Chevy Sonic Rolls Out to Dealers; Expected to Attract Young Buyers

NEW YORK – More than 9,000 ’12 Sonics have been delivered to 3,080 U.S. dealers as Chevrolet launches its marketing campaign for its new subcompact.

The Sonic is manufactured at General Motors’ Orion Township, MI, plant, which received a $545 million upgrade and new tooling before production began on the car.

Chevy expects 30% of Sonic sales to be conquest customers.

The subcompact comes in sedan and hatchback versions, with three trim levels.

Joaquin Nuno-Whelan, Chevrolet's chief engineer for small cars and Sonic vehicle line director, predicts sedans will account for 60% of sales. “But I think it will level off at 50/50 as time passes,” he says.

The Sonic, which has no carryover parts from its predecessor, the Aveo, has a base price of $14,495 for the LS Sedan. The midrange LT model starts at $15,695 and the top-of-the-line LTZ is priced at $17,295.

The average transaction price of the sedan will be about $17,000, Nuno-Whelan estimates, and the hatchback will retail for about $500 more. The hatchback’s base price is $15,305 for the LS model and ranges to nearly $18,000 for the LTZ.

The LT is expected to capture 60% of sales, he says, while the other two trim levels should account for 20% each.

The Sonic went on sale in China in June and more than 12,000 units were sold through Sept. 30. It is manufactured in Dongyue, which is near Shanghai. GM Korea’s Bupyeong plant also produces the Sonic for the domestic market and for export to Europe. Nuno-Whelan expects European volume to be about the same as U.S. sales.

Additionally, GM soon will launch production of the Sonic in Ramos-Arizpe, Mexico. The car will be sold throughout Latin America.

About 30% of Sonic sales in the U.S. will be conquests from Ford, Toyota, Honda and Hyundai owners, Nuno-Whelan predicts.

The Sonic’s fit and finish surpasses that of many larger and more expensive cars. Gaps are tight and consistent in a test fleet assembled for a media test drive here.

And although the car’s aerodynamics are not outstanding, there is little wind noise even at speeds of 65 mph (105 km/h) or higher on the highway. The sedan has a drag coefficient of 0.32is and the hatch has 0.34.

The Sonic’s interior is noticeably quiet for a vehicle in this segment, GM says, due to piggybacking on a workstation Buick installed for its upcoming Verano small car that will be built on the same assembly line. A robot at the workstation sprays a coating of liquid sound-deadening material on the floor of the vehicle to help soak up noise from the road.

Chevrolet is targeting young Millennial buyers 18-30 years of age. These are the children of Baby Boomers who are looking for a small, sporty and nimble vehicle containing all the safety and engineering systems not normally found in this segment, the auto maker says.

The Sonic has 10 airbags, electronic stability control, antilock braking and brake assist. High-strength steel is used in about 60% of the body and the 4-mount engine cradle. Ultra-high-strength steel is used in the forward portion of the rocker panels and a center crossbar.

The Sonic’s roof is engineered to withstand four times the weight of the vehicle. Curb weight of the sedan with a 1.8L engine is 2,721 lbs. (1,234 kg) and 2,862 lbs. (1,298 kg) with the 1.4L turbocharged mill. The hatchback with the 1.8L engine weighs 2,684 lbs. (1,217 kg) and 2,743 lbs. (1,244 kg) with the 1.4L turbo.