Let’s face it; we Americans have rarely created a small car worth considering, we have also rarely built a small car in our own backyard. Case in point: the former Chevy Aveo. While I wouldn’t say the Aveo was abjectly horrible, there was nothing to excite a shopper and it wasn’t cheap enough to compensate. While the Aveo was born out of old-GM’s need to buy every ailing car company around the world (in this case Daewoo), it’s replacement, the new Chevy Sonic, is the only subcompact car currently sold in the United States that’s actually assembled here as well. The platform used by the Sonic is far better traveled than most Americans. GM’s “Gamma II” architecture was designed by GM Korea with considerable input from Opel (as the Opel Corsa will share the platform soon) and re-skinned by Chevrolet. To make the Sonic LTZ Turbo from this multi-national compact car, Chevy dropped a 1.4L turbocharged engine and six-speed manual tranny under the hood. Unlike the Hertz-ready Sonic hatchback Michael Karesh has last year, the Sonic LTZ Turbo is the top-of-the-line Sonic attempting to please those who want a hair more shove and, paradoxically, better fuel economy. Sound like a good start? Let’s see if GM got it right this time.
Categories:
Recent Comments
Summicron - Poor people in America tend to be fat…really fat…for men, 300+lbs fat. This car is clearly intended for them and their families who are...
probert - It’s certainly different in that it can be refilled in about 9 minutes.
probert - Honda i’s been running a fleet in California for years – I’d be curious as to how they’ve resolved issues...
Summicron - Wiki say: “The English name Tucson derives from the Spanish name of the city, Tucsón [tukˈson], which was borrowed from the...
Summicron - BTW, anybody know what that blue area is on the car in the pic? It looks wrinkled on the rocker panels (still called that?) so maybe...
binkje - According to Di’s sources, Saab has postponed their tax payments over several years and the suspicion is...
AMC_CJ - A tad less then 23k for the Mustang (before taxes and all of that great stuff). The Fiesta I saw on the lot, but had been sold,...
CJinSD - You’re right CelticPete. Car and Driver tested a 3 cylinder 1.0 liter Ecoboost Focus. It was pathetically slower(2.7...
niky - Whereas the modern equivalent (in terms of size and specs), the Mitsubishi Mirage, gets 40… combined. Of course, having driven both, the Mirage is nowhere...
CJinSD - I’m seeing a pattern where you involve yourself in discussions to counter act correct conclusions, Power 6. I’d love to know what...