Holden Spark LT 2016 new car review
The Holden Spark is a micro car, but it’s pushing the boundaries of the name as there’s plenty of space for passengers.
The Holden Spark is a microcar, but it’s pushing the boundaries of the name as there’s plenty of space for passengers, if not for luggage.
The Spark is a city car suited to city living, Sunday morning coffee meet ups, and squeezing into that tight car park at the local mall. The keyless entry and push button start are convenient when you’re carrying your latte and shopping.
The connected generation will love this car: it’s frugal, easy to manoeuvre, and you can plug your phone directly into the MyLink infotainment system with a seven-inch touchscreen. This integrates with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you can use some of your phone’s apps on the touchscreen. It’s a car for the modern consumerist. Look – I’ve even got matching wheels, rear spoiler and wing mirrors!
The Spark is a good example of when a car company takes a model and fixes lots of the annoying things about it. We last drove the Spark back in 2011 when it was launched in New Zealand. The toy-like front end has been replaced by an altogether more muscular fascia.
The handling has been sorted out by some earnest suspension tuning over in Australia, and 185mm-wide tyres have been fitted over the 165mm ones on the previous model. Our test vehicle came with optional bigger wheels – 195mm on 16-inch mags with red solar inserts.
Engine power is up to 73kW from 59kW, and torque is up from 107 to 124Nm – both of these (along with the paltry 1004kg weight) contribute to a much-improved nippiness at city driving speeds. Quoted fuel economy has improved from 5.6l/100km to 5.5l/100km from the 1.4-litre engine, although you’ll be filling up regularly because the fuel tank only takes 32 litres!
Take it in and put it by the fire
Looking almost small enough to pick up and take inside out of the cold, the Spark measures only 3.595m long and 1.595m wide - therefore you can fit in spaces that Corollas can’t, and with the reversing camera, maneuvering is straightforward. The boot is quite small – only enough for some moderate shopping – but you can fold the rear seats down.
Competing against cars like the Mitsubishi Mirage and the Fiat 500, the Spark is undoubtedly the most dynamic. It feels lively, and it doesn’t mind changing direction.
The brakes are perfectly adequate; it’s been a while since I’ve seen drums on the rear wheels of a new car, and I can’t believe it’s still cheaper to produce these outdated brakes over modern disc brakes.
The Spark isn’t a car you’ll want to take on long journeys, or drive with strong crosswinds, because it just doesn’t feel as planted as a larger car, but it is damn fine in the city and for short motorway bursts.
A hornet on a leash
Holden has thankfully refined its CVT gearbox. CVT ‘boxes in a car with low power can feel like you have a hornet on a leash’ – irritatingly buzzy with very little momentum; the Spark’s CVT feels more like an automatic gearbox.
There are two models: the base model LS and our test model, the LT. The LT is a shade under twenty grand which is sneaking up a bit close to Mazda2 money ($21,745), whereas the LS is a more reasonable $16,490.
Still, at $20,000 you get a lot of features for your cash, and you can transport four people in modest comfort as long as the driver and front passenger aren’t six-foot tall.
The interior isn’t as cheap and tacky as it was; there’s still plenty of hard plastic, but at least it’s broken up by some funky white paneling, and the instrument design is improved as is the general dashboard layout.
A vast improvement
The new Spark is a completely different car to the old Spark. Everything in the previous Barina Spark that we tolerated due to the low price has been fixed. It’s packed with all the safety features as standard (electronic stability control, hill start assist, brake assist, ABS, and more).
With its three-year 100,000km warranty, I can see this being popular with company fleets as well as the urban youth.
Note: This was reviewed as a new vehicle.
Image gallery
Also consider
Kyle Cassidy 
Peter Louisson 