2012 Chevrolet Sonic - First Drive Review

Chevy's new entry in the revived economy-car segment shows some serious promise.

BY MICHAEL AUSTIN

In the subcompact market, things like standard aluminum wheels are big news. Guess what? The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic has standard aluminum wheels. Honestly, we really like that. But in bigger news, Chevy's forthcoming econobox is actually fun to drive. This is an about-face compared with the outgoing Aveo, which traded exclusively on its bargain-basement price. The Sonic, on sale this fall, seeks to recruit buyers with quality, features, and?to borrow a phrase overused by German car companies?driving pleasure.

Plenty to Like

The Sonic's turbo pulls well above 3000 rpm; there is noticeable lag at lower engine speeds, despite a low torque peak of 1850 rpm. Still, it's a strong, smooth engine. This is not the second coming of the Volkswagen GTI, but the Sonic turbo injects some serious fun in a segment that usually puts performance on the back burner. Chevrolet had a Honda Fit and a Ford Fiesta on hand for comparison, and the Sonic held up well. In lap times, all the drivers present went almost two seconds quicker in the Sonic than in the next-fastest Fit, but some of that is surely due to superior acceleration at higher speeds. The Honda, which is geared shorter, feels better at low engine speeds. And the Ford offers less body roll. But the Sonic looks as though it would acquit itself nicely against the Fit and Fiesta, as well as the Mazda 2. The Chevy's steering is light and reacts quickly on turn-in. Handling eventually gives way to understeer (the Honda can be tossed around more), but up to the limit the Sonic is responsive and behaves predictably even under trail braking. We'd like a little more feel in the shift lever, but it's acceptable for this price point.

Should Be Practical and Affordable

The Sonic is an economy car, which means sacrifices in creature comforts. The rear seats don't have an armrest or cup holders, but they are acceptably habitable even behind a six-plus-footer in the driving position. Both Sonic sedan and hatchback share the same 99.4-inch wheelbase. The four-door, at 173.1 inches, is 14.1 inches longer than the hatch but loses in the space race with 14 cubic feet of trunk space to the hatch's 19. The hatch also has slightly better rear-seat headroom. The cargo area in the five-door, although not as spacious or ingenious as the Honda Fit's, has a removable false floor that creates a level surface when the seats are folded. There is also a slot for the cargo cover to slide into behind the rear seats.

Chevrolet won't divulge Sonic pricing until the fall on-sale date gets closer, only hinting that it will be competitive in the segment. We take to that to mean a starting price of about $14,000 and, as is the case with Fiesta and Fit, loftier trim models (including the turbo) that run as high as $19,000. Also like the Fiesta, we're guessing the Sonic hatch will command a premium for its more attractive looks, although we have to say that the Sonic sedan manages to look something less than dumpy?a huge achievement in this segment. Even in base LS trim, the Sonic comes with the aforementioned wheels, plus air conditioning, power locks, keyless entry, stability control, and an impressive 10 air bags.

We're not quite ready to break out the "super" prefix for the Sonic, but it does appear to mark the return of the American small car, and not just in name. As part of GM's restructuring, the Sonic will be assembled in Lake Orion, Michigan. The good news for Chevy, however, is that the Sonic appeals on its merits as a car and not as a piece of flag-waving patriotism.