Chevrolet Sonic Sedan

Overview

Chevrolet for long has been one of the most selling brand under the General Motors banner and also one of the oldest, running since 1911. Chevrolet has made its legacy known throughout the world in these years and which holds true even for the ASEAN circuit. Among many others, the Sonic is one of the newer weapons in Chevrolet's arsenal.

Chevrolet Sonic in Malaysia is launched both as a hatchback as well as a sedan, both of these drives sport the same 1.4-litre 4 cylinder engine with Double OverHead Cam churning out a decent at best 74 kW maximum output power alongside a maximum torque of 130 Nm. As such, Chevrolet Sonic is a subcompact, front wheel drive with a top speed of 175 kmph, with a 6 speed automatic Shiftronic transmission. It comes with ABS, airbags and other basic safety features. The suspensions in the front are McPherson strut whereas on the rear Torsion beam suspension holds its place. Chevrolet Sonic also comes with 16-inch 5-spoked alloy rims sported on both front and rear. As such, the Sonic carries the typical Chevrolet front grille and two round headlamps that sets it's looks apart. The fog lamps are standard and are surrounded by plastic which is typical of a car of this segment. The interiors however look nice and feel much higher than this price segment. The dials behind the steering look very sporty and matches the name of the car. The dash is in dual trim that gives a good finish to the interiors. The storage space utility has also been taken care of by offering two glove box which is a unique feature. Lots of chrome has also been used to upscale the looks of the car. Overall this car offers many features that are not common in this segment but modest exterior looks keeps it very much in this segment.

Interior & Features

Overall, the interiors of Chevrolet Sonic feel much upscaled. The presence of titanium in the cabin makes up for a fairly rich feel. The dual tone interiors also feel good and can be chosen from a few combinations. The steering wheel also looks like that of a high end car and the center console offers a very futuristic look and is easily accessible. There is a plenty of storage spaces with two glove boxes one over the other and many other pockets. The dials behind the steering wheel or the “Driver Information Center” as the site calls it looks very futuristic and sporty offering a distinct and fresh look to the interior. It carries all the needed informations and is easy to read. The AC Vents resemble that of a sports car. The steering mounted control are also very handy. Overall the interiors of the Sonic are a huge plus point making it distinguishable amongst the competition.

Interior Comfort:

Chevrolet has taken care of the comfort of the occupants by offering various features like dual glove box and steering mounted control. The steering mounted controls also offer telephone connectivity. The storage space is a plenty which well never let you feel any lack of space despite the compact size of the car. The seats look comfortable and of appropriate size offering good support. It also incorporates quiet ride technology that uses thick window glasses and dual insulation of the cabin to prevent outside noises and vibrations from penetrating in the cabin. The Euro-tuning suspension used in the Sonic makes the rides comfortable and bump free. The 60:40 rear seat splitting ratio makes the cargo very easily accessible.

Interior Measurement:

The leg room and head room of the Sonic is good enough for a compact hatchback, not expecting much in the limited price tag. The boot space offered for the hatchback is 253-litres whereas that of the sedan is a generous 466-litres.

Stereo and Accessories:

The Sonic comes with a standard stereo system that offers Radio connectivity and CD, MP3, WMA as well as Bluetooth compatibility. The dashboard device holder is to hold your ipod and MP3 player. The control of the stereo is on the steering as well as on the console, along with many buttons to adjust the sounds.

Exterior

The exterior of the Sonic gets some straight lines and offers a geometric shape to the vehicle which looks good. The twin round halogen lamps are pretty dominant on the front and the front grille also speaks of the Chevrolet brand. The front and rear lamps get chrome outlining and the number plate also gets a line of chrome. The fenders are alleviated and are very evident on the sides. The rear door handles are uniquely situated high up above besides the window, which are easy to operate. The front door handle also gets chrome treatment. The indicators are not on the ORVM, rather located conventionally ahead of the front door hinge. The 16 inch alloys really accentuates the looks of the Sonic. The rear spoiler imparts it a sporty look and also offer sunlight protection to the rear wind shield glass. Over all the Sonic offers good sporty looks along with convenient dimensions to pose as an appropriate city car.

Exterior Measurements:

The L x W x H dimensions of the Sonic hatchback measure 4039mm x 1735mm x 1517mm just like a typical hatchback. The wheelbase stands at 2525mm and the front and rear track are both of 1509mm in width. All the dimensions of the Sedan are the same except for the elongated length which measures 4399mm.

Wheels:

To complete the chassis, Chevrolet Sonic embeds pretty good set of wheels in a 16-inch alloys. The tyre dimensions for both front and rear wheels measure 205/55 R16. The stylish big alloy wheels of the sedan offers a raised stance and adds to the muscularity of the vehicle.

Mileage Running Cost

The fuel economy count of Chevrolet Sonic despite sporting a small 1.4-litre engine seems disappointing. The 1.4-litre petrol engine embeds a multi point fuel injection system and a fuel tank of 46 litres capacity with not much impressive overall combined mileage worth 12 kmpl.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

The Front wheel drive Sonic comes with a 1.4 -litre Ecotec Double OverHead Cam shaft engine with 16 valves, that offers a decent 74 kW at 6000 rpm and a max torque of 130 Nm at 4000 rpm. It is a naturally aspirated water cooled engine. The Ecotec engine means the ride is quieter and more efficient. The transmission that comes with it is a 6 speed automatic shiftronic transmission. It has Variable valve timing Double Continuous Valve Cam Phasing (D-CVCP) and a multi point fuel injection that improves the performance of the engine.

Power:

With the 1.4-litre LTZ engine, the power output of the sonic measures 74 kW at 6000 rpm which is with a maximum starting torque measuring 130 Nm at 4000 rpm. The power numbers are fairly decent for a 1.4-litre naturally aspirated engine.

Acceleration & Pick up:

As such, Chevrolet Sonic embedding a modest 1.4-litre LTZ engine offers a marginally decent acceleration, touching the 100 kmph mark in 12.9 seconds. Figures which are not too outstanding for a subcompact hatchback or a dedicated sedan. The top speed of the Sonic stands at very modest 175 kmph.

Braking & Safety

The Sonic has power brakes with disc on both the front and rear wheels. This is complemented by ABS on all four wheels. The Brake assist also keeps the braking efficient. As far as handling is consider the Euro-ride tuning suspension handles the turns and bumps at high speeds very well and offer a comfortable handling. The power steering works well too. The front of Chevrolet Sonic has been embedded with McPherson Strut-type suspension with Stabilization bar. The rear chasis on the other hand sports compound track torsion beam suspension with Double-Walled V-beam designing.

Safety and Security:

On the safety front, the sonic comes with an integral body frame design with impact beams to make it a safe structure. Apart from that, the Sonic also comes equipped with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), front passengers airbags and Brake Assist. All this offers ample safety features. For securing the vehicle, it comes with Central Locking and Alarm System. As a standard, 4 dedicated airbags are provided in Chevrolet Sonic with dual front and dual side airbags.