Chevrolet Sonic aims to be the top small car in safety

[Drew Dowdell]

Chevrolet Sonic aims to be the top small car in safety

August 29th, 2011 - Drew Dowdell - CheersandGears.com

Small cars aren't typically known for their crash worthiness. For 2012, Chevrolet hopes to change that perception with their new Sonic. The main component of the safety design is its exceptionally strong body structure and safety cage. Welded tubular steel members are used to support the the door frame openings while additional steel bracing reinforces the doors. About 60% of the unit body structure is high strength steel while ultra-high-strength steel forms the forward rocker panels.

In the event of a frontal or frontal offset crash, the Sonic's engine cradle and engine compartment rails absorb and distribute the impact energy around the passenger compartment. The A and B pillars are additionally reinforced and the Sonic is capable of withstanding more than 4 times its own weight if overturned.

Keeping the passenger compartment intact in a crash is important but so is cushioning the impact on the passengers inside the car. For that the Sonic employes 10 airbags; Dual stage airbags for the front driver and passenger, Roof-rail mounted head curtain airbags that stay inflated longer, seat mounted side impact airbags and a segment exclusive driver knee airbag.

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[ocnblu]

The Chevrolet Sonic will be a safe small car, but I see nothing that isn't done elsewhere in the class... including the driver's knee airbag. My Fiesta had a knee airbag, as did all 2011 Fiestas.

[Satty]

Fill it with packing peanuts.

[hyperv6]

Fill it with packing peanuts.

Just make sure they are the new green eviromental peanuts. LOL!

Hey GM is going to do fine with this car. It is as good of better than the others on the markets based on the first reports. Also it is miles ahead of the Aveo.

GM here is just trying to show an American car buying public small cars can take some mega blows today. This is no different than the video of the Malibu and the 59 Impala in the off set crash last year.

GM has to move more and more smaller cars and they have to convince many that just because they are small they can still take a hard impact.

[SAmadei]

Great, so the Sonic will weigh 5500 pounds.

[hyperv6]

Oh the Drama.........

The Sonic is expected to be no more than 2800 and no less than 2800 depending on body and engine trim both acceptable for this price of car.

It ain't a Lotus but then you are also not paying $50K for it and needs to get a 5 star crash rating no matter what.

I suspect we will see a Eco version of this one and 50 MPG may be in sight. GM is showing a trend with the Eco models and they are selling.

[Drew Dowdell]

Great, so the Sonic will weigh 5500 pounds.

Not with the amount of high strength steel they are using.

[dwightlooi]

Oh the Drama.........

The Sonic is expected to be no more than 2800 and no less than 2800 depending on body and engine trim both acceptable for this price of car.

It ain't a Lotus but then you are also not paying $50K for it and needs to get a 5 star crash rating no matter what.

I suspect we will see a Eco version of this one and 50 MPG may be in sight. GM is showing a trend with the Eco models and they are selling.

I doubt it... an 8% weight reduction and similar aerodynamic drag (yes, its a little smaller in profile, but also a draggy hatchback) does not translate into an increase in fuel economy from 42 to 50 mpg. if I have to put a number on it, I'll say 1~2 mpg improvement in the city number, maybe 0~1 mpg on the freeway.

[hyperv6]

Oh the Drama.........

The Sonic is expected to be no more than 2800 and no less than 2800 depending on body and engine trim both acceptable for this price of car.

It ain't a Lotus but then you are also not paying $50K for it and needs to get a 5 star crash rating no matter what.

I suspect we will see a Eco version of this one and 50 MPG may be in sight. GM is showing a trend with the Eco models and they are selling.

I doubt it... an 8% weight reduction and similar aerodynamic drag (yes, its a little smaller in profile, but also a draggy hatchback) does not translate into an increase in fuel economy from 42 to 50 mpg. if I have to put a number on it, I'll say 1~2 mpg improvement in the city number, maybe 0~1 mpg on the freeway.

You will be suprised at what they can and will do in the future. Many of the numbers you play with leave out a lot of things.

That is not to say you are wrong but even the GM engineers still find things that suprise them in testing. The LNF was increased in performance and they found 1-2 MPG with a simple flash and more boost on a very high drag HHR. The GM Powertrain engineer confirmed it is real and said it was a suprise to them. They were only looking for power.

Note too they also have a sedan.

What ever the case many companies have and will offer higher mileage versions on many cars using many tricks. What was once impossible is not possible due to new technologies and electronics.

[01Malibu]

Why is the hatch back model getting more attention than the sedan? Hard to find photos or info about the sedan?

[hyperv6]

Why is the hatch back model getting more attention than the sedan? Hard to find photos or info about the sedan?

The sedan needs little promotion as they expect it to sell well as is. The hatch is the one they feel that needs promoted since hatches have not sold as well.

[ocnblu]

But that all changed when the Ford Fiesta came back to our shores. Hatchback outsells sedan. They mention the Ford several times in the big Sonic fold-out ad in this month's Automobile magazine.