Chevrolet must have been taking pages from the Ford playbook. How else do you explain the Chevrolet Spark Activ, its new high-riding almost-crossover? Like the Ford EcoSport, set to make its debut at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show, the Spark Activ is a jacked-up subcompact. In this case Chevy raised the ride height by 0.4 inches and added a few extra bits and bobs to give the Spark crossover cred. Those include roof rails, rocker moldings and a rear bumper covered in plastic cladding.

The Spark Activ also features a revised grille and new 15-inch wheels. Engine options weren't revealed but the standard Spark is powered by a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine making 98 horsepower and 94 lb-ft of torque. We expect the same power plant to be on offer in the Activ, although the automaker might want to consider tweaking it to make more horsepower since, you know, this is a crossover and all. As for pricing, the Spark Activ will be considerably more expensive than the other trims currently available. The manual bases at $16,945 and the CVT-equipped model will go for $18,045. For reference the 2017 Spark costs $13,875 for the manual and $14,975 if you spec it with a CVT.

Are those extra 0.4 inches really worth a couple thousand bucks? We'll let you know once we see the Spark Activ at the 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show.