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Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Chevrolet Spark Earns 5-Star Safety Rating from KNCAP Follows 4-Star Safety Rating from Euro NCAP

Seoul – The new Chevrolet Spark minicar has earned the top rating of five stars from the Korean New Car Assessment Program (KNCAP), which today released its safety ratings for new vehicles launched in Korea. Currently available in Asia and Europe, the Spark will debut in the United States in 2012.
The Spark (called Matiz in South Korea) received a maximum five stars in KNCAP’s frontal crash test, offset frontal crash test and side crash test. The Spark received a four-star rating, one point short of a five-star rating, from the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) last November.
“The outstanding performance of our new mini-car in stringent NCAP testing reflects our attention to safety as well as eye-catching styling and great packaging," said Jack Keaton, vehicle line executive for General Motors’ Global Mini-Vehicle. “GM has made safety a focus as part of our ongoing commitment to design, build and sell the best vehicles in the world.”
The overall KNCAP test results confirm the Spark ensures outstanding safety performance in collisions from all directions: front, side and rear. The Spark received a score of 15.1 percent out of 16 percent and a five-star rating in the frontal crash test at 56 km/h. It also received a five-star rating in the offset frontal crash test at 64 km/h, and side crash test at 54 km/h against a moving deformable barrier.
The Spark scored a four-star rating in pedestrian protection, with the best scores ever (19.54 points out of a maximum 30 points) for any car category, and the whiplash test.
In adult protection testing carried out by Euro NCAP, the Spark received the maximum score of eight points in the side-impact crash test against a moving deformable barrier. It also received a high score of 7.35 points out of 8 points in the side pole test, indicating solid passenger protection in the event of a more severe side collision.
In child protection testing, the Spark also scored maximum points in child restraint system dynamic performance tests, which evaluate child protection from possible injuries in various types of crashes. Crash test dummies representing 1.5-year-old and 3-year-old children were properly restrained by the Spark's protective shell during side impact tests.
These achievements are the result of the Spark's structural enhancements combined with a full offering of active and passive safety features. More than 66 percent of the minicar's body is constructed of high-strength steel, with 16.5 percent comprised of ultra high-strength steel. The latter is mostly used in the longitudinal member of the underbody, and front and center pillars in the side body structure.
In addition to its strong results in KNCAP and Euro NCAP testing, the Spark received a Grade 1 rating from the Korea Insurance Development Institute (KIDI).
About Chevrolet
Chevrolet is a global automotive brand, with annual sales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. In the U.S., the Chevrolet portfolio includes: iconic performance cars, such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long lasting pickups and SUVs, such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers, such as Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers "gas-friendly" solutions, such as the upcoming 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco model that is expected to deliver up to an estimated 40 mpg highway, and 2011 Chevrolet Volt that will offer  up to 40 miles of electric driving and an additional 300 miles of extended range with the onboard generator (based on GM testing).  Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security, and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response, and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models, fuel solutions, and OnStar availability can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

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