 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. Click image to enlarge |
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Detroit Auto Show
2012 Chevrolet Sonic
Detroit, Michigan – In the second week of January, at both the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and the Montreal International Auto Show, General Motors revealed its all new entry for the sub-compact class, the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic.
Production of the Sonic will begin later this year at GM’s Orion Assembly Plant near Detroit, which received a US$545-million dollar investment to produce the new sub-compact, the only sub-compact to be built in the United States by any manufacturer.
 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. Click image to enlarge |
Called Sonic in Mexico, the United States and Canada, the car will continue to be known as the Aveo elsewhere in the world. The Aveo/Sonic will be sold in more than 50 countries world-wide.
When it goes on sale toward the end of 2011, the Chevrolet Sonic will be available in two configurations – a four-door sedan and a four-door hatchback. Both are expected to deliver more rear seat leg room and cargo carrying capacity than competitors – 397 litres (14 cu. ft.) for the sedan and 869 litres (30.7 cu. ft) for the hatch with seats folded.
Engines for the Sonic are both sourced from the Cruze – a 135-hp,1.8-litre Ecotec paired with a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic as the base, and an optional 1.4-litre turbocharged engine, rated at an estimated 138 hp and 148 lb.-ft. of torque, combined with a six-speed manual. With less weight to move, the Sonic will likely be quite a bit quicker than the Cruze.
  2012 Chevrolet Sonic. Click image to enlarge |
The hatch and sedan are quite different in appearance, the five-door having the two-box, hot hatch appearance that will appeal to young people, while the sedan’s more conservative features should attract older buyers. The hatchback could easily be mistaken for a three-door hatch, as the rear door handles are hidden high up on the C-pillar. Again appealing to younger buyers, it borrows some styling characteristics from motorcycle design, most notably in the round headlights and exposed taillights.
Evidently, GM has plans to up the sport quotient for this small hatchback: in Detroit, GM revealed an even hotter hatch concept, the Sonic Z-spec.
Inside, the Sonic provides the driver with a modern, sporty instrument panel, including a large round analog tachometer. To the right is a rectangular digital speedometer display. The centre console, available in titanium or brick finish, contains audio controls on top and large round climate controls below. Front bucket seats are standard and optionally heated, while the rear seats in both sedan and hatchback fold flat.
  2012 Chevrolet Sonic. Click image to enlarge |
All models feature a MacPherson strut front suspension with coil springs and stabilizer bar, and a semi-independent, torsion beam axle-mount compound link-type rear suspension – featuring a tubular V-shape beam – with gas-charged shocks. Electronic power steering is standard and features a wear compensator that continually adjusts the system interaction with the steering gear to ensure precise steering action over the life of the system. Engineers working with the Corvette lent their assistance to tune the suspension for confident ride and handling.
A range of wheels up to 17-inch will be available. Brakes are front disc and rear drum, while four-channel antilock brakes with electronic brake force distribution are standard.
No on-sale date or prices for Canada were announced, but expect base prices in the mid-teens and availability in the Fall.
