Sonic captures the spirit of Chevrolet
General Motor's latest subcompact arrives this fall loaded with standard features.
Chevrolet's all-new subcompact, the Sonic, arrives this fall with a starting price of $14,495 for the sedan and $15,395 for the hatchback, General Motors says.
Both prices include freight.
Replacing the South Korea-built Chevy Aveo, the Sonic gives GM a quite credible entry in this fast-growing segment, where vehicles such as the Nissan Versa, Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris and the new Ford Fiesta have a foothold.
The Sonic will have the most standard safety equipment in its class, GM says, including 10 air bags, electronic stability control with rollover sensing, traction control, antilock brakes, collapsible pedal system and power rear-door child safety locks.
Other key amenities are standard as well, even on the entry-level models, including air conditioning, power door locks, keyless entry, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, and alloy wheels.
Also standard is GM's great OnStar telematics system, which includes turn-by-turn navigation (free six-month subscription), automatic crash reporting, and remote vehicle unlocking and diagnostics, among other features.
The car's suspension system was designed by Corvette engineers to give it what GM says will be the best-in-class ride and handling.
“Sonic shares the spirit of Chevrolets like the Corvette by delivering athletic and agile performance,” said Rick Scheidt, Chevrolet's marketing vice president. “Today's customers have high expectations for small cars. Sonic comes with an unexpected level of standard equipment so that every customer will have comforts and amenities they desire.”
As with other newer entries in this class, the front-wheel-drive Sonic is designed to give near-hybrid fuel economy without having to use an expensive gasoline-electric hybrid drive system. Highway mileage will be as high as 40 mpg. Detailed EPA ratings have not been announced yet, however.
Also like most of the others in the class, there will be a four-door sedan and five-door hatchback, and both will have ample rear-seat and cargo space, Chevy says. There will be three trim levels — LS, LT and LTZ.
Lowest priced is the LS model, which comes with a 1.8-liter Ecotec four-cylinder engine and a standard five-speed manual transmission. Also included are 15-inch alloy wheels.
This engine produces 138 horsepower and 125 foot-pounds of torque, outpacing such competitors as the Fit (117 horsepower) and Fiesta (120).
A six-speed automatic transmission is available for $1,070.
Next in line is the LT, starting at $15,695 for the sedan and $16,495 for the hatchback.
Extras with this model include a six-speaker premium audio system with CD player and XM radio; power windows with driver-side one-touch up/down; and power, heated outside mirrors.
At the top of the line is the LTZ, which begins at $17,295 for the sedan and $17,995 for the hatchback.
The LTZ adds a connectivity package with USB port, Bluetooth for select phones and streaming music, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, heated “leatherette” front seats, cruise control, fog lights, and 17-inch alloy wheels.
Optional is a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a six-speed manual transmission, a $700 upgrade on the LT and LTZ models. It's rated at 138 horsepower and 148 foot-pounds of torque.
Inside, the instrument panel includes a large, round analog tachometer set inside an LCD readout, which includes a large digital speedometer. The panel is available in either dark titanium or brick color.
The shifter for the automatic transmission has a “cobra” head, GM says, while the manual gearbox has a chrome-finished shifter knob.
There are storage compartments in the center instrument stack and doors, and the rear seat folds completely flat to expand the cargo area significantly. Two bucket seats are up front, and there is a three-person bench seat in the rear.
Electronic power steering is standard, along with power/antilock front disc/rear drum brakes and tire-pressure monitoring.
A hill-hold system is standard, as well, which keeps the vehicle from rolling backward when starting up after being stopped on a hill — a great feature for any vehicle with a manual gearbox.
Trunk volume in the sedan will be 14 cubic feet, which easily beats the 12.8 cubic feet of the Fiesta sedan. The Sonic also beats the Fiesta sedan in passenger space: 90.4 cubic feet versus 85.1 for the Fiesta.
The Sonic will be the only subcompact built in the United States. GM will assemble it at the Orion Township plant in suburban Detroit, which made the Chevy Malibu and Pontiac G6 sedans before being shuttered as GM went through its bankruptcy in 2009.
To land the Sonic for this plant, the United Auto Workers union agreed to lower wages for its workers to help GM stay competitive in the pricing of the car. Other vehicles in this class are made in Mexico and overseas.
GM spent $545 million to upgrade the plant for the Sonic, and the facility is expected to provide about 1,000 jobs in recession-battered Michigan. Those jobs are welcome even if they don't pay as much as before.
Read more: Sonic captures the spirit of Chevrolet - San Antonio Express-News
