What is it?
The gently amped up version of the Sonic (America’s take on the Aveo) a car which customers apparently told Chevrolet they would build themselves if the manufacturer opted not to develop it. Such is the potential power of aftermarket personalisation in the States that the threat was taken seriously, and the RS is the result.
Why do we care? Well, aside from the warmth and fuzziness we derive from any warmed up hatchback, the model is currently under review for launch in Europe. If the new Aveo proves popular enough, and Chevrolet thinks there’s room at the top for an athletic halo model (there is) then we could potentially see the RS in the UK next year.
Were that to happen we wouldn’t expect it to change much, which would see the range gain the same 138bhp 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine already set to appear in the Trax. It is transplanted unchanged, accept for a more aggressive spread of gear ratios through its six-speed manual ‘box.
Outside, the RS gets a feistier look thanks to a fairly conventional re-imagining of the standard Sonic blueprint. The new grille, deeper air dam, rear spoiler and chubby five-spoke 17-inch wheels all collude to keep aesthetic expectations about where they should be. Inside, sports seats, aluminum pedals and a fattened steering wheel compete the visual overhaul.
Beneath all the confetti Chevrolet has lowered the stiffened suspension setup (still a MacPherson strut up front and a torsion beam out back) by 10mm, and retuned the dampers. Unlike the rest of the Sonic lineup, it also gets disc brakes all round, but still has to make do with all-season tyres.
Join the debate
Add your comment
There's a number of things..
and probably the first being that Autocar has it's favourites. I'm not going to name names, and even if i did, their not without their merits, but if Autocar falls in love with a marque there is no denying the tilt on the copy, and it can't help but fly from there on. Obviously, Chevy is not one of them, nor probably never will be. The next thing is, the mini hot hatch sector is a tuff nut to crack. Look at Peugeot with the new 208. As soon as suffix 'GTI' is applied then it's got alot to live upto. The sad thing for me, and it is a double edged sword, is that if it does end up on UK roads, the resulting visibility will probably be because Chevy's done a buy back deal with Daily rental fleets. So, car's with a list of say £12k,13k,14k whatever...will be on forecourts for 5-6K ish, 12 months later. That's a sad indictment for a manufacturer irrespective of whether there trying to chase registrations. The good news is, if your not a badge snob, which i'm not, it's a great little car for those that just want something that does the job. The local garage near me got some 1400 Aveo's, which shares some of the components with the corsa, and they flew out the doors, because of price.
Aveo..
As far as I know this Aveo is what the next Corsa is to be based on.. Its got the new version of the corsa/punto/mito//bipper etc...... Platform
I've always liked the looks
I've always liked the looks of the Aveo (and of course with its concealed rear door handles I'm constantly surprised that its actually a 5 door), so its a shame if its not so good to drive. I really think Chevrolet should fit it with a smaller bow tie badge, though, maybe in the upper grille, as this one looks so much like an afterthought.
Kerb-weight...
The kerb weight for the Sonic RS concerns me. At 1,275kg, it's very heavy for a supermini, which impacts fuel economy and driving dynamics. What gives, Chevrolet?