2012 Chevrolet Sonic: Simple ingredients for a very tasty dish...

The brand new Chevrolet Sonic is replacing the Aveo, which will hardly be missed. If all that matters to you is whether or not the Sonic is better than its predecessor, the answer is a resounding YES, so you can stop reading immediately. But if you want to know if the Sonic is the best in its category, which also includes the Hyundai Accent, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and Toyota Yaris, you’ll have to keep reading...

First of all, the Sonic is offered in two versions: the sedan and the hatchback. As is often the case, the latter is more aesthetically pleasing, at least in my  opinion. However, in both cases, the most obvious visual signature is the same as before: the strikingly beautiful protruding headlights. But how nice will these headlights look covered in frozen mud next winter? You should also note that the backdoor handles on the five-door version are placed in such a way that they’re nearly invisible.

The hatchback’s trunk isn’t the biggest in the category (the Honda Fit’s is much bigger), but the finish is nice and the back seats lay flat once folded down. The floor can be removed, adding precious litres to the loading capacity. The sedan offers a surprisingly large trunk considering the car’s dimensions.

Motorcycle-inspired dashboard

The changes are just as drastic in the passenger compartment, especially compared to the Aveo. It’s modern, well lit and it respects basic ergonomic principles, despite the deplorably hard plastics (at least they won’t scratch easily). The pod housing the dashboard’s most important information is inspired by the world of motorcycles, a link that I wouldn’t have automatically made. Once you get used to seeing a needle for the rev-counter and a nice, blue digital display for the speed, you won’t even notice them anymore. 

The seats are very comfortable, at least for the few hours that we sat in them during the launch. Note that the driver’s seat is height-adjustable and has an armrest, while the passenger’s seat doesn’t have any of these bells and whistles. During a brief visit to the rear bench, I learned that it was very hard but not uncomfortable. The head and foot room is decent, but there’s only one cup holder.

Sonic maybe, supersonic no!!!

As for mechanics, Chevrolet proposes two engines. The 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo Ecotec is disturbingly inefficient at low speeds, in spite of the “turbo”. Things only begin to improve around 2,500 rpm. You’ll have to learn to handle the stick shift on hills. We did an impromptu 0-100 km/hr in 11.2 seconds, which is nothing to write home about. However, the pick-up (from 80 to 120 km/hr, for example) seemed reasonably powerful. Although the engine is a turbo, it makes do with regular gasoline.

The other engine also an Ecotec, but, this time, it’s a 1.8-litre naturally aspirated version. Both engines feature 138 horsepower, but the torque is superior in the case of the turbo (148 lbs-ft versus 125). If these numbers ring a bell, it’s because the Sonic has inherited the Chevrolet Cruze’s mechanics. Another impromptu 0-100 km/hr gave us a pitiful time of 12.2 seconds. More serious testing are needed to confirm or discount this figure.

Besides the fact that the Sonic is desperately slow to get going from a standstill, there’s little to find fault with in these smooth and adaptable engines. According to Chevrolet, its fuel consumption is 7.3L/100 km in town and 5.1 on the highway for the turbo. On Highway 20, at speeds that were 20-30% above the legal limit, our Sonic consumed 6.9 L/100 km. The previous day, a drive on a back road with a Sonic equipped with the 1.8-litre engine revealed a fuel consumption of...6.9! GM mentions 7.7 litres in town and 5.6 on the highway, which is far from impressive.

Let’s talk transmissions

You’ll find a factory-standard five-speed manual gearbox in the 1.8-litre engine versions. Sonics destined for more well-to-do families will have a six-speed automatic, which does an admirable job, but will never make it to the automatic transmission Hall of Fame. You can change gears yourself using a button on the side of the stickshift (like Ford) but you’ll tire of it quickly. As for the six-speed manual, offered with the 1.4-litre turbo, manoeuvring the stick is infinitely more pleasant then it was in the awful Aveo. The shifting distance is a little long and the clutch is too soft for my tastes, but that’s par for the course in the sub-compact category. During the launch, GM didn’t bring a five-speed manual sedan or an automatic for the turbo. The latter will not be offered before 2012.

On the road, the Sonic is a pleasant surprise. First of all, the platform is brand-new – it wasn’t borrowed from any other model, according to the Chevrolet’s engineers. It’s noticeably sturdy. I was surprised by how quiet the ride is, especially since small GM cars have never been known for being quiet. Even in acceleration, the engine doesn’t feel like it’s going to die a slow and agonizing death.

The front strut and rear torsion bar suspensions do a very good job. Yes, an independent suspension is more stable than a torsion bar on bumpy roads, but disparaging it would be disingenuous. Don’t forget that a torsion bar suspension gives you maximum clearance in the trunk. In any case, you wouldn’t go up against a Lotus Evora S with a sub-compact, would you? As for the power steering, feedback from the road is limited, but in curves its precision helps position the car where it’s supposed to be.

Sibling rivalry?

The prices for the Sonic sedan are as follows:

$14,495 for the LS
$16,495 for the LT
$20,495 for the LTZ with a turbo engine

For a Sonic hatchback, we’re talking...

$15,495$ for the LS
$17,495$ for the LT
$20,995$ for the LTZ with a turbo engine

We can tell you that the Sonic is better equipped than the majority of its competitors (it’s the only one, for example, to offer a navigation system with its standard equipment – OnStar turn by turn) but its price range could make many think twice. Even more so when for within a few hundred dollars, there’s its less cute but roomier and more comfortable sister, the Cruze. For the time being, the Cruze comes in a sedan but a hatchback version is on the way...

The new Sonic is far superior to the sad Aveo. Granted, I haven’t done a proper comparison of all the recent creations in the category, but off the top of my head, I’d say that, price notwithstanding, the Sonic, ranks in the middle of the pack behind the Honda Fit and Hyundai Accent, but ahead of the Fiesta and way out in front of the Versa and Yaris. But I could be wrong...