As a bare-bones transporter, the Chevrolet Aveo did its job. But Aveo’s replacement is so much more. The all-new Sonic five-door hatchback is much better looking with its shapely exterior lines. It’s roomy for a small car, and the virtually fold flat rear seat is a definite plus. Sonic doesn’t skimp on the safety features with 10 standard airbags (including side curtains), standard power-assisted front disc and rear drum brakes, and child seat attachment system for second-row seating positions. The car’s handling is quite suitable with identical 59.4-inch front and rear tracks complimenting a fairly stiff body structure. The Sonic, also sold in sedan body style, has the distinction of being the lone subcompact in its market segment that’s built in the U.S. (Workers assemble the hatch and sedan versions in Lake Orion, Michigan.)

The four-cylinder engines (a 1.4-liter turbocharged providing 138 horsepower and 148 pounds- feet of torque between 1850 rpm and 4900 rpm; and a naturally aspirated 1.8-liter producing 138 horsepower and 125 pounds-feet of torque at 3800 rpm) are also the power choices for the Chevrolet Cruze. Sonic’s standard list includes electronic power steering and electronic stability control with rollover sensing. MSRP of the 2012 Sonic 5-door LTZ is 18,625. The turbocharged engine when mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission collects estimated mpg of 27 city and 37 highway. (When the Sonic initially reached the marketplace, only a 6-speed manual transmission was offered with the 1.4-liter turbocharged engine.)