The folks at Noticias Automotivas have scored shots of what looks to be the next-generation Daewoo Matiz, the subcompact hatch that we know better as the Chevrolet Spark.

The budget runabout is clearly very similar to General Motors' 2007 Beat concept and is in fact bang-on the Bowtie-badged production-intent model we saw displayed at this year's Geneva Motor Show, albeit with a Daewoo-specific upper and lower grilles, less stylized fog lamps and discount looking wheels.

Inside, the motorcycle-like gauge binnacle appears to have to have made the transition to production as expected, although as we were not permitted to touch the Geneva car, we can't tell if it's a tilt/telescope assembly.

Check out the gallery of images below.




[Source: Noticias Automotivas]

General Motors has issued a cryptic press release suggesting it plans to retool an existing plant here in the United States to build a new small car. No specifics are given on what small car this may be, as the missive only says that the plant will have the capacity to build up to 160,000 small and compact cars and that "this vehicle adds to GM's growing portfolio of U.S.-built, highly fuel efficient cars including the Chevrolet Cruze and Volt." Know what that means? It's speculation time!

GM's most well-known small car is arguably the Chevy Spark, which was introduced earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show and is based on the Beat concept from 2007. It's possible this is the small car GM is referring to, but it's not the only option. The automaker could also introduce a model slightly larger than the Spark that would still slot below the upcoming Chevy Cruze compact that's slated to replace the aging Chevrolet Cobalt, possibly based on either the Opel Corsa or Astra. Have any other ideas? Check out the press release after the jump, and then free to sound off in the comments.



[Source: General Motors]

In addition to the Corvette Centennial Concept, Chevrolet showed three more AUTOBOTS at the Chicago Auto Show that will make their big screen debuts in the upcoming Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen live action flick, along with one that we're all very familiar with. While we've seen images of the Chevy Volt on the Transformers set, this is the first time that GM has displayed the vehicle for public consumption. This is no show car, as the vehicle on display showed significant wear and tear from its day job. In robot form, the Volt will be known as Jolt, which makes us hope for some shocking footage this summer.

The other two vehicles were the Chevy Beat, which will be called the Spark when it enters production soon, and the Chevy Trax. These two vehicles will be known as Skids and Mudflap respectively, and we're hearing these two 'bots could provide a bit of comic relief to what will otherwise be a sobering storyline. Lastly, we have the yellow and black Camaro, aka Bumblebee, which was represented in both car form and in 17-foot-tall robot form. See the whole lot of 'em in our high-res live gallery below.



Photos copyright ©2009 Jeremy Korzeniewski / Weblogs, Inc.

While details remain sparse, General Motors rolled out its three-door Beat Concept from the 2007 New York Auto Show, promising that a version of the car will be produced beginning in 2010 for foreign markets, and for the US in 2011. Oddly, unlike the three-door sub-Aveo – sized hatch that rolled on to this morning's main stage, the production Spark figures to be a five-door hatchback capable of delivering 40 miles-per-gallon in the city. Officials indicate that a production version of the Spark will roll out at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and AB readers have already seen development prototypes running around.

Interestingly, the leaked shot that we showed you yesterday clearly shows a five-door vehicle. Perhaps it will roll onto display stands later in the show, but for now, GM has chosen to parade the 2007 three-door showcar around. We'll do some poking around, but in the meantime, take a gander at the high-res gallery of shots below and click through to the jump for the press release.

As the hours wind down before the 2009 Detroit Auto Show finally kicks off in the morning, more vehicles are leaking through the manufacturers' embargo nets. The latest addition to the list is the 2010 Chevy Spark, teased earlier this week on Today by GM design honcho Ed Welburn. Spark is the production version of the Chevy Beat concept that made its debut alongside the Trax and Groove at New York two years ago. Beat was the winner of a public poll to see which of the three microcar concepts would make it to production. We also know that Beat/Spark's going to get some time in the limelight as a character in this summer's Transformers sequel.

The itsy-bitsy new "world car" has grown a second set of doors in production trim, but otherwise, its styling remains remarkably true to the Beat show car. Roof rails hint at real-world practicality, and the fact that GM is choosing Detroit to unveil it suggests that maybe, just maybe, we'll see it here after all. We'll know more as the show gets officially underway, but we can say one thing: it's more interesting than the car it's presumably set to replace in other markets. We'll have plenty more when we see it up close.

[Source: WCF via CarSpyShots]

AB reader Kyle Swift just sent us a few cellphone pics he took of a Chevrolet Beat prototype lounging around at New York's Rochester Institute of Technology. The camouflaged runabout was spotted in a parking lot on the university's grounds, possibly visiting from nearby Delphi.

As you may recall, the Chevy Beat was the most popular of a trio of concepts Chevy showed to the world at the 2007 New York Auto Show. Based on General Motors' new global mini-car platform, the Beat was designed as the sportiest of the triplets with a 1.2L turbocharged gas engine mated to an automatic transmission.

At the 2007 L.A. Auto Show, Bob Lutz announced that the Beat will go into global production outside of North America in mid-2009. Production is set to begin in South Korea where the car was originally created at GM's design studio in Bupyeong. Since its concept unveiling, the Beat has grown an extra set of doors to ease rear-seat ingress and egress, and sadly, word is that it has also dropped its turbocharger. The production 1.2L 16-valve DOHC inline-four will be mated to either a manual or automatic gearbox, however.

The Beat is expected to make its production debut sometime in 2010 and will go on sale in Europe in early 2011. As previously reported, the Beat won't be coming to the U.S. until it meets federal crash-test standards, which means we probably won't see it until at least 2012. A big hat tip to Kyle.

The Chevy Beat will hopefully succeed as GM's high-volume entry into the micro-car market, and the General's Korean design team has been tasked with making the little hatch look more expensive than it is. We were able to take a look at spy photos of the Beat on the outside back in August, and learned that a four-door version is in the pipeline. Now we're getting our first look at the production interior, and the pic is completely undisguised.

The first thing we noticed was a very unique gauge cluster. The GM design team put the main displays in two completely separate pods. On the left is a typical round speedometer, while a square display -- possibly used for testing purposes -- is on the right. The look is definitely different, and almost aftermarket in appearance.

The dash as a whole carries the exterior design theme of the concept, with flowing lines drawing our attention to the Beat's center stack. The console is far more traditional than the gauges, with a bare minimum of buttons and knobs and what appears to be some matte black low-grade plastics.

While our first glance at the Beat's interior leaves us cautiously optimistic for the little city car as a whole, we're still disappointed that the General isn't planning to bring their global micro car to the US. Then again, we see cup holders due north of the transmission. Maybe there's hope yet. Thanks for the tip, Corey!


[Source: The College Driver]

When GM and the UAW agreed to a new contract in 2007, several new models and the plants in which they would be built were agreed on. Drastic shifts in customer tastes are changing those plans rapidly, and the General is scrambling to deliver. GM was planning to build a seven-seat crossover based off its global Delta small car platform at the Detroit Hamtramck plant next year, but the Wall Street Journal is now reporting that the vehicle will no longer be produced for the US market.

The small MPV, which is being unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in concept form as the Chevy Orlando, will still be available in Europe where small seven-seaters are much more popular than here in the States. The small crossover will instead be replaced by a compact vehicle from Asia, possibly the Chevy Beat. However, GM never designed the Beat to meet U.S. crash-test standards, but hopefully the extra resources freed up by nixing the Orlando's U.S. launch could make that happen in quick order.


[Source: Wall Street Journal]

Testing of the Chevy Beat is officially underway, and our friends at NextAutos have procured the first set of spy shots. The camo'd mule is still sporting the short overhangs and upright silhouette of the concept, but GM decided to equip the squat city car with another set of doors to make ingress and egress easier for rear-seat passengers.

Initial reports suggest that power will be provided by a 1.2-liter 16-valve DOHC inline-four, mated to either a manual or automatic gearbox. The Beat will make its production debut sometime in 2010 and will go on sale in Europe in early 2011. As previously reported, the Beat won't be making the trek to the U.S. until it meets the fed's crash-test standards, so we won't get a shot at the Beat until the next generation arrives – whenever that is.


[Source: NextAutos]

In the wake of the Chevy Beat news that started pounding the wires before the 4th of July weekend, the Wall Street Journal reached out to Bob Lutz for some commentary on the topic. Lutz, in an email to the Journal, said, "We always thought we'd do it at some point, but now it obviously enjoys a much higher priority." Based on what the Journal says, this loosely translates to "the 2012 timeframe." Unfortunately for GM, this is a car that its U.S. operation needs approximately yesterday. It would behoove the brain trust in the RenCen to stop debating this and simply end all the speculation by formally announcing a U.S. Beat and attaching a timetable, already (as in, now). We think that the car's appearance as an Autobot in next summer's Transformers follow-up will help create enough public interest for that GM will be forced to make some sort declaration if they haven't by then already (TF2 opens on June 26, 2009).

As we've suggested, GM would probably do itself a big favor by greenlighting production versions of all three Triplet concepts, sending the Trax (also featured in TF2) and Groove to showrooms, too. The argument that Americans aren't into small cars/econocars/hatchbacks is quickly losing water, as automaker sales numbers would attest. There's a reason the Civic now outsells the F-150 and that the Hyundai Accent saw a 70% jump last month. Toyota isn't adding the 5-door Yaris to the U.S. lineup on a whim, either. Market forces, in the form of elevated fuel prices, are altering the landscape, and people are a lot more willing to look at (and buy) something smaller and more economical. It's just reality. The longer General Motors deliberates, the longer it's going to get beaten by competitors who have product ready to go right now. Don't wait for for the popcorn-chompers to play focus group and beg for these cars next summer. Grow a set and make the announcement now. Who would've thought that Michael Bay has a better vision of the future than the General itself? In his, GM's cool, stylish minicars will be on the streets next summer. We know that's not possible in real life, but GM needs embrace the fact that a market now exists in the United States for the Beat (and its siblings) and make the obvious call.


[Source: Wall Street Journal]