CHEVROLET TRIES DELUXE VERSION OF TINY SONIC CAR

Chevrolet Sonic Dusk sedan will start
production and be available in 2014

By Chris Woodyard, USA Today - "Sophistication and refinement" and "small car" don't usually go together, but Chevrolet is out to change that today with the announcement that it's going to produce a luxe edition of its Sonic subcompact.

What's next?  The Gucci edition?

Chevrolet is going to unveil the model next week at the SEMA aftermarket products show in Las Vegas.

The new model will be called the Sonic Dusk sedan.  Outside, the car will have a body ground effects package, a rear spoiler and large, 18-inch aluminum wheels.  The devil is in the details, where Dusk will have touches such as door handle inserts and a rear license plate frame in a matte finish.

The interior will feature black leather-trimmed seats with suede accents and tan inserts.  Mojave accent stitching and tan-color door panel and instrument panel accents were designed to enhance the cabin's ambience, Chevy says.

It's an interesting gambit.  Buyers of small cars such as the Sonic usually are trying to spend as little as possible, so they refrain for adding a lot of extras to cars.  But Ford, among others, is showing with its Focus that a new buyer is out there who wants small and economical without giving up a lot of the comforts and small luxuries of larger cars.

"Just like we've done with Corvettes and Camaros, we're taking another one of our core products and adapting it to our customers' lifestyles," said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet marketing, in a statement.  "The reaction to the Sonic Dusk concept last year was overwhelmingly positive and proved customers are interested in a more-refined subcompact.  We're moving quickly to bring Sonic Dusk to Chevrolet showrooms."

As are other Sonics, the car is equipped with an Ecotec turbocharged 1.4-liter engine rated at 138 horsepower.  It comes with either a six-speed automatic or manual transmission.

CHEVROLET READIES HOTRODS FOR SEMA

By Jonathan Welsh, Wall Street Journal - Chevrolet is trying to put its best leadfoot forward by showing a range of souped up models at the Specialy Equipment Market Association show, which begins October 30 in Las Vegas.

In addition to the obvious Corvettes and Camaros the General Motors division will idsplay hotrod versions of the Malibu family sedan and even the Spark minicar.

Known as SEMA, the show has grown in the last decade or two from a fringe gathering for aftermarket vendors and car customizers to a highly produced showcase for auto manufacturers who want to attract a younger, edgier audience.

"At Chevrolet, performance comes in many different forms that appeal to many different customers -- and that's exactly what we demonstrate at the SEMA show," said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet marketing.

Custom parts for increasing vehicle performance or upgrading their appearance and comfort represent a huge, lucrative market that once was mainly the territory of aftermarket specialty companies.  In recent years, though, car makers have gotten into the act because the parts make it easier to squeeze profit from individual car sales, often over a longer period.

"From Sonic to Cruze, to Camaro, Corvette and Silverado, we offer more parts and accessories than anyone in the aftermarket," said Jim Campbell, GM's U.S. chief of performance vehicles and motorsports.