SAN FRANCISCO -- The message conveyed about the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is crystal clear: Forget everything you know about the brand's previous subcompact, the Aveo.
"There is really nothing in common between Sonic and Aveo. Sonic comes off an all-new architecture, all-new powertrain, all-new name. It really is an all-new car," says Margaret Brooks, Chevrolet product marketing director.
The basics: "Refinement" is the key word to describe the Sonic.
A stiff body structure was developed using high-strength and ultra-high-strength steels.
"We focused on getting things to the right stiffness so you have a solid, quiet feel as you go down the road," says Joaquin Nuno-Whelan, vehicle line director and chief engineer. He was interviewed at a Sonic press event Wednesday here.
Chevrolet borrowed a few elements from Buick's quiet-tuning playbook to reduce or eliminate certain noises from the passenger compartment.
Hydraulic engine mounts are used to minimize noise and vibration. An acoustic dash mat along with an acoustic package under the carpeting and over the headliner are part of "what we wanted to do to get the best in the segment for quiet," says Nuno-Whelan. Triple door seals are used where needed.
Additionally, liquid-applied sound deadener is used in the wheel wells and other locations, and the Sonic has thicker windshield and window glass.
The Sonic is developed on General Motors' global subcompact vehicle platform. A four-door sedan and a five-door hatchback make up the U.S. model line.
In terms of design, the Sonic has dual front grille openings, the major styling cue for Chevrolet's cars. A distinguishing design element is the exposed, round headlamps. They lack a lens cover and were inspired by the lighting found on motorcycles.
On the inside, the instrument cluster carries forward the motorcycle-inspired theme, incorporating a round analog speedometer set within an asymmetrical LCD readout with a large digital display.
Standard features: Hill-hold technology is standard on all models. A sensor detects the tilt of the body when the car is stopped on a slope, locking the brakes for two seconds after the driver releases the brake pedal. That gives the driver of a car with manual transmission enough time to apply the accelerator and let the clutch out after the brake pedal is released, for example.
Other standard equipment: Air conditioning, 15-inch aluminum wheels, 10 airbags and power door locks are standard. Also standard is a 138-hp 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 125 pounds-feet of torque. Optional is a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that generates 148 pounds-feet of torque. Also optional is a six-speed automatic transmission.
The market: The car is assembled at GM's Orion Township assembly plant in suburban Detroit. Chevrolet estimates Sonic's U.S. sales at 80,000 annually when full production is reached next year. Last year Chevrolet sold 48,623 Aveos in the United States, a 26 percent gain over 2009. The redesigned 2012 model was renamed Sonic for the U.S. market but it continues to be sold as the Aveo outside North America.
Sonic's key U.S. competitors are the Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit and Hyundai Accent.
What Chevrolet says: "From the outset it was meant to be a world-class B-segment vehicle with European ride and handling, and excellent NV and safety," says Nuno-Whelan.
The skinny: "The most impressive aspect of it was the level of fit and finish and refinement of the car," said Joe Phillippi, principal of AutoTrends Inc.,a consulting firm in Short Hills, N.J. "It's a very good car, and it certainly looks like given the global production of 650,000 to 750,000 units, maybe more, they should be able to make this car at a profit in North America."
