Chevy has a contender in 2012 Sonic

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Sonic is the latest of a new wave of subcompact offerings to hit the Chevrolet showroom, available in a sedan and five-door hatchback. My tester was a five-door in midpriced LT trim, which essentially adds a CD player with satellite radio, a fifth and sixth speaker, power windows and power heated mirrors over the base car. It also had one important option: a turbocharged 1.4-liter engine.

At first glance the Sonic’s exterior styling is ambiguous, but to be fair, a subcompact hatchback is not a canvas that easily lends itself to individuality. Indeed, I parked it behind my neighbor’s Honda Fit (cited by Chevrolet as a key competitor) and the silhouette is essentially the same.

The detail I noticed first was the rear door handles nearly hidden in a black field set in the C-pillar at a higher latitude than the front handles. Designers apparently intentionally tried to evoke the look of a three-door hatch they perceived as more sporty. The rear handles are also oriented 90 degrees from the front handles; standing alone they work fine, but operating both in succession feels unnatural. The exterior does further distinguish itself with the signature Chevrolet grille of late and round head and taillights set in black bezels. Subtly upswept body lines and a bit of a flare to the wheel arches do add interest.

Interior details are a bit busy; case in point is the hooded tachometer. From a practicality standpoint it’s laid out well with cup holders out of the way of the shifter, a few cubbies for handy storage and two glove boxes. It has a nice level of amenities for a subcompact car, such as remote keyless entry, vanity mirrors on both sides and an automatic headlight setting. Seats are comfortable, and the headrests met me just right. The fashionable patterned upholstery cloth was less tacky than many I’ve seen.

I found the gauge cluster especially interesting. It consisted of a large analog tachometer on the left, a large digital speedometer and a digital bar graph fuel gauge; the rest was relegated to warning light status. This seemingly minor item really made me think.

First, what is the future of analog gauges? With technology today producing amazing screen displays, a physical needle swinging on an axis is becoming something of an anachronism. Yes, some more expensive vehicles already offer virtual gauges conjured up on a screen, but in the context of a subcompact car, cost is an issue.

The Sonic’s speedometer – let’s call it a speed display instead – is a simple LCD readout, but I found it easier for a quick read than a lot other speedometers. In the case of the tachometer, though, I thought the analog gauge worked better in conveying the mechanical speed of the engine. On a side note, the illuminated red needle and its large central pivot while aesthetically pleasing, was distractingly bright at night.

I can remember the days when the replacements for disappearing gauges were decried as “dummy lights,” but today’s reality is that cars have become so reliable it’s not like you have to watch your temperature gauge in traffic to make sure your car isn’t boiling over. Again, in the context of subcompact cars, I don’t see a full complement of gauges going away in performance cars, for example. Ultimately, I believe I have seen the future in the Sonic’s gauge cluster.

Now, onto the real heart of this Sonic: the optional 1.4-liter turbocharged engine. While I have not driven a Sonic with the base 1.8-liter (though I reviewed a Cruze with that engine), the optional power plant really made this car for me. It makes the same horsepower, but has more torque peaking at a much lower 1,850 rpm. It doesn’t turn the Sonic into a pocket rocket, but the available torque offers a lot more pull for situations like climbing upgrades and for highway passing than your typical subcompact. And, it’s really easy to keep the engine in its sweet spot without constantly having to row the shifter back and forth. It’s not too noisy under load, and it idles dead smooth.

It gets better. The 1.4 with its six-speed manual transmission is rated three miles per gallon higher in the city than the 1.8 with a five-speed manual, four miles per gallon better in the city than the 1.8 with an automatic, and five miles per gallon better on the highway than both, according to Environmental Protection Agency estimates. Depending on how much you drive, the break-even point on this $700 option may not be too far away. I personally clocked 26.7 mpg over a week of city driving.

While it didn’t make me want to schedule track time, nor should it, the Sonic rewards the driver with confident handling, aided by a solid body structure and a nicely modulated suspension. I highly recommend checking the optional engine box. Ladies and gentlemen, this one could be a contender.