It might sound like a fast sports car or even a supercar, but the Sonic is none of that. It’s, to put it simply, a brilliant little city car, taking on the likes of the Hyundai Accent and Nissan Tiida.
I’m gonna be honest with you, I was never fond of the Sonic’s predecessor, the Aveo, but this one, it’s very different, and in a good way of course.
Let’s start off with the exterior.
The new Sonic incorporates Chevrolet’s latest signature grille design with a prominent Chevy logo right in the center, in addition to four angry-looking rounded headlights which give the car an aggressive front fascia. Fog lights come as standard.
Our car rode on 15-inch aluminum wheels and featured a striking Boracay Blue paint job.
The back end is fairly okay, not what I would call eye-candy, but who cares, you’ll forget about it once you hop inside.
Inside is a whole new chapter. The massive motorcycle-inspired tachometer and digital instrument cluster is the first thing you would notice once you’re onboard the quite roomy interior. The seats, dashboard and center console all feel and look high-quality for a car in its price range; miles ahead of its predecessor (the Aveo), and dare I say, the now-obsolete Nissan Tiida. Well played Chevrolet, I’m impressed.
We move on to the technical side of the Chevy.
Equipped with a 1.6L four-cylinder DOHC engine with 144hp, the car feels quiet and settled. Throttle response is not perfect, but it’s something you would usually expect from a four-banger. Gear shifts are barely noticeable on the 6-speed automatic transmission, which also comes with a manual shift mode. Average fuel consumption is 6.4L/100km.
Another thing I forgot to mention is trunk space; enough to fit 2 or 3 dead bodies; why you would put dead bodies in your trunk is a whole different story though.
Verdict: a unique exterior design merged with a brilliant practical interior and a fairly soft 4-cylinder engine makes the Chevrolet Sonic a great family car for everyday driving, and the occasional mountain trips.
