SMALL SONIC BIG ON POWER

By Autonet.ca - With the arrival of the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, General Motors has taken a big step toward closing the gap with its main sub-compact competitors. But complete parity may still remain just out of reach.

In some areas, such as horse-power and torque, Sonic is better than rivals such as the 2012 Ford Fiesta and Hyundai Accent. In others, such as cornering and ride, it is tantalizing close.

Available as a four-door sedan or hatchback, Sonic is no doubt an important car for GM, as small car sales are forecast to grow 30% by 2015. Vincent Boillot, marketing manager for Chevrolet cars in Canada is anticipating Sonic will double its share in the segment to annual sales of 18,000.

He really believes Sonic "will really stand out in its segment" -- especially the five-door model with rear door handles hidden in the c-pillars, giving it the look of a two-door coupe.

Power: Power is provided by the same pair of Ecotec engines used on Chevy Cruze -- a 1.8-litre inline-four with five-speed manual transmission and 1.4L turbo with six-speed stick.

A six-speed automatic is a $1,50 option on both, although its availability on turbocharged models will be delayed until January 2012.

Space: The interior has a generous 2,556 litres of passenger room, more than either Accent or Fiesta, and there's a cool motorcycle-inspired instrument cluster (dominated by a big round tach and a large digital speedometer) that includes useful info such as distance to empty and instantaneous fuel usage. The front seats are comfortable, even on longer trips, but ergonomics could be better.

Ride: GM touts the car's quiet ride, and that's true as far as engine and wind noise are concerned. In those areas, GM engineers have done a great job in isolating the cabin.

The front suspension is the usual MacPherson strut set-up but the torsion bar rear suspension still needs work, and you'll not just hear but feel every expansion joint and gap in the pavement. Otherwise, the ride is smooth.

The base LS lists at $14,495 for the sedan, $15,495 for the hatch.