Ever since the $9998 Nissan Micra arrived on the scene in Canada, things have been interesting. A month later, Mitsubishi slapped a perpetual $2500 manufacturer discount on the base Mirage to bring its starting price down to the same number.
Today things got more interesting:
Source: http://media.gm.com/media/ca/en/gm/n...114_Spark.htmlChevrolet announced at the Montreal International Auto Show that the all-new 2016 Spark will start at just $9,995 plus freight – the lowest MSRP of any car in Canada, all while being packed with standard features.
Before this announcement, you would be forgiven for wondering why GM even bothered with Canada's subcompact segment. The car has never sold well here.
Canadian sales...
Mitsubishi Mirage Nissan Micra Chevrolet Spark
2015
3361 11,909 1561 2014 4048 7815 1577
And this isn't just fresh lipstick on an old pig, either. The $9995 starting price comes attached to a completely redesigned Spark, with a bunch of features that Nissan & Mitsubishi don't have.
Big standard equipment differences from the Mirage, just from a quick look at the base Spark:
- 10 airbags
- reverse camera
- 7-inch touchscreen infotainment with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
- in-car capable Wi-Fi hotspot via OnStar
- 6-way adjustable driver's seat
The Spark's engine is a 1.4L with 98 hp. I dunno how much the new Spark weighs, but the old one was pretty portly and had a worse power:weight ratio than the 74 hp Mirage.
Like the base Mirage, there's no A/C. And it appears you can't add A/C to the base trim, meaning a big price jump to get it (just like Micra & Mirage). So the big question is: how much for a Spark with automatic & A/C? Because that's what most people will probably buy.
The gloves are definitely off in Canada -- this is pretty unprecendented. That makes THREE subcompacts available for under $10k + shipping.