How many more production years does the Sonic have?
- Thread starter Sonic
- Start date
laborsmith
New member
Usual age age 3 to 6 years. Refreshing at the fourth year will last thru six.
Biggest exception to prove the rule: Corvette which can go for almost a decade for an iteration.
Not an answer as I suspect not even GM knows if it will keep the Sonic name. By the way, the Cavalier carried the letter J in the fourth spot in the VIN, which spot specifies the vehicle line. Example: Corvette has a Y [/I ]in that spot and Firebirds in the past and Camaros in the present use the letter F in that spot.
So: does the question originally posed refer to SONIC or does it refer to vehicle line? Clearly there is a difference between a fourth generation CAMARO and a fifth generation yet both have F in the fourth spot of the VIN.
Clearly what we have here is a Clintonian "that depends on what 'is" means question.
Yes, among my favorites.
Laborsmith
Twelve years. Not based on anything.
Biggest exception to prove the rule: Corvette which can go for almost a decade for an iteration.
Not an answer as I suspect not even GM knows if it will keep the Sonic name. By the way, the Cavalier carried the letter J in the fourth spot in the VIN, which spot specifies the vehicle line. Example: Corvette has a Y [/I ]in that spot and Firebirds in the past and Camaros in the present use the letter F in that spot.
So: does the question originally posed refer to SONIC or does it refer to vehicle line? Clearly there is a difference between a fourth generation CAMARO and a fifth generation yet both have F in the fourth spot of the VIN.
Clearly what we have here is a Clintonian "that depends on what 'is" means question.
Yes, among my favorites.
Laborsmith
Twelve years. Not based on anything.
rdss
Junior Member
I think he's referring to the Sonic name since the Sonic is just a updated and rebadged Aveo for the US market. Even with all the improvements the "Sonic" brought, I think it would have been a hard sale to keep the Aveo name in this market and it may have not seen the success it has. But, no one will ever know now.
angus
New member
I feel this is the First small car that GM has brought to the US market where the Name will be carried on for several generations, in the past the created such one hit gems as, The Vega, The Chevette, The Metro and The Aveo. None of these cars really had a positive buzz about them, so there was no desire for the names to carry forward. If Chevy keeps the Sonic Quality and Value going there is no reason for them not to want continue using the Sonic name...
ss2000slp
New member
Don't forget the Nova! (The crappy import one)
And who didn't like the Chevette? That was part Chevelle part Corvette, right?
Natesriv
Lead Foot
If Chevy is smart, they'd take a page from Honda and Toyota and keep the name Sonic (and maybe Cruze) and make improvements. And build upon that. The Civic and Corolla names are well established and have made $$$$ for both companies.
Keep making yearly improvements, then with each new generation raise the bar even more.... make the Sonic name the first name which comes to mind when people think sporty small car..
Keep making yearly improvements, then with each new generation raise the bar even more.... make the Sonic name the first name which comes to mind when people think sporty small car..
mitdr774
also a dinner prick
Third generation Cavalier went from 1995-2005. Minor facelift in 2000 and again in 2003. They switched to the Cobalt name and after one generation switched to Cruze. The Cobalt and Cruze occupy the same market the Cavalier did, and are the same basic chassis design.
If the Sonic continues to sell well it will be around for a while with the same name. If sales fall off it will get a new name at the beginning of the next product cycle.
laborsmith
New member
I did not realize the third gen J-Body lasted that long, although the 2005 model year Cavalier stopped production at the end of 2004, if memory serves.
The Cavalier, the Cobalt and now the Cruze all are assembled at the Lordstown Ohio Plant and all are compact cars.
I wonder what GM considers selling well. It looks like GM is looking at 80K Sonics a year which is a low number for a mass market production. I for one am hoping the Sonic will maintain those numbers so it will have several generations.
Laborsmith
The Cavalier, the Cobalt and now the Cruze all are assembled at the Lordstown Ohio Plant and all are compact cars.
I wonder what GM considers selling well. It looks like GM is looking at 80K Sonics a year which is a low number for a mass market production. I for one am hoping the Sonic will maintain those numbers so it will have several generations.
Laborsmith
$ub$onic
The Sticker Guy
I heard that once, but could not remember who classed it. Seems odd
mitdr774
also a dinner prick
110 cubic feet of combined passenger and cargo volume is midsize. Cruze and Sonic hatchback are 110 cubic feet. Cavalier coupe is 100 and cavalier sedan is 105 cubic feet. The cavalier was a compact by 5-10 cubic feet.
Cavalier: 100-105
Cobalt: 97-100
Cruze: 110
Sonic 4dr: 105
Sonic 5dr: 110
Cavalier: 100-105
Cobalt: 97-100
Cruze: 110
Sonic 4dr: 105
Sonic 5dr: 110
On a Chevy Cruze forum there was a link to an interview with a GM exec who said a hatchback version of the Cruze is due for 2016. This is worrisome. I fear the Sonic might be discontinued so as to bolster Cruze sales, and for those on a budget the Spark is available ... maybe the Spark will be upgraded? So the 2016 or 2017 might conceivably be the last model year of the Sonic. Yet I think Sonic sales have been decent. GM might simply let it hang around largely untouched until sales fall below a certain level, something like what happened to the HHR.
I just can't see GM investing heavily on both the Cruze and the Sonic. (I hope I am wrong.)
_Lazza
I just can't see GM investing heavily on both the Cruze and the Sonic. (I hope I am wrong.)
_Lazza
laborsmith
New member
Probably the same exec who said the recently introduced Corvette Stingray would be the last Corvette.
Laborsmith
Laborsmith
Insanika
Super Moderator
The "hatchback" version of the Cruze is more of a wagon than anything. It is currently for sale overseas. Think Chevy version of the Dodge Magnum. I don't see the two causing an issue at all. If anything the Spark will suffer IMO because the Sonic offers a small hatch/sedan with great gas mileage and is just that much more user-friendly than the Spark size wise.
If the American wagon looks like this at all.. I am totally uninterested. That's counting I find Cruze to be one of the sexiest sedans on the market. The wagon is a total boner-killer, and I'm a hatch girl through and through.
If the American wagon looks like this at all.. I am totally uninterested. That's counting I find Cruze to be one of the sexiest sedans on the market. The wagon is a total boner-killer, and I'm a hatch girl through and through.