After snatching Top Safety Pick Award, the new Chevrolet Sonic takes another major step forward in its quest to become a real ‘playa’ in the sub-compact segment.
Cars in this segment must have good fuel economy, and with an EPA-estimated 40 mpg on the highway and 29 mpg city, the Sonic is more than satisfying in this aspect. Mind you, it’s the 1.4L model we are talking about with a six-speed manual gearbox.
This engine also enables the car go from 0 to 60 mph in 8.2 seconds, which is not bad at all.
The Sonic’s 1.4L Ecotec turbocharged engine is SAE certified at 138 horsepower (103 kW) and 148 ft.-lbs. (200 Nm) of torque between 2,500 and 4,900 rpm. The bigger engines available also do good in terms of economy. The Sonic’s 1.8L manual gets fuel economy of 26 mpg city and 35 mpg highway and the automatic gets 25 mpg city and 35 mpg highway.
The 1.4 Liter engine features include:
- Low-mass hollow-frame cast iron block
- Dual overhead camshafts with continuously variable valve timing
- Chain-driven cams
- Roller-finger camshaft followers
- Piston-cooling oil jets and integrated oil cooler
- Variable-flow oil pump
- Electronically controlled thermostat.
