Sonic Hatchback: Chevrolet Finally Gets a Subcompact Right

Never covering itself in glory, the unremarkable Chevrolet Aveo will be quickly forgotten in the wake of its replacement, the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic.

Never particularly important to Chevrolet, it was content for years to farm out its subcompact entry-level car to a Korean subsidiary.

Although the new Sonic sprang from Aveo DNA, it is such a giant leap forward that a millennium from now automobile anthropologists will be searching for the missing link between the two.

The Sonic, built in Michigan, comes in 4-door and 5-door hatchback versions with the choice of two engines and three transmissions. This evaluation will concentrate on the 5-door hatchback that Chevrolet provided.

Arriving at the airport in Raleigh, NC, Chevrolet put us in an Inferno Orange Metallic Sonic 2LTZ for the drive to Virginia International Raceway where we were scheduled to test the new 580 hp Camaro ZL1 the following day.

Beginning with the $14,765 LS, there are three trim levels. Between the LS and the $17,365 LTZ is the $15,865 LT. Putting a “2” in front of any of these trim designations indicates the 6-speed automatic transmission option—a $1,070 upgrade on the LS and LT, and a $1,260 premium on the LTZ. Sedan versions cost between $700 and $900 less based on the trim.

From the driver’s seat, Sonic is roomy, comfortable, and user-friendly.

Having never been inside a Sonic, I was nearly as interested in it as I was in the Camaro ZL1. Reviews and sales of the Sonic have been very good. Could Chevrolet have finally gotten a subcompact right? In a word: yes.

Chevrolet plotted a driving route that involved both expressway and surface-road driving. Although the route wasn’t particularly taxing, it did include some curves and rolling hills.

From the driver’s seat, Sonic is roomy, comfortable and user-friendly. All the bits and pieces are carefully assembled. Refreshingly modern if not a bit quirky, the layout and design of the dashboard puts everything well within the driver’s reach and sight line. A buffet of flowing shapes and attention-grabbing angles, the dashboard elements coalesce into an effective command center.

Both front- and rear-seat occupants find plenty of head and legroom. It compares favorably with the Hyundai Accent and Ford Fiesta in front-seat legroom, while having significantly more rear-seat legroom than either of those competitors. At 19 cubic feet, Sonic has more cargo space behind the second-row seat than Fiesta and less than Accent. The cargo space increases to 30.7 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.

Here’s is what is truly amazing: When cocooned inside Sonic’s roomy cabin, it’s quiet. Not just sort of quiet, but really, really quiet. Ride quality is very good too, but it’s the quiet that is most noticeable.

Improved Fuel Economy in 1.4-Litre

Contributing to the ride quality is a suspension composed of MacPherson struts in front and a torsion beam in the rear. This is a common arrangement among subcompacts, but Chevrolet did a better job fine-tuning it than some of the competition.

An antilock system supervises the disc brakes on all four corners. Stability control, traction control, electronic brakeforce distribution, and emergency braking assist are all standard. An impressive 10 airbags are standard in every Sonic.

Whether it’s the normally aspirated 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine that’s standard across the Sonic lineup, or the turbocharged 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine that’s optional in the LT and LTZ trims, 138 hp goes to the front wheels. The 1.4-liter has more torque for zestier acceleration.

A 5-speed manual transmission is standard with the 1.8-liter, while a 6-speed manual tranny comes with the 1.4-liter. Regardless of the engine, the transmission upgrade is to a 6-speed automatic. A hill-hold feature is standard across the board.

Another benefit of the turbocharged 1.4-liter is improved fuel economy. With the manual transmission the 1.4-liter manages an EPA-estimated 29 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway. This drops to 27 mpg city/37 mpg highway with the automatic. Both are better than the 26 mpg city/35 mpg highway attained with the 1.8-liter and manual transmission. Switching to the automatic transmission shaves 1 mpg from the 1.8-liter’s city number.

Even the bottom-of-the-pack LS is adequately equipped with air conditioning, power door locks with remote keyless entry, tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, trip computer, OnStar telecommunications system with free six months service, and a 4-speaker audio system with auxiliary input jack.

Stepping up to the LT adds full power accessories, heated outboard mirrors, and an upgraded audio system with CD player, and satellite radio.

The extra cash spent on the LTZ trim buys heated front seats, cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, redundant audio controls mounted on the steering wheel, and 17” alloy wheels.

No matter how it is equipped, the Sonic is still a subcompact with all the limitations that implies. But finally Chevrolet is taking this segment seriously. Sonic should help the carmaker keep some customers in the Chevrolet family as they move up to a Cruze, Malibu, or even a Camaro when it comes time to trade in.

Sonic may not be perfect, but it’s much closer to hitting that mark than any other subcompact that’s worn the blue bowtie.

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