Fundamentally, America really does not like small cars. Distances in the New World, especially once you leave the Eastern States are far greater than in Europe, and the roads are wider and feel like they were designed for motor vehicles rather than horse-drawn transport, and with cheaper fuel and a lower purchase price for the car anyway, Americans typically buy vehicles that are much larger than those of us in Europe do. Periodically, though, and usually the consequence of a rapid and sustained increase in the cost of fuel, manufacturers do decide to try again with small cars, ones that we in Europe would think of as A or B Segment cars, sometimes referred to as superminis. In recent years almost all the volume manufacturers have introduced to the American market cars that sell strongly in Europe, or Asia. Most of them have larger engines than they do in Europe, and some other changes are made to comply with local regulations, but essentially, the Ford Fiesta or Toyota Yaris, Kia Rio or Honda Fit (Jazz) in America is not that different from the models that sell in vast quantity in Europe. The US domestic manufacturers have always looked to their overseas divisions for their small cars, and in GM’s case there have been all manner of alliances with the likes of Toyota and Suzuki in the past which allowed them to add smaller and cheaper models to their extensive ranges. When GM bought out the Korean marque in Daewoo, some of their cars were hastily modified for the American market and that included a car known originally as the Daewoo Kalos but which to Americans was called the Chevrolet Aveo. It was certainly cheap, but it quickly earned a reputation for being the sort of car that was a bargain basement rental car that you would only choose if you were really on a tight budget. Replacement models were a little less unpleasant, but not much, but as indication that Chevrolet decided to take this sector seriously, they made far more of an effort for the car which came out in 2011, which they called the Sonic. Offered as a five door hatch or a four door saloon, this car had up-to-the minute styling which looked neat, and interior quality took a massive step for better. The car was even quite decent to drive, as I found out when I first drove one in late 2011. Since then, there have been quite an array of rivals come and go. Lately, most of them have gone, as once again, America seems to be turning away from the sector. The Sonic is the next one to exit the market, and it apparently will not be directly replaced, Chevrolet pointing customers to the Trax and Trailblazer crossovers instead. 2021 is the model’s last year in production, but there are still a few examples in the rental fleets, so I decided to take a last look at a car which has been on sale for 10 years. It has changed a bit, with a facelift for the 2017 model year that introduced a new front end design, and equipment and technology have been upgraded to keep the car feeling relatively contemporary, but in essence, the Sonic of 2020 (the model year for my test car) is still pretty similar to the one I first sampled in 2011. At least some of the last cars into the rental fleets are, however, the top spec Premier model, bringing a few more standard features to the car, meaning that this car was also different enough to the last Sonic I drove. How would it stack up now, though?

All Sonic models come with the familiar 1.4 litre Turbo 4 cylinder engine, which puts out 138 bhp, the option of the older and larger 1.8 litre four of similar capacity have been dropped. There’s a six speed automatic transmission, the six speed manual also having been removed from sale. For a small car, you’d probably think this should be enough to give the little Chevy a peppy performance. But it really does not. Performance is best described as modest and the engine seemed constantly to be labouring. There did not seem to be much low end torque, but once you got the engine spinning, things did get better and there was some mid-range acceleration on offer. As well as complaints from the engine, there is a lot of road noise, so this is not really a car for a long journey. I actually covered a not inconsiderable 400 miles in my time with the Sonic and it needed 10.5 gallons to fill it, which works out at 38.09 mpg US or 45.51 mpg Imperial, a pretty decent result.

Sadly, it is not just the laboured engine which means that this is not a very good car to drive. It often felt rather skittish, even allowing for the fact that it was a very windy day while I was testing the car. The steering does at least some feel to it, and not as over-assisted as you often in small cars these days. The Sonic wasn’t really much fun to drive, but it does handle tidily enough, with understeer evident only if you push it really hard and there is clearly plenty of grip and noy much body roll. The ride proved comfortable enough even though this model comes on the largest of tyres fitted to a Sonic, some diamond cut 17” ones. I had no concerns about the brakes which seemed to do their job effectively. There is a traditional pull-up handbrake fitted between the seats. Visibility is generally good, with the short overhangs making it quite easy to judge the extremities of the car. The door mirrors are rather small and had a limited field of vision as a consequence.

Chevrolet have tried hard with the interior to make it look poser than the budge car that it actually is, and they’ve largely been successful. There is quite a mix of materials, textures and colours – gunmetal, silver and black – which adds some visual variety and the overall design is quite cohesive. The leather on the  steering wheel was about as awful as you get and on the test car it was  already worn through. Even allowing for the hard life of a rental car, this was not a good reflection of quality. The slightly zany instrument binnacle of the earlier Sonic models, which were supposed to remind us of a motor-cycle, has been replaced by something more conventional. There is a central speedometer with a rev counter to the left and further left than this, a bar chart style fuel gauge, whilst to the right is the trip computer display area. You cycle through the options for this using a button and by twisting the left hand column stalk as is the case with other GM models of this period. The stalks themselves, also used for indicators and wipers are from the GM parts bin and will be familiar to those who have driven cars such as the Cruze or Malibu. The lights, including an auto function, are on a rotary dial on the dash to the left of the wheel.  The centre of the dash now contains a 7” integrated colour touch screen, something which was never conceived when the Sonic first went into production. This is a familiar looking unit from other GM cars, though with fewer functions than you see in more costly models. This version of the Sonic does include Satellite XM radio as well as Bluetooth, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, two USB ports, and a four-speaker sound system. GM’s OnStar is also included, which adds a 4G LTE data connection and a Wi-Fi hotspot. Beneath the unit are three rotaries for the standard air conditioning.  The whole ensemble is easy to use and looks uncluttered.

Befitting the Sonic Premier’s top of the range status, the upholstery is leather. Or rather, man-made leather and actually the quality is really not very nice at all. The driver’s seat has electric adjustment except for the backrest which relies on a manual crank lever. There is a wide range of adjustment and the steering wheel telescopes in/out as well as up/down so getting the optimum driving position was easy. Headroom is particularly generous, so although this is a small car, it does not particularly feel like one.

Considering this is a small car, then space in the rear is surprisingly good. The Sonic is only really wide enough for two adults, but you could probably get three kids in without too much difficulty. There is no central armrest, just small moulded wells between the seat edge and the door which are not really useful for anything.

There is a decent sized boot, that is particularly deep from top to bottom, though that does mean that there is quite a high sill to clear when loading up. The wheel arches intrude quite a bit, so the width is quite a lot less than it is at the very back of the car. The rear seat backs are asymmetrically split and drop down to create a much longer load platform. Inside the cabin there two separate glove boxes though neither of them are very big, and there is a stowage recess in front of the gearlever as well as usefully sized bins on the door which are shaped to take a bottle. There is no central armrest.

The 2020 Chevrolet Sonic’s trim levels actually have a few surprises, though on the surface they seem straightforward enough. There are three trim levels: the no-frills sedan-only base LS, the LT with its functional standard features, and the fully loaded Premier. The LT and the Premier are available in sedan and hatchback body styles. All Sonics are powered by a turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine (138 bhp, 148 lb/ft of torque) that drives the front wheels through either a six-speed automatic transmission, the manual option having been removed for 2020. The base Sonic LS sedan is, in many ways, a bare-bones commuter, although it doesn’t skimp when it comes to infotainment. Standard equipment includes 15-inch steel wheels, automatic headlights, LED daytime running lights, manual side mirrors and manual windows, a rearview camera, and remote locking and unlocking. Inside, you’ll find a four-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, and a 60/40-split folding rear bench. Infotainment duties are handled by a 7-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, two USB ports, and a four-speaker sound system. GM’s OnStar is also included, which adds a 4G LTE data connection and a Wi-Fi hotspot. It’s a good thing the LS has these features since there are no option packages available for it. Moving up to the LT adds 15-inch alloy wheels, power windows, heated power mirrors, upgraded cloth upholstery, a six-speaker stereo system and satellite radio. A couple of packages are worth getting for the LT. The Convenience package adds proximity entry with push-button start, heated front seats, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and an upgraded driver information display. For added safety, the Driver Confidence package offers forward collision alert, lane departure warning and rear parking sensors. The Sonic Premier sedan comes with the features of the Convenience package plus 17-inch wheels and simulated leather upholstery. The Driver Confidence package is available for the Premier sedan, and the sunroof is a stand-alone option. You can also get an optional RS package that presents a variety of styling enhancements. For the LT and the Premier, Chevy also offers a Performance package that bundles a sport-tuned suspension and a sport exhaust.

Although Chevrolet have made a number of updates to the Sonic since its launch 10 years ago, it does feel a bit of its age now, and more recent arrivals in the class such as the Kia Rio and the latest Nissan Versa, neither of which I have yet managed to sample on the road, are by all accounts rather better cars. The Sonic is not without merit, though, and if you are looking for an affordable city car, could be worth consideration, but if you are at the rental car counter, it would be worth selecting something else from what is now a dwindling list of cars In the same category or paying the tiny upgrade fee to get a car from the next category, which would yield a Corolla or Kia Forte or something similar.