THE previous-generation Aveo was never really one of the standouts in the light-car segment. Having said that, it offered excellent value for money for what it was an average A-to-B light car. But the new generation, which is dubbed Sonic but sold in parallel with the older Aveo hatch and saloon, looks to add excitement and a more premium feel to a proven product.
The Sonic is targeted squarely at younger buyers and General Motors has gone to great lengths to market the new product to them and those who don’t want to have to grow up. Fortunately for Chevrolet, its bold and ballsy advertisement campaigns are in synch with the Sonic ís distinctively sporty exterior treatment. Although we’re already familiar with the Sonic’s basic shape, it has been spiced up with fresh details and new creases that add some attitude to the hotly contested B-segment. Some might argue that the front and rear light clusters add an undesirable aftermarket-inspired image, but those persons are probably not the target audience for the Sonic anyway.
What is more, this Chevy seems well put together. There ís a solid feeling to opening and closing the doors and tailgate, something that accounts for a strong perceived exterior quality.
Inside, the Sonic has advanced from its Aveo days in leaps and bounds. The dual-cockpit design and two-tone finish lend the compact Chevrolet an air of edgy sophistication. Conventional analogue instruments have been given the boot in favour of a joint digital/analogue unit not far off the one used in the Sonic’s smaller Spark sibling. As all Sonics come standard with full-specification LS trim, customers shouldnít really be left wanting, but we feel that GMSA should provide the comfort package, which includes USB, six speakers for the CD/MP3 audio system, Bluetooth, a multifunction steering wheel and cruise control as standard.
Some of our test-team members couldnít achieve an ideal driving position behind that three-spoke wheel and complained that, with the seat at its lowest setting, the controls on the facia were out of comfortable reach. Then, when the cushion was raised, the pedals and steering column seemed out of place.
By contrast, there isn’t any lack of interior space in the cabin. The headroom afforded to front and rear passengers is generous, but kneeroom for occupants at the back seems to have been compromised in the design process.
Despite the Sonic’s more upmarket look inside, there are still issues to be addressed in the terms of on-road refinement. The combination of MacPherson strut front- and torsion-beam rear suspension is a staple of this market segment. But, this Sonic exhibited a crashy ride when the road surface was less-than-ideal, which also revealed rattles in the cabin and knocking noises through the floorpan.
The intrusion of wind noise, in particular, is quite noticeable, especially when the speedo needle approaches the national limit.
Ironically, the 1,3-litre turbodiesel doesn’t contribute to the NVH factor at the aforementioned speed. It’s true that the little fourcylinder is quite gruff at parking and low speeds, but the unit smoothes out quite nicely once out of the first two ratios and above 80 km/h.
There’s substantial lag as the turbine builds up to its optimum oomph which happens at 1 700 r/min but outputs of 70 kW and 210 N.m from a small capacity diesel is nothing to be scoffed at. The peak-torque plateau is not expansive, therefore the driver has to keep the revs between 2 000 and 3 500 r/min (less or more stunts progress) and stir the six-speed manual gearbox for even a hint of pace.
If you get it right, the Sonic spears through the traffic with ease and still returns a commendable fuel-economy gure; the test unit achieved 5,81 litres/100 km during our realworld fuel route test and only 119 g/km of CO2 is released into the atmosphere.
Lastly, the Sonic stopped from 100 km/h during our 10-stop test with an excellent average of 2,97 seconds (within 41,84 metres), but not without a hint of drama: the ABS module erupted in a loud drilling noise that invaded the cabin after each exercise.
TEST SUMMARY
The Sonic is neither a triumph nor a failure. Yes, it is an improvement over the Aveo (which continues on sale), and the potential is there for it to eventually challenge the market leaders, but in its current form it just lacks the polish of the segment champions. On paper, the engine looks impressive, but the reality is that its power delivery characteristics can be frustrating.
Similarly, the impression created by the smart, upmarket cabin is partly undone by the noise levels. And, while the ride is good on decent surfaces, it deteriorates noticeably when pushed. But, the value offering can’t be denied and, for a large number of potential buyers, the Sonic’s merits will far outweigh the flaws.
