2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Turbo Road Test and Review

As the entry-level General Motors brand in the United States, Chevrolet probably has the most uphill fight of all of the General’s divisions. Every mainstream car flashing the gold bowtie competes in the most hotly contested segments of the automotive marketplace.

Think about it; Malibu is up against Camry and Accord, Cruze is up against Civic and Corolla, Impala is up against…wait…is there even going to be an Impala for 2012? You get our point, as the volume leader, Chevrolet’s products can’t afford to be just good enough, they’ve got to be better; much, much better.

And this is the task for Chevrolet’s new subcompact car, the 2012 Sonic. Yes, it is much, much better than the Aveo it replaces. But, is it much, much better than it’s natural enemies?

And, who are they?

Read on…

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Turbo: Pricing and Trim Levels

Assembled in the Orion Township of Michigan, but designed in Korea and containing some DNA from the German Opel Corsa, the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ is the top level Sonic model. Its “lesser” siblings are the Sonic LS and Sonic LT.

The LS Sonic’s base price is $14,995 for the four-door sedan (our favorite body configuration) and $15,395 for the hatchback. That price gets you the 138-horsepower, 1.8-liter normally aspirated inline four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual transmission. Air conditioning, power door locks with remote keyless entry and a tilt/telescoping steering wheel are standard equipment, as is a six-month OnStar subscription with Turn-by-Turn navigation.

The next octave up in the Sonic’s range (c’mon, you had to know that was coming…) is the LT. Base price for that trim level is $15,695 for the sedan and $16,495 for the hatchback. Sonic LT’s aria (yes, we’re having fun with this…) is bolstered by an upmarket, six-speaker premium sound system with a CD player; SiriusXM satellite radio with a three-month trial subscription; power windows with driver's express up/down; and power operated, heated side mirrors.

And the “fat lady” (you know, the one that sings…) in the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic lineup, as well as the subject of this review, is the LTZ. With a base price of $17,295 for the sedan and $17,995 for the hatchback, standard features include: a USB port, Bluetooth for phones and music, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls, heated leatherette front seats, cruise control, fog lamps, and 17-inch alloy wheels.

Like the 1.8-liter engine, the 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine also makes138 horsepower. But its 148 ft-lbs of torque trounce the normally aspirated engine’s 125 ft-lbs. And while 23 ft-lbs don’t sound like a lot, the difference, when paired with the six-speed manual transmission is quite startling.

If you’re buying a Sonic, it’ll be the best $700 you’ll spend.

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Turbo: Competition

As we said in the introduction, Chevrolet plays on hotly contested ground.

In the case of the Sonic, Chevy has to face down Ford’s Fiesta, Honda’s Fit, and Hyundai’s Accent (among others). Both Fiesta and Accent were recently rejuvenated, so Sonic is also up against fresh competitors in that regard.

In terms of power, the Sonic LTZ Turbo bests the Hyundai in torque by 25 ft-lbs (148 to 123), but is evenly matched in horsepower (138). The Fiesta has but 120 horsepower and 112 ft-lbs to work with, while the Fit makes do with 117 horsepower and 106 ft.-lbs. of torque. However, in addition to giving Sonic the edge in overall torque, the turbo generates all of that torque down low in the rev range — making the Sonic quicker than its competitors.

In terms of price, the top Fit model comes in at $19,540, the top Accent is a relative bargain at $15,195, and the top Fiesta’s MSRP is $16,600. Sonic is priced well relative to its competitors, as all four cars will come in around two to three hundred dollars a month in terms of the car payment.

All are also pretty much similarly equipped. These days the techno-boom is just as heavy in the ‘B” segment (appealing as it must to the young and technologically savvy), as it is in the full-on luxury segment. Everybody’s offering Bluetooth. If you want to stand out, you need to be talking — as in voice activation for text messages, navigation and audio system management. The Hyundai and the Ford offer this, the Chevrolet and the Honda do not.

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Turbo: Exterior

Available in both hatchback and sedan body styles, to our eye, the sedan is the more attractive of the two, particularly when equipped with the 17-inch tire and wheel set of the LTZ Turbo. In fact, from several angles, the Sonic looks like a miniature Cruze (and that, most assuredly, is a good thing). With its short overhangs and the way its wheels are pushed way out to the corners, the Sonic sedan looks like it will handle well.

Chevrolet’s spokespeople are quick to point out the motorcycle cues reflected in the design of the Sonic’s round taillamps and headlamps. Giving the car more of a premium look is the flat black honeycombed pattern of the grille, framed by a chrome surround.

On the hatchback, the door handles are concealed in the C-Pillar and are rendered in black, as is the trim, giving the car the appearance of a two-door hatchback.

All in all, it’s a pleasing design, and while you can see it’s an inexpensive car, the Sonic doesn’t look cheap.

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Turbo: Interior

The motorcycle treatment carries over inside as well, with the most obvious reference being the instrument panel. Consisting of a large analog tachometer paired with a digital speedometer, the Sonic’s instrumentation looks like Chevrolet raided a sport bike factory.

Unique and distinctive in a class where unique and distinctive are huge selling points, it works.

Storage is abundant. In addition to the usual door panel, glove box and center console storage areas, Sonic’s interior designers also specified two very handy binnacles on each side of the top of the center stack. They’re perfect for stashing a smartphone; a pair of sunglasses, or any other small item you might want to have readily available. There is a downside to these though. Whatever you leave in them is visible to passersby when the car is parked. You’ll want to avoid leaving “attractive” items in them when you’re away form the car.

Our LTZ Turbo test car was fitted with leatherette upholstery. Less expensive models get attractive looking (if somewhat rough), cloth seats. Speaking of the seating, it’s remarkably comfortable and there’s even enough room in the back seat for four passengers to be comfortable for short trips around town.

A two-tone dash and door panel treatment, similar to that offered with the Cruze, is also available. It’s good to see some effort put into making the interior of a car at this price point seem more premium than it actually is. In this regard, Chevrolet has progressed considerably.

And while yes, the Sonic does have its fair share of hard plastic, Chevy’s product planners at least made an effort to keep shiny to a minimum. They also included soft touch materials in places where occupants are most likely to come into contact with the interior.

Here again, you can tell the Sonic is an inexpensive car, but it doesn’t feel cheap.

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Turbo: Packages and Options

As we mentioned before, the Sonic is available in three levels of trim. LS, LT and LTZ.

By the time you get to the level of our LTZ test car, there are but two options, both of them mechanical.

One is the turbocharged engine, with a six-speed manual transmission for $700. The other option is a six-speed automatic transmission with the normally aspirated 1.8-liter engine for $1,070 (a five-speed manual is the standard offering). According to Chevrolet, an automatic transmission option will be offered for the turbocharged engine in the spring.

BTW, you don’t have to go full boat LTZ to get the turbo, it is also available with the LT trim package, for the same $700 extra charge.

This makes ordering a Sonic easy, both for customers and dealers. You just choose your color, interior treatment, engine (and/or transmission), and trim level.

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Turbo: Powertrain and Fuel Economy

Easily the more desirable powerplant option for the front-wheel drive Sonic is the 1.4-liter Turbo. As we stated earlier, the engine produces 138 horsepower and 148 ft-lbs of torque from 1,850 rpm up to 4,900 rpm.

Paired with the six-speed manual transmission, it enables Sonic to boast 29 mpg in the city and 40 on the highway.

By comparison, the normally aspirated 1.8-liter engine makes 138 horsepower and 123 ft-lbs of torque, but only manages 26-city and 35-highway with the five-speed manual and 25/35 with the six-speed automatic.

With the turbo, you get more performance and better fuel economy.

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Turbo: Driving Impressions

In a word; it's fun.

The 1.4 loves to wind and you get nice thrust from it. Now don’t misunderstand us, you’re not going to get your head pinned to the seat in a Sonic, but it is satisfying nonetheless.

Additionally, the little Chevy’s Opel DNA shines right through when the car is asked for rapid and repetitive changes of direction. Yes, it uses electric power steering, as does most contemporary cars, but it is a very responsive system with good transitional feel. The Sonic’s steering system is also very linear in its response and remarkably accurate.

Clutch take-up is smooth and the shifter feels nice as it goes from slot to slot in its pattern. No, it doesn’t feel all precision instrument like the one in the Porsche Boxster/Cayman does, but it’s nicely commensurate with the good feel of the other controls.

Braking is solid and confidence inspiring, though the pedal is a bit on the soft side. Speaking of the pedals, their arrangement is wholly conducive to matched-rev heel and toe throttle blipping so you can readily enjoy while hustling the Sonic along a challenging serpentine road.

Again though, we’re not talking five hundred horsepower Viper — fun. We’re talking 150-horsepower Miata fun. In fact, that’s a great parallel because in the Miata you don’t have to be traveling at insane speeds to get a pleasant visceral return. Similarly, with the Sonic, you can be clipping along at 50 miles per hour enjoying yourself just as much as if you were in, say, a BMW 3-Series at 100 miles per hour.

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Turbo: Safety Equipment

The Sonic’s defend-its-occupants armor starts with a rigid body structure comprised of strategically employed high-strength steel. Chevy’s engineers also placed 10 airbags around the cabin to provide cushion in the event of a huge oopsie. Meanwhile, reinforced front hinge and A- and B-pillar zones help maintain the integrity of the passenger compartment.

Should Sonic actually roll over in a crash, the roof is said to be capable of supporting up to four times the car’s weight. For some reason, they wouldn’t let us try this out, so we’re taking their word for it. :^) Additionally, the Sonic’s releasable pedal assembly mitigates the risk of injuries to the lower extremities.

Naturally, there are three-point safety belts at all five seating positions, and the ones in the front seat are armed with pretensioners and load limiters. Child safety seat anchors are positioned with the rear outboard seats and Sonic even has a rollover sensor to get it’s airbags ready for the big one if it gets the feeling something’s about to go down.

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Turbo: Summary

Just as Cruze put Chevrolet firmly in the hunt in its category, Sonic has given Chevrolet something to work with in the compact class. The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is a handsome car with a remarkable appearance and feature set for its price and class.

Additionally, our LTZ Turbo was big fun to drive, capacious, commodious and convincingly safe. As an entry-level car for a young adult looking to make their first new purchase, or an older person seeking a playful mode of transportation, the Sonic Turbo is more than capable of filling the bill.

Bottom line, the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ Turbo offers a nice complement of comfort and convenience features, and is also compatible with all of the modern gizmos and gee-gaws that make modern life so — well — modern.

Yes, Sonic’s competitors do offer a few features it doesn’t (most notably voice activated telematics). But the Sonic is arguably more fun to drive. If you are shopping this category, test-driving a Sonic LTZ Turbo will be a good use of your time.