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2012 Chevy Sonic

MBrown

MBrown

Diamond Member
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By far the best looking sub compact yet IMO.

Edit: Let me clarify: By far the best looking sub compact sedan yet IMO. The Fiesta hatch still looks a bit better...IMO.



08-sonic.jpg


24-sonic.jpg
 
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Since the powertrain options are very clearly shared with the Cruze, it doesn't make sense to develop a 5-speed specifically for a subcompact car given the inherent market disadvantage (everything else out has six speeds) and additional R&D cost.

I like this car though, it looks like a bug in a good way.

Anyone else remember that the Aveo got worse gas mileage than the Cobalt? Just gotta see the Sonic hit ~50mpg with the 1.4T and 6-spd manual, and there should be enough product differentiation to separate the Sonic and Cruze.

Edit: It appears in some photos, more distinctly in the hatchback set, that the Sonic is sporting a 6-speed manual. I would hope that Chevy isn't giving away their advantage in what is obviously a MPG race at this level, especially considering that the Aveo was kinda crap.
 
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Reports are saying the sonic will weigh 500 pounds less than the Cruze.

Base motor is a 1.8L 135hp and the option is the 1.4L turbo motor.

So should be decently quick and have good gas milage. If they can get it out the door this year that would help with winter gas already over $3 a gallon. No telling what will happen this summer.
 
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alkalinetaupehat said:
Since the powertrain options are very clearly shared with the Cruze, it doesn't make sense to develop a 5-speed specifically for a subcompact car given the inherent market disadvantage (everything else out has six speeds) and additional R&D cost.

I like this car though, it looks like a bug in a good way.

Anyone else remember that the Aveo got worse gas mileage than the Cobalt? Just gotta see the Sonic hit ~50mpg with the 1.4T and 6-spd manual, and there should be enough product differentiation to separate the Sonic and Cruze.

Edit: It appears in some photos, more distinctly in the hatchback set, that the Sonic is sporting a 6-speed manual. I would hope that Chevy isn't giving away their advantage in what is obviously a MPG race at this level, especially considering that the Aveo was kinda crap.
Click to expand...

The size difference between the Sonic and the Cruze is going to be substantial. I don't expect the fuel economy to be much different. You only get so much return on fuel economy with a smaller car. Furthermore, I'm guessing the 1.4T 6-speed manual is going to be tuned more for performance than for fuel economy, since Corvette engineers had their hand in the tuning of ride and handling. 40-45mpg with class leading performance and handling.
 
jaydee said:
The size difference between the Sonic and the Cruze is going to be substantial. I don't expect the fuel economy to be much different. You only get so much return on fuel economy with a smaller car. Furthermore, I'm guessing the 1.4T 6-speed manual is going to be tuned more for performance than for fuel economy, since Corvette engineers had their hand in the tuning of ride and handling. 40-45mpg with class leading performance and handling.
Click to expand...


500 pounds is a good amount of differance. Only thing that may mess that up would be the gearing differance, if any.
 
the sedan looks pretty good. yaris isn't bad looking as a sedan either. fiesta sedan is weird looking.

as a hatch this thing is boring. as boring as the aveo. fit and fiesta hatch look much better. though the fit interior was designed by alien invaders.
 
Not too shabby at all.

I'm actually pretty impressed this will be assembled in the US with these smaller cars having lower profit margins.
 
ShawnD1 said:
lol yeah. Piece of shit Aveo with its 3 speed automatic transmission. What were they thinking??? Tranmissions is $200 cheaper and it burns twice as much gas 😛
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I am sure it was a pricing point issue to get people on the lot.

But that is one good thing about CAFE, it makes setups like that not worth it.
 
Every time I look at these interiors, they look built for midgets...and they are different in person, but the pictures just make them seem so damn small.
 
I love how Chevy and Ford have great interiors now. In fact, I would call them the new benchmark in interiors. Excluding premium vehicles.
 
jaydee said:
The size difference between the Sonic and the Cruze is going to be substantial. I don't expect the fuel economy to be much different. You only get so much return on fuel economy with a smaller car. Furthermore, I'm guessing the 1.4T 6-speed manual is going to be tuned more for performance than for fuel economy, since Corvette engineers had their hand in the tuning of ride and handling. 40-45mpg with class leading performance and handling.
Click to expand...

Referring back to choosing an Aveo vs Cobalt, the cost difference was something around $3k and for that you got better mileage, more space, and probably a better-built car (even though both were lacking in the fit and finish). Here, the perceived quality is very close between the two, and they largely share the same powertrains. Working under the assumption that since Chevy is targeting the Ford Fiesta with the Sonic they will start it under $14k, there will therefore be a $4k gap between the Sonic and Cruze. The Cruze will offer an additional crusing gear with base trim and more space. Other specifics are unknown, though both will have 10 airbags.

This said, Chevy has competition not only within the subcompact segment but also from the compact segment. My point is that there needs to be either a significant difference in fuel mileage or significant difference in initial cost for a car buyer to NOT move up and instead buy the Cruze et. al. While $4k is nothing to sneeze at, the mileage should be at least in the upper 40's if Chevy is going to ward off other segments from cannibalizing Sonic sales.
 
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