General Motors has released details and images of the new Aveo that will be unwrapped later at Detroit, just that it’s not called the Aveo, but Sonic. Like the car it replaces, the B-segment Sonic is available in two body styles – five-door hatchback and four-door sedan. Both variants deliver “class-leading rear-seat roominess and cargo space” according to GM. In the US, the subcompact Sonic takes on the Ford Fiesta, Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit.
In America, the Sonic will come with relatively powerful engines for its size. The Ecotec 1.4L turbo (138 hp/200 Nm from 1,850 to 4,900 rpm) and the 135 hp/167 Nm Ecotec 1.8L are also found in big brother Cruze. Three transmissions are available: a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic with the 1.8L and a six-speed manual for the sporty 1.4 turbo.
These modern powerplants come with features such as low-mass hollow-frame cast iron block, DOHC with VVT, chain-driven cams, roller-finger camshaft followers, piston-cooling oil jets and integrated oil cooler, variable-flow oil pump and electronically controlled thermostat. The 1.4’s turbocharger is integrated within the exhaust manifold for reduced weight and greater packaging flexibility.
GM talks about “fun to drive” in the release, mentioning that Corvette engineers tuned the Sonic’s ride and handling. The hardware is par for the class – front MacPherson struts, rear torsion beam, EPS steering, front disc brakes and rear drums are expected.
The body structure is claimed to be among the stiffest in the segment. Sonic’s unique “flat top frame” cradle, for example, assures optimal stiffness in the front chassis portion, while he rear axle is straight without contour for packaging restraints and reduced noise, vibration and harshness. Wheels are as big as 17 inches for the turbo model.
The funky cabin’s highlight is the motorcycle inspired instrument panel, which combines analog with digital displays. The centre stack is typical modern GM; it and the steering wheel will be familiar to Cruze owners. Front “bucket seats” are standard and heated front seats are available along with remote start and sunroof. Connectivity includes OnStar, XM Satellite Radio, USB/Bluetooth and MyChevrolet mobile application. On the safety front, 10 standard air bags, ABS, EBD, brake assist and OnStar with Automatic Crash Response are included.
Production of the Sonic begins later this year in Michigan. GM says that Chevy is the only company building a small car in the US and Sonic will help restore about 1,000 jobs in the metropolitan Detroit area. This could be a big selling point for a US economy that’s still facing issues with unemployment.
Gallery after the jump.
[zenphotopress number=999 album=1850]
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one of the ebst looking b segment sedans. wonder if it will come here.
Imagine our Proton Saga was just like this, pretty on the inside and also hot in the outside, plus high quality… Wow
American made American car = high quality?? That has not been the case for a while..
Even the quality not as par as Japanese and Conti cars, but it is much much much better than our Proton
Hooorayyy for hatchback car, they are making a comeback!!!
the hatchback look great than the sedan..
But chevrolet Malaysia seem not really “interest” in our market, lauching the Cruze also like tahi ayam, or it only happen in my area?
cute and sleek design….nice interior too….50k perhaps?
50k? maybe in our dream or the car without TAX….it shud be price at 70k – 80k in malaysia..XD
yup. i agree. price will be closer to the current b-segment cars sold here than local brand pricing. so those with local car budget need not bother about buying this.
nice from the front..reminds me of lancer, ugly rear lights
wwwhoooooaaaa.. its really nice car! hope that this buddy can come to malaysia with a good price. awesome!!
i like!
ugly
is it just me or wat…the hood styling and the headlamp look like almost….almost la…like evo 10…just form my point of view…= )
the front look like copy from lancer
if it’s proton… then v can call it baby inspira dy. hehe
Ya maybe can be call by Mini Evo X…Or compact Evo X…XD
copy lancer is good isn’t it? i mean the lancer is also a good looking car right? certain angles from the front make it look a bit like the volvo s40 too.
I don’t know why B-segment sedans are so disproportionate? The Fiesta sedan, the Mazda 2 sedan, the 207 sedan, the City, they all look weird with their short overhang.
looks like a toon-ed versions of some real cars..
Because they are based on Hatchback platform first.
The only car that made the transition well is the Dugong…. as much as people don’t llike how it looks, its one of the better ones out there. The old Jetta/Vento/Bora also made the transition well from its respective Golf/Polo platform.
The French gets it though, instead of tagging on a boot, the just turn it into a small station wagon….like the 307SW, 208SW..etc. Even the Honda Airwave a few posts down looks pretty decent. Seriously thats the way to do, after all, you get much more cargo space on a wagon than on a small sedan on the same footprint.
Chevrolet has got a winner on their hands, hopefully the interior trim and quality remains when it lands on our shores…
Simply said, I love it! Even the sedan looks quite nice and not quirky at all. This could nearly beat my unparalleled love for the Fiesta. Though a bit sedated compared to the Fiesta, it is rather may I say – appropriate for a daily car. Just my opinion.
I hope they bring in the 1.4L Turbo with the 6 speed gb. :P~
Wauu….sleek and sexy….and it had a killer front nose…..not sure about the back, especially the sedan.
The back looks like it’s inspired by the Optra..
yea.. if proton designed this car… this would have called Baby Inspira.
is this car rebadge daewoo car?
damn ugly….chevy….what a chery copycat….chery QQ looks100X better than this…
That’s one of the stupidest comment that I’ve read in a while
This night will be a loooong night. The Detroit Auto Show just open for press. Waiting for the 2011 Civic
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nice… but cant afford since prices of everything(boleh banyak) naik… and its never will go down… The usual Rm1.00 Nasi Lemak has become Rm1.20, Fried Bihun also same…
bro, no use complaining.. in general, all Malaysians will adapt and take no action.. malaysia boleh mehhh..!, that’s why the gov can get away wit evry price hike..
BUT, we can do 3 things..
1 – work hard
2 – vote a new gov
3 – work harder
i recommend ALL.
No. 2 is easier said than done. Many have recommended it but when it comes to the crunch time, it is always “same ole, same ole”.
Work hard and work harder is easily done though. Less time on FB helps ;)
Ah,the front looks good but the rear totally out.
It has the same issue with the Cruze.
Cleaning those headlamps would be a painstaking job…. thats the price for beauty…
Maybe when this comes to our shores, it’ll be a top contender to the new popular kid on the block FORTE? it seems like the pricing will be 80K+/- when compared to other B-segment cars in the market (mazda 2, fiesta, Forte, city, vios, etc). already felt the driving pleasure of a fiesta, now I just can wait to test this new ‘aveo’ when it gets here!
IF such specs are maintained (10 Airbags, 1.4 Turbo – WOW!) this surely will be a hot buy. Just love the futuristic meter cluster – surely a head turner and nice to impress friends :P
The front looks resembles the lancer too much – looks good and proportionate BUT feels a little uninspired and repetitive considering we alredy have Lancers and Inspiras flooding the road, with this, its just gonna look like a lancer wannabe and not going to have that much originality IMHO.
looking like the lancer could be a good thing. perhaps that’s why proton didn’t even bother to use the lancer fortis front to differentiate the inspira from the lancer. to car makers, sometimes, it is not always about originality but what the market wants. this is usually what sells and to a manufacturer, if it sells, then it is good and they’ll just give the customer what they want.
can’t wait for the unveiling of the all-new honda civic…looking forward to the coverage on it, paul
wow..!
this is amazing. it will definitely priced lower than the cruze.
got more competitors under 100k..!
as a consumer it’s always good to have many choices.
btw, i love the sedan version! the proportion is perfect not like the fiesta and mazda2 sedan.
agree. the sedan looks like it was designed to be a sedan and not derived from the hatch.
chevrolet no more selling rebadged daewoo?
No more, obviously
they offer a manual transmission in america, a country where most of the driver using auto. but why when they introduce their car here they don’t offer manual transmission?
US is a big country and they could probably sell more manual cars there then we sell auto over here. for local brands, it is perhaps better to cater to 99% of the market than to give manual transmission to a few. does not make business sense to hold parts for manual transmission when the take-up is negligible. for manual, there’s proton and perodua and also the vios j (car’s in the same class as the sonic).
They should have just let GM die. Do Americans actually buy cars the rest of the world drives? You know the kind of, frugal-engined, light, runs on premium (to them), 5 (4 to them) seater, that can turn? Do they actually have the money to buy one? Would their loan be approved is a bigger question.
Looks like CarTown cars in Facebook LOL
Sure Naza will launch it right away. At still at a very competitive price tag.
hopefully they launch it soon at a decent price. it will not stray far from the other B-segment sedans though. imho, this is one of the best looking b-segment sedans.
looks kinda transformers-y.
yeah, a mean decepticon transformer
I like’s it
wow
one angry looking car this is
i am sure this will defiantly scare off the tuk-tuk drivers off the roads onto the pavement
nice car, but look abit like cruze being squeezed horizontally