph at 120 feet. The brake pedal has a good feel to it, and there's some brake application even with the slightest modulation.
Model |
2018 Chevrolet Spark |
2018 Mitsubishi Mirage |
2018 Kia Rio |
2018 Ford Fiesta |
Brake Front (in.) |
9.3 |
9 |
11 |
10.2 |
Brake Rear (in.) |
7.9 |
7 |
8 |
7.9 |
Curb Weight (lbs.) |
2246 |
2018 |
2648 |
2537 |
60-0 mph (ft.) |
120 |
127 |
127 |
118 |
The Fiesta has the best braking performance with a stopping distance of 118 feet. The Spark has a stopping distance of 120 feet. The Mirage and the Rio take the most stopping distance at 127 feet. The Rio gets the largest front brake rotor at 11 inches, whereas the smallest front brake is on the Mirage at 9 inches. Rear brake sizes are similar, but the Kia Rio gets the biggest rear brake at 8 inches, whereas the Mirage has the smallest brake at 7 inches.