Test Drive: 2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ hatchback

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ hatchback. Click image to enlarge

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Review by Michael Schlee; photos by Nelson Sta Mina

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2012 Chevrolet Sonic

You can be forgiven if the thought of a new subcompact car from General Motors doesn’t send your heart racing.  Over the past few decades the poor General has struck out more times than A Rod in a cold slump.  The Pontiac Le Mans, Geo Metro and Chevrolet Aveo never lived up to the standards set by the class front-runners – or even mid-packers.  So, the question is then, can the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic break this losing streak and get the General back on top? Yes, yes it can.

All new for 2012, the Chevrolet Sonic is available in both hatchback and sedan forms.  We sampled the top-of-the-line Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Turbo Hatchback.  The LTZ ditches the regular Sonic’s 1.8-litre 136-hp motor for a 138-hp 1.4-litre turbocharged gas burner.  Although the horsepower numbers are very similar, the difference lies in the torque: 125 lb.-ft. for the 1.8 vs 148 lb.-ft. for the 1.4 turbo.  If you think you’ve heard this all before, you’re right, these are the same engines offered in the larger Chevrolet Cruze.  Interestingly, the LTZ model is only available with a 6-speed manual transmission.

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ hatchback. Click image to enlarge

The Sonic starts at a base price of $14,495 for the sedan and $15,495 for the Hatchback.  The LTZ Hatchback comes fully loaded at a sticker price of $20,995 ($22,590 after destination fees).  For that price some unexpected features pop up that were not available in subcompact cars a few years ago.  Our car had a tilt/telescopic steering wheel, heated leatherette seats and, of course, the turbocharged engine.  The only options available on the LTZ are a smoker’s package, sunroof and oil pan heater; our car came with none of these options. 

Unlike its predecessor, the Sonic is built in the USA.  In fact, Chevrolet touts this car as the only subcompact built in the USA.  Although it is based on GM’s new Gamma II global subcompact platform, the Sonic unfortunately shares some styling cues from the outgoing Aveo.  It’s not that there’s anything I would have changed with the Sonic, it’s just a shame that GM dressed up the last Aveo redesign in some of the styling cues that were also in the pipeline for the Sonic, especially the new signature Chevy split grille. It would have been nice if they had withheld these styling cues to completely make a break from the Aveo stigma. If you are going to change the name, why not change the looks?  Make no mistake though; these two cars share nothing in common, except for some of those looks.

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ hatchback. Click image to enlarge

An initial drive reveals that the steering is artificially light in the tradition of recent Chevrolet vehicles, but very direct; just over two rotations lock to lock.  It makes the car a bit darty on the highways at first until you are used to it; I was weaving back and forth like a texting-and-driving idiot for the first few seconds.  Once adjusted to the responsiveness, the car becomes very tossable and light on its feet.  The chassis is refined and very solid feeling for a car in this class.  We had a Hyundai Accent and Nissan Versa on hand when testing the Sonic and neither of them could match the Sonic’s solid feel.  Part of it may be due to the Sonic’s higher curb weight of 1,259 kg.

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ hatchback. Click image to enlarge

All Sonic Hatchbacks come standard with aluminum rims, while sedans start with 15-inch steel wheels.  LS and LT hatchback models are fitted with 15-inch rims and 195/65R15 tires while the LTZ receives 17-inch rims and 205/50R17 tires.  The 17-inch rims really set off the exterior looks of the Sonic.  As mentioned previously, at first glance the Sonic could be mistaken for an Aveo.  However, a closer look reveals interesting details like the headlights and taillights that are not tucked away behind the typical smooth clear lens cover but rather are intricately detailed and contoured.  The two front headlights stick out like a pair of telescopes from their shrouds, looking more like a customized show car than a subcompact economy car.  The rear door handles are nicely hidden into plastic trim near the top of the rear window surrounds.  This detail works very well and tricked one of my passengers into thinking we were driving a two door hatchback, not a four door.

The interior of the Sonic reveals that Chevrolet has done its homework and listened to customers’ wants and needs.  Yes, it is still full of hard plastic surfaces, but the choice of materials, patterns and the well-executed two-tone finish makes it look far more expensive than it really is.  It is one of the best subcompact interiors on the market today, and some might even say it surpasses that of the larger Cruze.  But don’t think it is all form over function.  There are a plethora of cubbyholes and storage spaces up front.  Most are even lined with grippy rubber mats on the bottom so your toys don’t slip or crash around.  The rear trunk is deeper than it appears from the Sonic’s short length and can hold quite a bit of stuff, 539 litres (19 cu. ft.).  A parcel shelf can be fitted about a quarter of the way up the cargo compartment and makes the floor flat when the rear seats are folded to expand cargo space to 869 litres (30.7 cu. ft.).  Under the parcel shelf also makes for a great hidden storage space.

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ hatchback. Click image to enlarge

Our test car had swapped out its all-season tires for a set of General Altimax Arctic snow tires, so it was well prepared for the first snowfall of the year at the end of the week, but earlier in the week, the winter tires were soft sponges that hurt both handling and fuel economy during a late November warm spell.  From the little input we were able to gather from the chassis, the Sonic is set up to be a decent handler but is not focused purely on cornering.

This brings us to the biggest controversy with the Chevrolet Sonic; the transmission. To say the Sonic has tall gearing would be a gross understatement.  With the six-speed manual transmission, 100 km/h can be achieved in second gear (allowing that rare second to sixth shift).  At 100 km/h on the highway in 6th gear, the car is purring away at only 1,850 rpm.  Crank it up to 120 km/h and the rpms only rise to 2,250.  Theoretically, the Sonic is geared to reach a speed exceeding 330 km/h.  Oops, did someone at Chevrolet accidentally slip the Corvette gear ratios into the Sonic’s transmission?  I’m all for a tall sixth gear to maximize fuel efficiency, but do the other 5 gears need to follow suit?

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ hatchback. Click image to enlarge

The 1.4-litre turbo is a very torquey motor and it provides all of its torque and horsepower at a relatively low rpm.  But due to the transmission’s high gearing, any sort of passing manoeuvre at highway speeds mandates a downshift to fourth or even third gear.  When dialled into the sweet spot of the engine’s power band, the car will pull moderately hard, but as you surpass 5,000 rpm and approach the Sonic’s redline, the power starts to noticeably tail off.  I found myself short shifting the car quite often to keep it in the power zone.  Think of the Sonic LTZ as the closest a gasoline engine will get to mimicking a diesel. 

The transmission is not all bad news, however.  The shifter is very smooth and direct, it engages flawlessly and requires little effort.  The clutch was light and easy to modulate, which perfectly suits this segment and a lot of owners potentially new to manual transmissions. The throws may be a bit long for some, but this is a subcompact car, not a sports car.  The point of the tall gearing is to maximize fuel efficiency.  The Sonic LTZ is officially rated at 7.3 L/100 km highway and 5.1 L/100 km city.  During my time with the vehicle I averaged 8.2 L/100 km and I was driving it like the sports car that it is not.  I was intent on getting maximum power out of the turbo engine then maximum efficiency, so better numbers could easily be obtained.

Overall the Sonic is a solid contender in a subcompact segment that is undergoing a complete overhaul.  Long gone are the days of an entry-level vehicle only requiring four seats, four wheels, a shifter and a roof to keep you dry.  The Sonic LS and LT are guaranteed to be big sellers.  The issue will come with the manual-only Sonic LTZ.  It isn’t ‘sporty’ enough to be a legitimate hot hatch, yet it isn’t cheap or efficient enough to be an economical run-about.  One niche the Sonic LTZ may carve out for itself is the next tuner car of choice. A standard turbo, six-speed manual and solid chassis could be a great platform for the budget enthusiast.  Plus, it is already geared for a lot more power.