Granger Chevrolet: Best Features of the Chevy Sonic

The Chevrolet Sonic was around for more than 10 years and established itself as one of the best choices on the market for an affordable compact car. Available as both a sedan and a hatchback, it offers more than what meets the eye and comes with many exciting features. These are some of the best.

Well-Equipped Basic Trims

Most vehicles in Sonic’s category have a very short features list for their base versions, with many important features only being available as options. The Chevy Sonic’s base trim, however, has all the features you would expect from a modern vehicle, regardless of its price. The LS trim is the sedan’s base version and comes with features like LED daytime running lights, automatic headlights, a rearview camera, remote locking, an easily adjustable steering wheel, and a folding rear bench.

The hatchback version of the Sonic has the LT trim as its basic version. It’s a slight upgrade from the sedan’s base trim and adds more exciting features, such as 15-inch alloy wheels, heated power mirrors, and power windows. It also gives you the option to add three extra packages. The Convenience package adds a push-button start, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, and a larger driver information display. The Driver Confidence package includes active safety systems to help you safely navigate through traffic. The Performance package makes the Sonic sportier by adding a sport exhaust and stiffer suspensions.

Many Standard Infotainment Features

In-vehicle infotainment has become a necessity in recent years, but not all vehicles provide a standard infotainment system. Every Chevrolet Sonic model comes with a 7-inch touch-screen interface and smartphone connectivity options through Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, and the two USB ports. The standard versions also have excellent sound quality, with the sedan having a four-speaker sound system while the hatchback comes with a standard six-speaker stereo system.

Powerful Engine for its Class

All Chevrolet Sonic trims have a turbocharged 1.4-cylinder engine that can produce up to 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. The Sonic only weighs 2773 pounds in its hatchback version and 2794 pounds in the sedan shape, which gets you a great power-to-weight ratio. As a result, the Sonic can quickly accelerate and make its way through crowded city traffic, but can also hold its own at highway speeds. Driving is also made easy because the smooth six-speed automatic transmission selects the right gear based on your speed and driving style.

Excellent Interior Comfort

Most small cars pay the price for their excellent fuel economy and maneuverability through traffic by offering limited space and comfort for their passengers. The Chevy Sonic, however, provides a surprising amount of space considering its size, along with many useful features. The seats are comfortable even on long drives and passengers of all sizes find it easy to discover their preferred position. The cabin insulation system adds to the overall comfort by keeping most wind, road, and engine noises outside the Sonic, which is another rare feature for such a small car.

The center console gives the driver quick access to all important information, while most functions can be accessed with the help of the touch-screen interface. Physical buttons for the most important functions remain, though, allowing the driver to access them while firmly focused on the road ahead. Alternatively, you can connect your smartphone and issue commands using your voice.

Very Fun to Drive

Image via Chevrolet.com

Although most affordable cars settle for getting you from point A to point B without major complications, the Chevrolet Sonic also provides a fun journey. The engine’s 138 horsepower is a decent amount for such a lightweight vehicle.  Although the 8.5 seconds it needs to reach 60 miles per hour from a complete halt may not sound impressive, the car has great power when you hit the accelerator. The precise steering contributes to the overall sensation, giving you the feeling of being in complete control of the car.

Plenty of Cargo Room

When buying a small vehicle, you usually don’t expect too much cargo room, with most buyers settling for space to fit a bag or two. The Chevrolet Sonic offers you slightly more space, with even the sedan version having 14.9 cubic feet of cargo volume in the trunk, along with the possibility of folding the rear seat to make room for even larger items. The hatchback offers even more space, with 19 cubic feet of volume in the trunk and an impressive 47.7 cubic feet of space with the rear seats folded down.

Excellent Safety Features

Safety should be every driver’s top priority, especially those who drive small and compact cars. Luckily for Sonic drivers, safety may be the most impressive of its features, with both the sedan and hatchback version having top-quality active and passive safety systems. Some of the most useful active safety systems are the forward collision alert, which detects potential obstacles in front of the vehicle and notifies the driver, the lane departure warning system that issues a warning then the car drifts out of its lane, and the rear parking sensors help you avoid hitting various objects while backing up.

Although all these active safety systems help the driver notice and avoid most potential collisions, the odds of one occurring can never be zero, so having a strong frame and smart airbag system is also an essential safety component. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded the Chevy Sonic a five out of five stars overall rating, with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also awarding it a maximum 5-star rating after crash resistance tests. This means that, despite its size, the Sonic is well-prepared to protect you in case of an unfortunate collision.

If you want a good-looking, well-equipped, and safe car that’s also fun to drive and that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, the Chevrolet Sonic is an excellent choice. Come over to Granger Chevrolet and test drive it, so you can experience it for yourself.