2014 CHEVY SPARK IS TOP SAFETY PICK

General Motors has had a lot of wins recently. Look at the North American International Auto Show finalist for car and truck. Corvette is looking good for CAR of the YEAR. Then Silverado looks like also a winner against the superb Fiat/Chrysler Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Acura MDX SUV.

GM sold all their shares that the US Government owned.

GM is bringing a BILLION PLUS to Michigan to manufacture vehicles. The story is so much more. The company will be run by two engineers. One is Mary Bara the gorgeous /brilliant engineer who has never left her internship at GM after graduation at what was then the GM Institute. She takes over for an amazing finance manager as the head of the company. Mary Barra will not only handle Global Vehicle Development but also be the CEO of General Motors.  I had the opportunity to meet this “new sheriff in town” at the media event last week. Her eyes alone told me she is determined to continue building GM’s dominance in product development World Wide.

Mark Reuss is the other brilliant Engineer to handle the recovery of General Motors. I believe that these two engineers the thousands of General Motor’s family will bring back Detroit.

Since the 1950’s GM has not introduced so many vehicles so quickly. With the engineers and their teams I expect some of the finest vehicles ever to be introduced over the next few years.

The 2014 Chevrolet Spark is an example of what GM will bring to the market. The Spark is a Top Safety Pick in its first year of eligibility, and is the only vehicle in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety minicar segment to earn the rating in 2014 model year testing.

Spark achieved highest possible "good" scores in the IIHS's moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints tests, and scored an "acceptable" in IIHS's new small overlap test, designed to replicate what happens when the front corner of a vehicle strikes another vehicle or an object like a tree or a utility pole.

"Spark's impressive performance in IIHS's most stringent test yet demonstrates the intensive efforts of our global safety team to deliver big safety in a small package," said Gay Kent, General Motors general director of Vehicle Safety and Crashworthiness. "Spark's safety structure makes extensive use of high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels and its robust passenger protection package includes 10 standard air bags."

The Spark had to meet EPA ratings. I believe that hurt it. They had to meet other D-Segment highway rating of 38 like the Nissan Altima and pretty much every B- and C-segment car. But, that was in 2012 and now in 2013 improvements with the SPARK engine and transmission, suspension have made the SPARK a great subcompact vehicle. That is in addition to it’s superb safety rating.

Other World manufacturers to receive mention included Nissan with their VERSA. NISSAN and INFINITI  have been given awards for engines, safety and more awards in the years past.

Then look at Kia and their KIA Sorento that was also given accolades for their improvements in safety. They and all other manufacturers in the sub compact market are only getting better.

The competition in the Sub Compact Segment is good and will keep GM, Ford, Fiat/Chrysler and all the others working to make the segment better.

Closing of GM facilities in Australia and Korea have affected those areas financially. Ford decided to move out of Australia and soon we expect Toyota to do the same thing. I believe the cost of production in Australia /New Zealand caused the move. I asked many GM media staff why and they were not able to comment.

GM may become a bigger player in North America as has already been promised with their expansion in Michigan.

The SPARK offers the biggest bang for the buck for the GM, Chevy, Chrysler/Fiat, Ford yet seen. But, look to the new HONDA FIT to make them to even produce better subcompact vehicles. They already have decided that the sub compact SPARK is a vehicle that their audience loves. They are going to improve the SPARK beyond what is available from CHEVY.

THE AUTO ADVISOR GROUP AND ALL THE OTHER CONSULTANTS WE DISCUSSED THE FUTURE OF GENERAL MOTORS AGREE GM HAS MADE WAVES.  AUTOMOBILE MAGAZINE, AUTOWEEK, CONSUMER REPORTS, MOTOR TREND, AUTO CHANNEL AND INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINES FEEL LIKE WE DO GM IS IN A GREAT POSITION TO MOVE EVER FURTHER UP THE FOOD CHAIN.

Our group of writers/photographers/videographers and consultants are based in Florida, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Michigan and we see from these bases where consumers are going. It looks excellent for the big three/four.

BRUCE HUBBARD

BONNIE LYNCH-EDITORIAL

BRADLEY HUBBARD-RESEARCH/Photo- VIDEO