Naza Quest officially introduced the Chevrolet Sonic in Malaysia earlier today – as expected, the Thai-made B-segment offering arrives in both five-door hatch and four-door sedan forms.
Both body-styles are available in a single trim level, the LTZ, which in the Thai market is the highest specification model. The successor to the Aveo is powered by a 1.4 litre Ecotec VVT four-cylinder mill, with 99 hp at 6,000 rpm and 130 Nm at 4,000 rpm for numbers.
The engine is paired to a six-speed auto transmission, which features a toggle switch gear shifter located on the gearknob in much the same fashion as that found on the third-gen Ford Focus.
It’s all good enough to give the Sonic a 0-100 km/h time of 12.9 seconds and a 175 km/h top speed. Some other numbers – the sedan measures in at 4.4 metres long, while the hatch stretches the tape 4.09 metres. Width and height are the same for both, these being 1,735 mm and 1,517 mm respectively.
In terms of rear cargo space, there’s 466 litres for the sedan and 253 for the hatch, and both variants ride on similar twin-spoke 16-inch alloys wrapped with 205/55 series tyres.
Design cues include a number of motorcycle-derived elements, these being an exposed quad-bezel headlamp array as well as a digital-skewed instrument cluster readout. The interior trim is made up of grey/black Breva-pattern seats and a grey/dark titanium dashboard.
Key features include 60:40 split fold-down rear seats, a six-speaker single CD/MP3 audio system with a USB port and Bluetooth connectivity, replete with steering wheel audio control.
As reported previously, safety kit is made up of dual airbags, ABS, EBD and brake assist as well as ISOFIX points; there’s no ESP or ESC on the list.
As for exterior shades available for the Sonic, five colours are on the list, the same as that found in Thailand. The shades are Royal Grey, Switchblade Silver, Summit White, Oceanic Blue and Black Sapphire.
Finally, pricing. Naza Quest says that the both Sonic variants go on sale now at an introductory price, and this is RM76,888 for the LTZ sedan and RM78,888 for the LTZ hatchback. The figures quoted are retail prices, not on-the-road with insurance. The Sonic comes with a 5-year or 200,000 km warranty, and the service interval for the car is 15,000 km or nine months.
We previewed the Sonic LTZ last month – read our report here.
[scribd id=116250584 key=key-11zvqbwa34fobqwnvsva mode=scroll]
This must be selling like hot cake !
Haha.. Are u sure?
This car stated ECO just a gimmick. The fuel consumption at City driving = 10.6km/L or Highway driving at 14.9km/L.
This is eqv to Preve CFE/Saga FLX Fuel Consumption.
Furthermore, Almera Impul at RM80k seems to be more worth with better RV, handling, extreme quite cabin and size + Fuel saving.
In terms of reliability and Handling + RV, Ford Fiesta also beat this overpriced Sonic.
If u see it in overall, u will notice the BIG tyre! which u can say it’s main rival is VW POLO 1.2 selling at RM120k.
This car worth it..
furthermore, 15k service interval and 5 years warranty, memang aiming at VW POLO only.
How can u compare this with vw polo 1.2tsi???? r u OK?
What? 6-speed auto? No good lah!
TOYOTA Vios TRD better. Got 4-speed, king of the road, plus high RV already. BMW drivers see also jealous.
-Oh please detect the sarcasm-
Grow up..please
why grow up? no humour no fun.. why soooo siri-yussssssssssssss..
Vios-King! VEEEEEYOOOOSSSSS!! GOOOOOOOOOOO Tint all black, and put TRD on the side, change logo to lexus one wahhhhh saaaatttttt ahhhhhh
Vios ioioioss owner detected!
If you know when was vios first launched, then you wont compare as such
legendary gearbox
vios？hahaha…RV? hahaha…only uncle buy toyota..only poor worry about RV
so what?like we care?
i dunno where you got that fact but chevy claim sonic auto 6 speed fc is 8.4L/100km or 11.9km/L (combined)whereas the the wifey’s saga flx 1.3 manual fc is 7.5L/100km or 13.3km/L (combined).
my viva auto 1.0 is 7.35L/100km or 13.6km/L
trust me i’m momo
sorry have to disagree. My viva with normal driving plus peak hours jam only 6.6L/100km
OMG…T.VIOS still the better choice…
so?mau kita orang menangis lah jikalau Vios best selling?
Fugly car from Thailand,City and Vios better than this car.
this car better than vios,saga,almera,city…just wait for chevy spark !!
Say no to ‘no ESP’.
What Fiesta can do, others can do also, including Almera.
They just don’t want.
We should voice for our common rakyat.
You don’t ask for it, you will never get it.
BTW, the look of this car: lulus.
RV RV RV RV RV !!!!!!!!!
atleast nice rim and tyre profile for the sedan..up the RV!!!
RV not a consideration for ppl bought SONIC
Not sure this one has low RV or NO RV at all
If those who always like to look at RV as car value then to be frank, don’t buy a car and just take public transport so you won’t make yourself headache in future. Do yourself favor alright!
dafaq RV king, damn tired of you vomit out RV RV on almost every new car that made you butthurt while u looking at ur new toyota.
take ur RV with elsewhere la. This is not investment blog.
Sorry noobs here, what is RV?
Resale value.
sorry lar bro….dun u think RV is important? my ’07 camry 2.0 still can fetch 85k from 2nd hand car dealer. Dun u think this is GOOD? if u buy kimchi, 5 years ur car worths <20%
No la bro….not everyone like you….always worry about RV….
RV is important for people with no money. Most T/H fans want better cars, but stuck with mediocrity bcos of their budget. If money was no issue, they’d be buying other cars. Sorry, but honest truth…
sam loo..why you want buy a unclish car? go buy more stylish car la..enjoy it! enjoy the ride with sporty look and elegant look…ohh..forgot you are worry about the rv…worry rv=poor..
Sabar je lah
Are you retarded?
Fake person again ……
So manypeople likes my pen name
where’s the lcd screen?
They should make the radio buttons or the radio buttons bigger or even put the compartment tray where the AC currently sits rather than making two makeshift storage areas for what is obviously space for the AC. Was there supposed to be a GPS unit at where the current AC sits?
it’s supposed to be like that. you can check reviews on youtube from US. even their variant is like that. but they have better engine and spec
Thanks for that. Still looks weird
nice looking car…
No traction control? No ESP? 2 airbag? No thanks…
same like vios
excuse me, sonic have 10 airbags ;)
15 k service interval?nice~
Start from Chevrolet Optra/Aveo series is already 15K KM service interval but over here distributor made the changes become 10K with HICOM reasoning behind.
Remember what happened to BMW with the service interval of 20k km? engine oil sludge. I’m not sure whether the same case will happened to Lil’ Sonic here with 15k km interval. Can someone buy it and give us the review =)
well at least the model (read: hot chicks) better than one in that Veloster!
Yay it’s finally here..[walks towards Ford Fiesta]
I found the pictures are a bit weird. Too much focusing on “Sonic” wordings and a lot of pictures in repeated part of the body with different angles. Also there is no picture about the sedan version.
Apologies for that. The narrow-set stage – inside the National Aquatic Centre, next to the pool, no less – wasn’t all that conducive for photo taking. Little room to maneouvre for more solid shots of the sedan off angle.
now i know why there is no rear view of the sedan!
I read all kinds of stories on the launch from other motoring media on Facebook. Looks like the event organised and PR company are all incompetent
Too high fuel consumption already….
Again why are we not being offered the 1.4 turbo version which has better fuel consumption and performance? If pricing is an issue, bring in two engine specs?
The safety specs are also very low for a Naza car, unlike their Kia/Peugeot counterparts.
If the turbo-charged engine to be brought in, Naza will have problem selling it because that car is equipped with manual transmission only.
no lah.. y vw also got turbo but auto transmission meh.. not turbo like evo but just soft turbo.. suprima and preve oso got one.. and its automatic trans too.. r u still live in 90’s?? now turbo car goes in auto lah bro.. wake up lah bro…
ada remote start ke?
I don’t understand why in Malaysia, hatchbacks are more expensive than sedans?
better than vios,city,almera hahaha…
forget the RV! i will choose this rather than the others 3.
its true.dont talk bout RV..no point ..no point talking bout RV for car
At the end,you will still see the Vios,City and Almera flooding the road.
because people are scared because of RV…
with that price tag, i’ll rather choose ford fiesta over this.
hmm..lets see what kia rio can offer..
Big wheel, small engine, and good looks. surely aiming for customers that favor looks over rv. still, Malaysians seems to pick rv over looks. quite obvious since hardly see many cruze around
Yes,bcos people choose Civic and Corolla Altis than the American car.Happy to be a latest Civic owner.
The girls must be tennis balls picker?
almera is a better buy lah
the floor got mirror effect, can see underskirt. Got more pics on that?
much value for money as compared to mirage at 65k..look like kancil seat at the back
Quite pricy considering how smll the car really is
actually this car is rather big.. the tyre profile is the same as preve.. in europe, there is a 17 inch rim with 215/45 tyres fitted for this car
still, no ESP and traction control.. pity
This car should be able to top in list of non national car least sold . Wait for another 2 years you can get it for rm 5 k.
If I was Naza Quest marketing head, I would rather introduce 1.4 turbo version to make it more standout in term of performance compared to rest of the rivals. NQ should target the young group who would prefer to enjoy the turbo engine setup with a reasonable performance n price tag.
SONIC 1.4 RM77k is not going to sale well due to its weak brand image, average performance n wrong marketing strategic.
Ford Fiesta certainly is the better choice on the B-segment car in this case.
what’s wrong with u ppl… its a compact car.. of coz it is small.. if u wan big.. go buy a bus or just take ur LRT as main transport. less car on the road.. more for me!
Where is Peugeot 208?
aveo replacement which is priced more than aveo ^^
Nothing to be surprised.
Iaya, with this pricing, get a Nissan almera or Ford fiestar(6K discount now) that below RM 80K lah.
If want to buy, wait for 6 months and the discount price will be RM 10K.
My money goes to Preve..
handsome looking car.. but spec, front and rear light are disappointing,, like the car just came back from kedai Abang
If you think about it, the pricing is as expected. Anyone still remember how much the previous generation Honda Jazz cost? It didn’t have a problem selling because its a Honda and it has goooood Resale Value, right? People with resale value in mind first clearly have no passion for cars. I’m sorry but that’s the truth!
Gotta agree. Well, the truth is most Malaysian think a lot about resale value, which is good but sad at the same time.
bring sonic rs manual to malaysia
5-year or 200,000 km warranty – Good offer!
I lost count how many times Chevrolet franchise changed hands. Seriously, you have to be very brave to put hard earned money on this brand, just ask any existing Chevrolet owner…
Currently is under NAZA. 1st hand DRB but they are just damaged the product and dont know how to expand the bussines. Inside there are bloodyful people, just how to make money into their pocket.
yeahhh … this is a car i’m waiting for … errr, waiting until naza give a big discaount as usual …
A person should drive few makes (eg. European, Japanese, Korean or American ) of car before then should have more experience to justify and say as to compare Cars. No prejudices but candid opinions. everyone entitle his own view. No argue.Also,it depents largely one’s ability to own the car . budget. Preferance is another thing. Discuss the car performance,Technical Spec.pros n cons and 3-S (Sale,service,spareparts)etc. TQ.
Guys, a word of warning should you decide to buy a car from Naza.
I am a current owner of a new Peugeot and an old Chevrolet Aveo. Both my cars are good, but the service given by Naza is terrible. I bought my Pug thinking Naza had changed for the better, but I was wrong. I love Chevys, and I am seriously thinking of getting the Sonic, but I am turned off by Naza.
With that price i rather choose preve…more power…better handling…
Yes, bring manual to M’sia,
the girls they selected for this event seems like for pedobear
Love the white model… oh the car’s nice too
Those who consider this car , i think they would choose fiesta or forte over this car.
Ppl,just go for Nissan Almera… More value for money…
Sonic is good but you’re sure the price is worth it?…
Yawnnnn….
the price is so expensive…
ppl here failed to understand good RV is due to good after sales service and cheap spare parts, hence the good RV.
look at peugeot 308thp, it is so problematic, it is dirt cheap for a used unit. look at 2009 308thp, dirt cheap. you wont find a civic altis to be so problematic, hence the good RV.
grow up la, its ok if you’re boring with your saga, dont jelly T&H, they are world player.
With this price range, the only thing attractive abt this car is … the show girls.
Gotta say, thank god they did not put it more than RM80k. Quite good too see that my Aveo has a successor. However, can somebody explain me this picture( http://s1.paultan.org/image/DSC_7298-950×563.jpg ) ? Does it come with those rims or additional package or what ?
Small car but BIG PRICE!
For hatchback, how to open the rear door? No door handle?
The handle is integrated into the daylight opening section of the rear door.
thanks, but NO THANKS….
The lights are hideous. Like modded from ahbeng shop. Ew……
FC comparable to my Altis 1.8 with average 12.9km/l.
Low RV for this car. You can buy at 70% discount after 6 months. Better buy vios TRD. Now we give discount RM500. Don’t miss the chance or trust me you will regret it!!!
Nissan almera still the best buying.
Preve is much2 better value for money compare to this car.. but its look nice than vios for sure!!
Sticking with my Gen 2 just because I don’t have to worry about monthly car payments. Hahaha
this car wont sell like hot cake.. 1.4L with no ESP.. horsepower, torque and 0-100km/h lousy figures.. dont look nice also..
Ford Fiesta anytime…
Vios with 4AT , single air bag, TIIMING CHAIN> all
I’m here for the hot chics only.
no wonder GM is doing really bad in sales… this kind of car is not mean for place like msia. Holden = GM in downunder launch sonic with 1.4 Turbo!!
I dun think tis will sell well cuz chev never sell well in malaysia
Looks overall is not bad. Just about the front and rear lights. Don’t you think it might collect more dust and dirt and makes washing needs an extra care? And the audio display is still set on 21st April 2011? Haha…
Negara Maju? I don’t think so..
Whiners who complain about ESP, traction control etc. etc. – how often do you drive hard enough to trigger the ESP and traction control??? FYI, real good drivers DO NOT like traction control, ESP and all those driver aids – yes, they are just driver aids to make you look better than you really are!
As for RV… as one post above mentioned, if all you look at is RV then you don’t know anything about cars. Very sad for you, because you will end up a boring old nut driving a ‘safe’ car, while looking wishfully at other people’s nice ride, but you can’t own one, because you’re so worried about ‘RV’!!! You will NEVER get to enjoy the real fun of motoring. Point is, you’re not really a car fan and you don’t know the first thing about cars.
Really surprised by the level of knowledge and intelligence (or its lack thereof!) of people in this forum. I would expect people to know more about cars and driving than just RVs, Toyotas and Hondas!!! The Japs make GREAT cars, no debate about that, but there’s more to the world than those two brands!!!
You are mistaken if you think only “whiners” complain about lack of ESP. People who complain about lack of ESP are educated motorists. ESP is not something to make you look like you drive better than you really can. It is a SAFETY FEATURE.
Please read this and get educated:
http://paultan.org/2012/06/27/esp-stability-control-is-a-must-malaysian-motorists-deserve-better-active-safety-in-their-cars/
LOL if ESP, TC make ppl look better than they really are then the features do serve their purpose.
without those two features it will make ppl drive exactly like they are..careless then skid and langgar pokok..contradicting la u bro lol
By the way, have any of you driven the Sonic, especially those who have nothing good to say about it, and those who think their 10-year-old Vios is still the king of the road? Never mind if you bought your Vios yesterday, it’s still 10 years old!!! If not more.
Have you tried the handling, braking and stability in a corner?
0-100… top speed… these are just straight-line performances. The road isn’t always straight. If your idea of a good car is to win a traffic-light-drag-race in the first three gears, and overtake people on the highway because you have a higher top speed, then you’re really sad. Anyone with two big nuts can do the above – there’s not much skill involved.
My point is, the Sonic can possibly run circles around your much-worshipped Vios in a corner. And don’t start talking about the so-called TRD Vios. It’s nothing but just a badge with some cosmetic bits thrown in. Underneath, it’s the same old and dated platform launched ten years ago. I fail to understand why Toyota allowed its famous TRD badge (which should mean REAL performance) to be dragged through the mud by a cheap car like the Vios.
Wake up people, to the real world of motoring.
Whoa dude.. safety features is THE most important thing on a car. The fastest, and most expensive cars in the world comes with state of the art safety features, and gives you the option to switch it off when it is safe, like on a race track. You’ve been smoking too much weed, bro. And when it comes to subcompact sedans, people actually transport their family in those cars( cause the bigger ones are too expensive, systematically made that way by the govt), so I WELCOME any safety feature on a car. That been said, your Sonic may have the right price, but way wrong with the specs, just like the Japs. If only the local distributors improve after sales, I would have made full specced Koreans my car of choice. Excellent features with highly competitive pricing, but below par after sales service, sorry, NAZA.
Hang on mate. I did not say ESP (or other safety features) is NOT important. In fact, like you, I agree safety features in a car is important. Very! But as you mentioned, you turn off electronic aids when in safe conditions, like on a track. And that is where I was coming from – a ‘driving dynamics’ point-of-view. I wasn’t addressing the issue of safety. By the way, it isn’t ‘my’ Sonic… LOL. Neither do I represent nor work for the brand, or for any brand, for that matter :-)
I have further comments on this… stay tuned :-)
the front of the car…really look a like mitsubishi lancer am i right?…its really the same watch carefully
REMIND ME CHEVEROLET AVEO…….ON THE ROAD NO MORE?
So sad. It was a nice design but without turbo it doesn’t spin like sonic anymore.
i think Ford Fiesta is a better deal if compared the performance, safety features, and design.
Last time people said Fiesta’s RV will be no good.
Now, Sonic is being compared to Fiesta. Not only in terms of RV plak tu.
I don’t like people who think too much of RV. ‘High RV = better car to buy’ is a fashion statement, not the real fact, played by the cruelty of distributors and lackness of discipline by the aftersale service providers…
Buy first, trade in the bad car, then only you will have the right to dowgrade a car’s reputation.
safety features u need to pay more, this car gives what you pay lor
no turbo like American version,it’s become very boring car…
I’ve owned a vios 09 but now switch to sonic what can I say is that the handling of sonic is better if compared to my previous vios and the fc is about 12.5l/km stock so its ok guess futher more the tank is larger then my previous vios less refueling interval + 1 more thing the sound system is much much more better than vios this I can guarantee you in term of stock ICE.
Omg this sonic really drive like crap. How can some reviews even consider it as fun car?!