GM to end Spark production after summer 2022

General Motors Co. is discontinuing the Chevrolet Spark, its entry-level model and one of the few cars it has left in the lineup. 

Production of the South Korean-built hatchback will end after August 2022, Chevrolet confirmed Thursday. Car and Driver reported the news Wednesday.

“Customers seeking comfort, function and style at an approachable price still have strong options within Chevrolet’s family of compact SUVs,” spokesman Kevin Kelly said in a statement. 

The move is unsurprising since GM has been phasing out car production for years now. The Detroit automaker previously halted production of the Chevy Cruze, Sonic and Impala, leaving three car nameplates on its roster: the Camaro, Corvette and Malibu. 

“It fits with the trend of GM, like its domestic competitors, eliminating most cars from its line,” said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Cox Automotive, in a statement on the Spark’s discontinuation. “Sales of the Spark have never been huge and have tumbled.”

In 2021, GM sold only 24,459 Sparks, down 27% from the previous year. For the fourth quarter, GM sold fewer than 1,500. GM released the Spark in the U.S. market in 2012. 

“In non-COVID times, Chevy sold between 5,000 to 11,000 in a quarter, a drop in the bucket for a brand that in normal times sells a half-million or so vehicles in a quarter,” Krebs said.

Once the Spark — with a starting sticker price of $13,600 — ends, the Chevy brand’s entry-level product will be the Trax small SUV with a starting price of $21,400.

The Spark was also America’s cheapest car, according to Kelley Blue Book, which reports the Mitsubishi Mirage will now take that title with its starting price of $14,645.

While GM and other domestic automakers prioritize full-size trucks and SUVs, the Japanese and South Korean brands have kept their cars.