General Motors Co. is taking another shot at subcompact buyers, this time around with the all-new 2012 Chevrolet Sonic — a sporty replacement for the outgoing Aveo.
The Sonic makes its world debut today at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The new car, which goes on sale later this year, will come in two body styles — sedan and hatchback. It will be available with a 1.8-liter engine mated to either a six-speed automatic transmission or a five-speed manual, or a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine linked to a six-speed manual transmission.
Pricing and fuel economy figures have not been announced. GM will build the Sonic at its Orion Assembly Plant alongside Buick's all-new compact Verano, which also debuts today at the Detroit show. The Sonic will be smaller than Chevrolet's recently launched Cruze, but larger than the Spark, which arrives in 2012.
With the Sonic, the Detroit automaker hopes to rev up sales in a segment crucial to capturing first-time buyers, and as automakers hurry to add more small cars to prepare for higher gas prices and stricter federal fuel economy regulations.
GM is banking on the Sonic to get the automaker back in fighting form as it goes up against the popular Ford Fiesta and Honda Fit. The new name is meant to reflect the depth of its overhaul from the outgoing Aveo, which first hit the U.S. market in 2003.
"The small car segment is really one undergoing a lot of change right now," said Margaret Brooks, Chevrolet's small-car marketing director. "We see this as one of the growth sports in the market."
The Sonic is crammed with gee-whiz technologies typically reserved for larger, more expensive cars, such as XM Satellite Radio and Bluetooth connectivity.
And while Americans are still warming up to small cars, the Sonic ultimately will prove its mettle overseas, said Aaron Bragman, an analyst at IHS Automotive in Northville.
"If it doesn't sell 100,000 units here in North America, that's OK," Bragman said. "They sell far more of these kinds of vehicles in China and Brazil."
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