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Infinitely variable transmission, definitively quicker acceleration.
Although automakers such as Honda and Nissan have made significant strides in quelling the continuously variable transmission’s more annoying aspects—a tendency to cause engine drone droning and a disconnected sensation between said engine and the drive wheels—we’re still generally unimpressed with the technology. And we find in most cases that the promised real-world fuel economy promised by of CVTs doesn’t translate to the real world. But we can get behind replacing a four-speed automatic with just about anything. Enter the CVT-equipped 2014 Chevrolet Spark.
We evaluated a manual–-equipped Spark last year and found that licking any glue from the 84-hp 1.2-liter four-cylinder’s microscopic performance envelope was futile, but driving it was nearly fun. Sparks with the old four-speed automatic weren’t, however, so we were intrigued by Chevrolet’s promises claim that the new CVT is “designed to improve fuel efficiency and acceleration, for a more pleasurable driving experience.” We tested a Spark thus equipped to find out if Chevy is right.
CVT—The Choice for Spark Drag Racers
In a remarkable twist, the new CVT actually makes the Spark quicker. Compared with the manual Spark, the CVT car chopped 0.2 second from the run to 60 mph. It still took a glacial 11.0 seconds to get there, but improvement is improvement, right?
Perhaps more interesting is the CVT’s unique novel design. Chevrolet calls it a “two-step” CVT, on account of the transmission’s two planetary-gear output ratios added to the two-pulley-and-a-belt setup. The unit can choose to route torque from the output pulley through a low output ratio for quicker acceleration, or a taller one for calmer highway cruising. Regardless of which output is chosen, the CVT’s pulley ratios can vary infinitely between 2.20:1 and 0.55:1. The 3.75:1 final drive is taller than the old automatic’s 4.15:1 ratio, helping to bump the Spark’s EPA city/highway fuel-economy estimates by 2 mpg each, to 30/39. We recorded a considerably less-thrifty 27 mpg due to our enthusiastic driving style.
In terms of smoothness, the CVT is a massive improvement over the old automatic, and it allows you to better exploit he the Spark’s meager output. Flooring the throttle sends the car’s digital tachometer bars shooting toward redline, where engine speed remains while the CVT sorts out the appropriate ratio and road speed (slowly) builds. Keep it planted long enough and there is a distinct but buttery upshift when the trans chooses the taller output ratio. It’s not obtrusive, and it lends this CVT more of a “normal automatic” feeling without resorting to fake “gears” as some manufacturers do.
The absence of shifting duties and the relative quietness of the Spark’s interior do, however, give the driver more time to focus on the car’s dynamic shortcomings. Braking from 70 mph takes a long 177 feet and is accompanied by enthusiastic tail wagging thanks to the short wheelbase. Around our skidpad, the Spark gave up in a howl of understeer at just 0.81 g. Let’s just say that while it is nimble around town, the Spark just isn’t as fun to drive as, say, the also-underpowered Mazda 2.
A Spark Off the Old Flint Block
Aside from its new CVT, the 2014 Spark is essentially unchanged. It has a roomy and well-appointed interior that can fit four real-size humans in relative comfort, and there are lots of “vibrant” exterior colors to choose from. Our option-free, top-of-the-line Spark 2LT (standard 15-inch aluminum wheels, Chevy’s slick touch-screen MyLink setup, and six, count ’em six, audio speakers) was painted Lime, lending it a striking resemblance to something we’d slice up and plop into a gin and tonic.
Yet, we’d stick with the base LS or 1LT trim levels, as our test car’s $17,210 sticker nuzzles those of the larger and better Chevy Sonic, Ford Fiesta, and Honda Fit. Those cars all roughly match or beat the CVT-equipped Spark’s efficiency while offering space for a fifth passenger, the stability of a larger footprint, and more rewarding handling. But stay on the cheaper side of things, and the CVT Spark makes sense. No, we can’t believe we typed those words, either.
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