When it comes to compact cars, sometimes carmakers can get too cutesy, thinking they have to design it for teenage girls. Not so with the Sonic, as it retains a broader-ranging appeal, despite its dimunitive stature.
And, headroom and legroom is fantastic when compared to other compact cars, even in the backseat. Now, I’m not saying the back seat is comfortable for long trips, but adults can fit back there if necessary. For a weekly trip to the grocery store, the Sonic held its own with some strategic placement of the groceries in the 19-cubic-foot hatch/trunk.
Attention to detail was evident with the leather seats and impressive stitching found on the seats. The materials used for the dash and other touchpoints felt improved from the Aveo (the car it replaces) and other similar models.
Just as impressive for me was the driveability of the Sonic. The 1.8-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine produces 138 horsepower. That may not sound impressive, but when compared to other competitors it’s segment-leading. The Honda Fit engine delivers only 117 HP and the Ford Fiesta a mere 120 HP. So the Sonic has some pep. There is an optional 1.4-liter turbocharged engine that I’ve heard is even more fun to drive. Consider the Aveo only produced 108 HP and you can see how far Chevy has come with their small-engine technology.
The maneuveribility and agility of the Sonic is fantastic, which you’d expect from such a small car.
I did expect a better, tighter turning radius and that would be one area I would like to see improvement upon as the steering was a little rigid and not as nimble as you would expect from a compact car.
Fuel economy for the 6-speed automatic transmission that I drove averaged 31 MPG. The 1.8-liter base model rates at 25 city/35 highway (the manual transmission model sees a 1 MPG improvement). The 1.4-liter turbocharged engine rates even better at 29/40.
Pricing for the Sonic starts at $14,495 for the sedan and $15,395 for the hatchback. My tester came in at $19,450 with lots of add ons, including an additional $1,000 for the six-speed automatic transmission.
The Sonic replaces the underwhelming and underperforming Chevy Aveo, which was assembled in South Korea, while the Sonic is assembled at the Orion Twp. plant in Michigan.
This will be an important vehicle for Chevy to promote and sell, and will determine whether GM can change with the times to design small, fuel-efficient vehicles that will have mass appeal.
Judging from the week I spent with the Sonic, I will say there’s no reason to believe that the Sonic won’t be a big success.
Jimmy Dinsmore is the Wheels editor at the Dayton Daily News and may be reached at (937) 225-2115. Follow him on Twitter @wheelseditor
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