Chevrolet Beat/Spark owners have a reason or two to be happy about. The Korean New Car Assessment Program (KNCAP) has certified the Chevrolet Beat/Spark with best ratings bestowed upon it nothing less than five stars. Chevrolet Beat was awarded four stars in last year’s Euro NCAP as well. The car showed immaculate mettle during the front crash and frontal offset crash tests.

“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 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.

The Euro NCAP gave a maximum score of eight points in the side-impact crash test against a moving deformable barrier. The Chevrolet Spark also received a 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.

The Spark also scored big in terms of child restraint system dynamic performance tests. The active and passive safety features of the car enhance its structural safety. More than 66 per cent of the car has been built using high-strength steel, with 16.5 percent comprised of ultra high-strength steel.

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).
General Motors has launched Spark/ Beat in Asian countries including India and some parts of Europe. Chevrolet Spark will be launched in the US by 2012.