After cars such as the Chevrolet Corvair, Citation, Prizm, Monza, Chevette, Vega and the recent Aveo, we all have a bitter taste towards subcompacts that Chevrolet makes. But this time, we believe that might change. Yes Chevrolet started selling their all new subcompact "the Sonic". Yet we still have a bad taste from the the Aveo that was in the market just a couple of months ago. That car, like all of them before it; were small, wimpy, embarrassing, plastic filled crap buckets that would depreciate faster than a cheetah with a rocket strapped to it's back. But this time around car reviewers praise the Sonic for the "fun to drive" dynamics, styling, fuel economy and overall quality.
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With a faulty exhaust system, poor crash rating and poorly executed engineering, the Chevy Corvair's reputation was beyond repair when the second generation appearing in 1965, the name was phased out by 1969.
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The Chevrolet Vega was unpopular, and like the Ford Pinto, it was too unreliable to keep up.
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| As Japanese competition began gaining market share after the 1973 oil crisis, Chevrolet still struggled to make a decent subcompact, this Chevette is the clear reason behind this. |
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| Ugly looking, cheaply built, unreliable and wimpy Chevrolet Aveo was a major disappointment to many car reviewers and owners alike. |
Unfortunately I haven't seen it on the road yet, but at the Montreal International Auto Show I had a chance to explore this car. Let's begin with the styling, simply amazing. The car looks great even when its parked, the headlights give off an aggressive impression that will turn heads. It has a split grill that bears the Chevy emblem with pride. The whole front fascia is mean looking, showing Chevrolet's intend to sell these cars to young adults looking for an affordable yet sporty looking economical car that will deliver fun and excitement. It has refined lines that can assure that the car isn't boring. To the back, everything is packaged well to suit the front end, giving off a nice car with a nice sense of style.
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| The aggressive looking Sonic looks impeccable even when parked. |
In the interior, like the Chevrolet Cruze, has a high in class appearance, making the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Nissan Cube look like a toy. Unforgettably, the base price is below $14 000, therefore the interior has many plastics. Oh oh, is it the Chevy Aveo all over again? No, a decent portion of them are soft, and most of the hard plastics have a pleasant texture that wouldn't make the owner complain. Fit and finish is also stunning, considering the fact that just a few years ago that was Chevrolet's Hercules heel. Expect a motorcycle influenced gauges that will make the driver feel young and cool. The cabin is two toned and it also features many of what the Cruze offers.
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| A unique yet inviting interior will help consumers trust Chevrolet once again. |
The Sonic also carries the Cruze's engine and transmission options, including the 1.4 L turbo charged "Eco" engine. With that engine, expect a fun to drive car with more than enough power under the hood. The Cruze Eco is already known to be a peppy car that delivers good steering feel, torque and fuel efficiency. Thus, since the Sonic is lighter and smaller, expect a more peppier and more fuel efficient car that has more torque than it's bigger sister.
Sales began not too long ago in Canada, so take a look, it's really worth considering. As for the bad taste that Chevrolet has created in the past towards subcompacts, well it won't go away for now. But if the car proves to be reliable, efficient and cheap to run, then expect the "bad taste" to go away in the years to come. On paper the car is a winner, standing within the top 3 in it's segment. When the first customers will report back, then we can predict if the Sonic is a hit, or a miss. Hopefully it will be a hit.
