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.
Plenty to Like
Aside from that, there is much to like about the Sonic, most notably the turbocharged 1.4-liter engine we sampled. Shared with the Cruze, the turbo four makes 138 hp and 148 lb-ft of torque, 18 hp and
26 lb-ft.And when paired with a six-speed manual, Chevrolet promises a 40-mpg highway fuel-economy rating for the Sonic turbo. The other engine is a naturally aspirated 1.8-liter making the same 138 hp but with a reduced torque figure of 125 lb-ft. The Sonic has slightly different gearing and weighs about 400 fewer pounds than the Cruze, so we expect better acceleration and fuel economy across the board. (In a recent comparison test, an automatic-equipped 1.4T Cruze posted an 8.0-second 0-to-60-mph run.)
The Sonic’s turbo pulls well above 3000 rpm; it’s a strong, smooth engine. The Sonic turbo injects some serious fun in a segment that usually puts performance on the back burner. 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 Chevy’s steering is light and reacts quickly on turn-in. Handling eventually gives way to
understeer, but up to the limit the Sonic is responsive and behaves predictably even under trail braking.
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.
Getting Comfortable
The Sonic’s stiff body structure—one of the focal points for engineers—underscores the sedan’s comfortable ride. It’s also a decently quiet ride, so there’s no need to crank the 6-speaker audio system just to drown out powertrain or road noise. Identical front and rear tracks (59.4 inches), gas-charged shocks, and a MacPherson strut front suspension help this four-door achieve balanced stability—even during sharp turns at low- to mid-level speeds.
Driver interface points for HVAC, audio, and other controls are via large-sized dials and buttons, so even glove- or mitten-clad fingers can easily make necessary adjustments. The interior isn’t a techno-fest on wheels, so the driver won’t be choosing from seven interior accent lights ala the Ford Fiesta. The Sonic’s most surprising interior feature is the driver’s digital instrument display. It’s surprising merely because its shape starkly contrasts the car’s giant oval tachometer. Chevy says the design was inspired by motorcycles and it’s easy to see why...