New 2026 Chevrolet Spark Interior, MPG, Redesign
New 2026 Chevrolet Spark Interior, MPG, Redesign – A new car with a starting price below $15,000 might sound like paying to drive a penalty box, but the New 2026 Chevy Spark puts that fear to bed. The worst things we can say about the subcompact hatchback is that its back seat is pitifully small and folding the rear seats can be a frustrating process. While cramped rear quarters is common in this class, the Hyundai Accent and the Kia Rio are slightly roomier than the Spark.
Its interior certainly isn’t spiffy, but it doesn’t suffer from the iffy materials that mar alternatives from Mitsubishi. Plus, Chevy’s content-rich infotainment system stands out as intuitive and easy to use. Every New 2026 Spark has an engine that’s anemic at highway speeds, but it works fine around town and in traffic where the car’s nimbleness shines. For the best driving experience, we recommend the manual transmission that’s available across all trims, which is unusual nowadays.
Table of Contents
New 2026 Chevrolet Spark Redesign and Update Plan
Exterior and Interior
The Spark avoids the shoddy interior quality that is common on cars this cheap. Although most plastics are hard, they fit together evenly and have attractive textures. Desirable features are mainly limited to leather trimmings and heated front seats. The driving position is upright like a crossover’s, with a fold-down armrest that keeps things comfortable. The large front doors and raised seat height make climbing into the cockpit easy. Unfortunately, the narrow front seats have flimsy cushions and no lateral support.
The back seat is undeniably cramped; the front seats must be slid forward to comfortably fit an adult. We fit three carry-on bags behind the Spark’s back seat, which offers 11 cubic feet of cargo space. That increases to 27 cubes with the rear seat stowed, allowing it to swallow 15 bags total. However, this was a very clumsy transformation. It required moving the front seats forward, so the bottom cushions could flip up before the seatbacks could fold down. Even then, the cargo floor was nowhere near flat. Likewise, loading luggage involved lifting it up and over the rear bumper. Inside, the Spark has cubbies in the center console and a useful shelf above the glovebox, but there’s only a plastic tray between the back seats.
New 2026 Chevrolet Spark Specs
Even the entry-level Spark has a standard 7.0-inch touchscreen with a Wi-Fi hotspot, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. The infotainment screen is primarily controlled by touch, but a useful rotary volume knob and redundant buttons are conveniently located. A pair of USB ports and a 12-volt outlet are situated below the center stack.
Engine and Performance
Every Spark has a feeble four-cylinder engine that drives the front wheels through either a five-speed manual or continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Thankfully, the gearless automatic manages power well without droning engine noise. While the version we tested was responsive at low speeds around town, be prepared to wait as it moseys up to higher speeds. This diminutive hatchback is definitely not designed for long road trips, but it’s effective and quiet in the city. New 2026 Chevrolet Spark Interior
The Spark is easy to thread through slow-moving traffic, with quick lateral movements and stable motions. Its short wheelbase aids maneuverability in tight spaces without compromising ride quality. Still, the Chevy was bouncy on uneven surfaces, and the harshest bumps were barely isolated. However, rattles and road noise were more subdued than in rival economy cars. The Spark’s steering felt direct and communicated the road surface to the driver’s hand. It was also relaxed at highway speeds and made changing lanes easy without feeling twitchy. The firm brake pedal had strong responses that helped scrub speed quickly and consistently.
New 2026 Chevrolet Spark Fuel Economy
Despite its teensy size and teeny engine, the Spark doesn’t earn fantastic fuel-economy ratings. In city driving, it’s rated at 29 mpg with the manual transmission and 30 with the automatic. Highway estimates are 37 mpg on Activ models and 38 on the others. These figures are outdone by the Mitsubishi Mirage’s rating of up to 36 mpg city and 43 highway. The automatic Spark LT we ran on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route, which is part of our extensive testing regimen, returned 37 mpg.
New 2026 Chevrolet Spark Safety Features
While Chevy’s tiny hatchback is available with some driver-assistance technology, the most notable options are reserved for the most expensive model. For more information about the Spark’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
- Available forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking
- Available lane-departure warning
- Available rear parking sensors. New 2026 Chevrolet Spark Interior
New 2026 Chevrolet Spark Price and Release Date
The price of the New 2026 Chevrolet Spark starts at $14,595 and goes up to $17,995 depending on the trim and options. While there is no Spark one could objectively say is “laden with content,” the upcharge to the 1LT trim brings useful features, including satellite radio and keyless entry. We can’t, however, recommend the $1100 continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). If you don’t know how to drive a car with a manual transmission, here is the incentive to learn. The faux-off-road Activ trim isn’t worth the cost. Keep it simple, as Chevy has done with regular Spark. New 2026 Chevrolet Spark Interior
