Chevrolet Sonic RS

Is Chevrolet onto something unique here?  While there are a number of hot hatches to choose from, nobody actually caters for someone looking for a warm hatch, without the too-hot monthly payments.

While many car makers produce everything from cheap to semi-luxurious to proper power hatchbacks, who fills the gap for the person wanting to spend less than a hot hatch yet still look&feel sporty… without going through the used-car ads?  The answer is, Chevrolet does – they introduced the Sonic RS.  Any cars with sporty persona under R 200 000?  Sorry, none.  Go closer to R300k and the list grows… so at R 225 300 when launched early 2014 (now R 228 700) it occupies a unique sport spot.

Where Spark is cheap and small and Aveo is just too old and drab, the Sonic offers the company’s international small-medium size modern hatch, so is the best place to start adding spice, thanks to Sonic’s frowning front-end, side slashes, concealed rear door handles (sitting vertically in the C-pillar) and straight-up rear.

First off the flavour-adding shelf is the turbo engine – a sure-fire way to make a car more exciting.  Can they add a catchy letter combo, which carries some historical meaning?  Always an easy spicer.  Chevrolet reminds us that RS, for Rally Sport, was first applied to the Camaro RS in 1967 – a proper big American V8 muscle halo car.  What we have now with Sonic “RS” is a slender-muscle car, using a 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder, sitting at the top of the Sonic range. With Lumina now gone, the South African buyer can no longer buy a new Chevy V8.

The only Chevrolet aimed at driving excitement is the Sonic RS, so let’s see more:  performance-enhancing mechanical upgrades include the 103kW engine driving 200Nm via a 6-speed manual through the front wheels, taking a claimed 9-and-a-1/2 seconds to the 100km/h marking – mmm, not exactly RS-like.  Uprated stiffer lower suspension and performance-tuned dampers are fitted for a communicative firm ride.  Safety spec is added over the normal Sonic models, including upgrade from rear drum to disc brakes, and added traction and stability control.

Making the exterior more racy-looking – aggressive front bumper with angular fog lights and chrome detailing, gunmetal-painted 17-inch alloy wheels in 5-spoke design, side skirts, bigger roof spoiler, accented rear diffuser, trapezoidal exhaust tip, and red RS tailgate lettering to wrap it up.

The red accents theme continues in the Sonic RS interior – red stitching on the leather-bound squared-off steering wheel and on the black leather upholstery (on suede-like seat surround inserts) and gear lever boot, red floor mats borderlines, and RS (red, of course) emblems on steering wheel and rev counter too, plus aluminium sports pedals.  The interior does not have a smart or modern feel, though the abovementioned items help to make it more fun.

A particularly practical in-car tech feature is the standard fitment of the MyLink system – a 7-inch touch-screen incorporates media sources and formats, allowing the user to watch media (video playback and picture gallery when car is stationary) in the RS, and has Bluetooth audio streaming with full smartphone integration, USB and aux ports.  Good thinking, as this would audio-media stuff appeals to typical sporty hatch buyers.

The looks, sportier turbo engine and mechanics are there to present the Chevrolet Sonic RS as a warm hatch with a (fairly) sporty drive, where it sits in a niche in the market – to source a sporty car at a comfy price, this is the hatch to catch.