General Motors is adding some zing to its small-car lineup courtesy of the 2013 Chevrolet Sonic RS. The hot hatch goes on sale in late 2012, after making its public debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit January 14.
GM says the new RS amplifies the Sonic’s youthful style and driving experience with unique exterior and interior features matched with an Ecotec 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. The automaker also says the Sonic is the only vehicle in its segment to offer a turbocharged powertrain.
“The new Sonic RS pushes Chevrolet’s performance heritage in a new direction, for a new generation of drivers,” says Chris Perry, vice-president of Global Chevrolet Marketing.
The RS is offered exclusively in the five-door body style. It’s powered by a 138-horsepower Ecotec turbo engine rated at 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. It’s matched with a six-speed manual transmission or six-speed automatic. Unique gear ratios for the six-speed manual transmission and unique final drive ratio for the automatic give the Sonic RS a sportier feel than non-RS models, says GM.
Underneath is a MacPherson strut front suspension with coil springs and stabilizer bar, and a semi-independent, torsion beam axle-mount compound link-type rear suspension with gas-charged shocks. The front and rear tracks are identical at 1,509 millimetres for stability and balance.
The RS is the only Sonic model offered with four-wheel disc brakes, which are partnered with a four-channel anti-lock braking system. Electric power steering is standard.
The RS’s more aggressive look is inspired by the concept that debuted at the Detroit auto show in 2010.
One of the more dramatic cues from the concept carried into the production model is the RS’s front fascia, which has a deep air dam design that enhances the car’s lowered stance. Vertical intakes at the edges of the fascia reinforce the wide, low proportion and house the fog lamps. Other unique body mods include a new RS-specific grille, new rear fascia, rear spoiler and rocker mouldings, a retuned sport exhaust with chrome outlet, 17-inch five-spoke wheel design and lowered and stiffened suspension with performance-tuned dampers.
Interior features include front sport seats, thicker sport steering wheel with flat-bottom design, new shifter knob for manual transmission versions, aluminum sport pedals, specific instrument panel cluster graphics and RS-specific interior trim colour for the instrument panel and door trim inserts.
The Sonic RS’s interior is a connected environment, with the Chevrolet MyLink infotainment seven-inch colour touchscreen radio. This system allows customers to bring customized music libraries into the vehicle and use their smartphones and Bluetooth connectivity to access Stitcher Internet radio. When the RS is stopped, users can project video and even personal photo albums onto the screen from their phone.
