The 2021 Chevy Spark will start at $13,400, just like the 2020 Spark does, making it the cheapest new car you can buy. The Spark is also still alive, unlike it’s sibling, the Sonic. Please do not remind Chevy that it still sells the Spark here.
That’s because the Spark, much like the Mitsubishi Mirage, is something we see fewer and fewer of these days: a small car with a manual transmission that you can get for less than $20,000. Hell, there are only 17 cars you can get in the U.S. for less than $20,000, period.
CarsDirect recently ran through some of the Spark’s competitors, finding that next year the Spark will be the only car left under $15,000. (The following prices appear to include destination fees.)
The Spark is now one of only two vehicles available under $15,000. The 2020 Mitsubishi Mirage starts at $14,990 but will soon be on its way out as it just went through a refresh for the 2021 model year, accompanied by a price increase and now starting at $15,565. The Nissan Versa went through a redesign recently causing its price to also increase and leading to a starting price of $15,855 for the 2021 model. Other options in the class include the 2021 Hyundai Accent ($16,390) and 2020 Kia Rio ($16,815).
The Spark, assembled in South Korea, is the kind of low-margin car that automakers are killing left and right as they prod Americans to buy more $50,000 SUVs and trucks. Why Chevy bothers to import the Spark at all is a question for future automotive historians.
Normally, I would ask GM executives myself, but I’d rather not tip them off to the Spark’s continued existence in the States out of fear that Chevy would think about this, even for a second. We must protect 98-horsepower subcompacts at all costs.