GM looking for boost from Spark

DETROIT, March 3 (UPI) -- General Motors Corp. is showing off its little Spark in Geneva, Switzerland, this week in hopes the subcompact will ignite interest among car buyers.

While the South Korea-built Spark currently is being pitched for Euoropean and Asian markets, the 11 1/2-foot mini-car is being revamped to meet U.S. standards and is expected to reach dealer showrooms in 2-3 years, The Detroit News reported Tuesday.

Once it reaches all of markets, the financially strapped U.S. automaker is counting on annual sales of at least 250,000 to 300,000 cars, the newspaper said.

At the Geneva auto show, GM is showing the Spark alongside other new models, such as the Opel Ampera, an extended-range electric vehicle related to the Chevrolet Volt.

"Our development team in Korea has a long history of doing successful mini-cars," said Jon Lauckner, vice president of GM's global program management.