What is it?
2012 Chevrolet Sonic
What's special about it?
The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is the small car GM has been saying it will build for decades. This time, however, the Sonic has been given a stylish look along with a generous helping of the company's latest technology. Penalty box? No, just a smaller version of the company's best sedans. At least that's how Chevrolet is pitching it.
Positioned to compete with Ford's Fiesta, Mazda's 2, Honda's Fit and Toyota's Yaris, Chevrolet's new entry will be available as a sedan or a five-door hatchback. There will be a choice of two engines and three transmissions, which it shares with the larger, heavier Chevy Cruze.
Engine choices include a turbocharged 1.4-liter inline four-cylinder rated at 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque or a 1.8-liter normally aspirated inline four-cylinder rated at 135 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed manual and six-speed automatic can both be paired with the 1.8-liter engine, while a six-speed manual is the only transmission option available with the 1.4-liter turbo mill. Fuel economy numbers haven't been released.
Those are class-leading power numbers according to Chevy, but the company is also bragging about the Sonic's suspension. It's nothing fancy in terms of hardware — struts up front, torsion beam out back — but the task of tuning them was turned over to engineers who also tuned the Corvette. Does that mean the Sonic will be a sportier subcompact than the Aveo that came before it? Maybe.
If anything, it shows that Chevrolet is more serious than ever about making its small car feel refined. To that end, the Sonic was designed with one of the stiffest chassis in the segment and the wheel sizes range up to 17 inches in diameter. The standard electronic stability control system also features rollover sensors and 10 airbags.
Mechanical bits aside, the Sonic also features a well-stocked interior, if you pay up for the options, of course. It offers heated front seats, remote start and a sunroof. The sedan's trunk space is also segment-leading, and both body styles offer more rear-seat room than the Ford Fiesta. Rear seats fold almost flat to increase cargo capacity, but there's no sign of any kind of multi-adjustable rear seat like the Honda Fit
The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic goes into production later this year at GM's Orion plant in Michigan.
Inside Line says: When it comes to subcompacts, most buyers are interested in utility first and performance last, which makes Honda's Fit a hard entry to beat. Still, the Sonic is a striking-looking package with some nice features, and that counts for something. — Josh Jacquot, Senior Editor
Add A Comment »
cjw88 says:
11:28 AM, 01/13/2011
P.S.
I love the motorcycle inspired gauge cluster.
Although judging by the comments left so far it seems it might not be mainstream enough for most.
Maybe it could be an option. With something more traditional as standard equipment.
Just don't discard it all together.
cjw88 says:
11:20 AM, 01/13/2011
I really like all the design elements. Great looking interior and mature exterior design. Plus, it comes with all the right engine/trans. combinations and options!
Cant wait to see one in person.
Glad GM is one the same page as the rest of the world now. Seems like they learned the difference between what is appealing and what gimmicky from the Camaro.
flwind says:
02:18 PM, 01/11/2011
Will be the best looking small car on the market and will definitely have the best engine option. 1.4T might make for a nice little tuner engine. I can see these easily and reliabily tuned to 150-200hp which would make this a very fun little car.
jscion says:
07:23 PM, 01/10/2011
WOW! VERY impressive for GM. I escpecially like the sedan version which is actually done very well. The dashboard unfortunately isn't quite there. The gauge cluster looks like someone glued a tomtom to the dashboard just like it does in the Spark. Just doesn't look right! The Sonic is EONS better than the Aveo but hints of cheap econobox are still there.
xorbe says:
02:07 PM, 01/10/2011
1.4 turbo hatchback, 6 speed manual, sunroof, heated seats??? Fit sales are going to suffer unless Honda steps up their game!
andiamo66 says:
09:09 AM, 01/10/2011
I'm so glad they got rid of the Aveo name. The old name just screamed, "cheap crap". This car should be a worthy addition to the Chevy line-up. Finally a bit of style and sportiness to the entry level cars. Good job GM.
mustang5507 says:
12:08 AM, 01/10/2011
I forgot to add that the Sonic sedan actually looks better than the Fiesta sedan, and knocks the Versa and Yaris out of the ballpark.
mustang5507 says:
12:07 AM, 01/10/2011
I agree with blackdynamite on all counts. Where the Fiesta is Euro-stylish, the Sonic looks rather substantial for a tiny subcompact, however. The grill and the fender flares really work well on this car. And the interior looks vastly better than the Fit. Can't argue with those power numbers...if the EPA rates the Cruze 1.4 at 40mpg on the highway, if this thing is substantially lighter, its mileage might even threaten the Golf TDI.
3zooms says:
10:17 PM, 01/09/2011
Looks pretty cool, hopefully it is better in every way than the Aveo it is replacing...
...so the Aveo was a re-badged South Korean Daewoo, yes?
I am wondering if it is safe to assume this new Sonic model is a Daewoo, as well?
blackdynamite0 says:
09:07 PM, 01/09/2011
The power does impress
The Cruze should have about 155-160HP to cope with it's big hips
Not lovin' the name, or the tach design (Both are tacky at best)
But I think this has potential!
More style than the Fit
More power than Fiesta
Never seen the domestics offer two of the best mini-compacts before
BD