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According to the Eibach website, there is a Pro-Kit Performance Spring set up currently in development for the 2012 Chevy Sonic hatchback.
Part Number: 38159.140
No pricing or release date was available at the time of this post, but keep check Eibach.com for more updates.

Reference: Eibach Website. 2012. Application look-up 2012 Chevy Sonic.  Retrieved December 27, 2011 from: http://performance-suspension.eibach.com/cms/lookup_products

My very own brother currently is a University of Florida (UF) grad student who recently notified me of a Florida Gator themed Chevy Sonic driving around the city.  So I decided to jump on the internet and do some searching.  Sure enough there indeed is a UF Sonic called the Swamp Sonic.  According to the facebook fan page the Swamp Sonic toured the home football games and a number of other events.  One of the many photos even featured a number of UF Cheerleaders posing in and around the 2012 Chevy Swamp Sonic.  Now the next image I would really be interested in seeing would feature Mr. Tim Tebow himself sitting behind the wheel of the Chevy Sonic.  Wonder how much room the drivers seat of a Sonic would provide the large fellow?  Sonic fans should like the Chevy Swamp Sonic facebook fan page.

It was not clear if this particular promotion was a joint effort between the university and Chevy or by either individually but it was interesting to say the least.  This Florida Gator themed Sonic is similar to a Penn State Sonic from a few months ago.

References:
Chevy Swamp Sonic Facebook Fan Page.  Retrieved December 11, 2011 from: www.facebook.com/chevyswampsonic
PSU Sonic Road Warriors.  Retrieved December 11, 2011 from: http://drivingthenortheast.com/psu-and-chevrolet-kickoff-%E2%80%98the-sonic-road-warriors-challenge%E2%80%99-and-giveaway/

According to the Chevy "Let's Do This" website Chevy has officially canceled the sponsored "Game of Firsts" in which winners would be awarded a new 2012 Sonic for completing on a variety of photo challenges.  The administrators cited technical difficulties resulting in the cancelation.  Although disappointing for those who faithfully competed there is a glimmer of hope for future promotions according to the website.  For more information please visit, www.letsdothis.com

The recent delay between postings is because I have been focusing on the MPG I am achieving with everyday city driving.  For two consecutive weeks I have been logging between a low of 33.0 MPG and a high of 37.0 MPG for city commutes.  This average is much better than I anticipated and is achieved with ease, no fancy gas sipping techniques needed.  It should be noted that this city driving test was conducted in the flatlands of Florida, so city driving in other regions might yield different outcomes.

It's here!  That is right, after a lengthy delay I was able to take delivery of the 2012 Chevy Sonic 1.4L Turbo hatchback!  Let me first state that I had no illusions for the class of car I was about to purchase and fully understood this is a inexpensive, small city car, not first class luxury.

Upon first inspection the two things I noticed beyond the styling was the quality of the paint and seals.  When you close the doors the seals really worked well and outside noise reduction inside the car was on par with much more expensive cars I have encountered.  The paint has an excellent gloss with zero imperfections.  But the door design is not without exception.  The rear doors of the hatchback are somewhat awkward.  The position of the rear handle, although aesthetically concealed, is not exactly user friendly when trying to open the door from behind the handle.  Plus, be careful when first learning the rear door and how it opens because the sharp upward angle could just smack you in the face if you are not paying attention.  Nobody wants a busted lip or needs to pick their chiclets up off the dealer lot!  Of course there is a slight embellishment with the previous sentence but the rest is very true.  Other than that the exterior of the Sonic is very appealing and in my first 100 miles I encountered a number of people asking about the car.

The interior styling is nice considering the class for which the Sonic is competing.  The instrument cluster is designed very well and was easy to read even in the mid-day sunlight.  I was somewhat curious how well the LCD speedometer readout would work in the Florida sunlight, but it was clear and had no reflective coatings which could impair the readout.  Nighttime driving is especially interesting because the large tachometer really lights up well and adds a nice sporty appearance.  The seating is firm and actually pretty nice when compared to other vehicles in the same class.  If the Sonic gains momentum in the marketplace then it would be nice to have a more supportive, racing inspired seat package with the higher end models.  The air vents are not only attractive but actually very functional.  Some of my rear seat passengers were able to feel a nice breeze when the vents were angled in their direction.  The power windows operate smoothly and fast.  There are multiple cup holders, three in the center console and one in each front door.  The basic radio option performed quite well with the bass and treble adjusted to maximum.  The speakers failed to have any distortion when cranked up high, but of course they are brand new so check back in six months to see if this still holds true.  The rear seats fold down easily and my large Doberman was able to hop in the hatch and lay down with extra room!  Now, with each of these good marks I have mentioned with the interior I must admit there are a couple of things that fall in the not-so-good category.  First, the glove box is missing any locking capability.  I am not sure why this is missing.  Personally, there are times where I have items for which I want to have secured in the car, even if locking a glove box is a false sense of security I still want it!  Second, the manual seat adjustments need to be a little more user friendly.  One of my passengers in the front seat accidently kicked the front adjustment because it sticks out a little far and it sounded as if it almost broke.  This might have been an isolated incident but we will see how well it holds up over the long run.  Lastly, an added boost gauge would be a nice feature.  Granted the Sonic is not a "performance" car, but a nice positioned boost gauge would be fun to view.  Overall it appears the engineers really did everything they could to offer the most proverbial "bang-for the-buck" on the interior.

Driving.  Everyone who is considering purchasing the manual Sonic should know that reverse is engaged by pulling a small release under the shift nob while shifting to reverse.  So how does it handle and ride?  Surprisingly, the Sonic has a firm and planted feel when cruising.  As someone who loves to drive around a high horsepower twin turbo vehicle as a second car I know all too well about performance features.  The stock Sonic suspension package performs wonderfully in city driving.  One can feel the suspension does have some sport tuning but it is not overly done.  Minor road imperfections go all but unnoticed with the smaller 15" wheels.  The larger wheels with lower profile tires do indeed pick up more of the little things on the road so if you are not someone who likes the feel of low profile tires then opt for the smaller wheels.  Highway speeds are nice and smooth, but the other day here in Florida we had some strong wind gusts and while cruising at 70MPH the little Sonic was getting pushed around and may benefit from a slightly lower ride height.  The six-speed clutch is butter smooth.  In gears 2-6 passengers will not even notice you shifting.  Engine performance is not bad considering the stock output.  Engine noise is quiet, so quiet actually at one point while sitting at a busy traffic light with the windows up, air conditioning and radio turned off, I had to check the tach to ensure the car was still on.  When you get on throttle and open the Sonic up the engine revs up smooth through and noise does increase considerably.  The peak torque appears to occur right before 3,000 RPM's and falls of after that.  The turbo seems to be more for low end power.  The traction control works well.  I have yet to test the Hill-Hold because, well, I am in Florida.  On the highway I averaged 45.6 MPG, well above the 40 MPG.  City driving I did not manage to get over 26 MPG.  It is too early for me to point out stock improvements or dislikes with the engine.  But the advantage of having a TURBO will be appealing to a number of individuals like myself who are looking for a little gas-sipper.

Overall, the Sonic is well designed for those who want an inexpensive, good gas milage vehicle.  And the Sonic has potential with the added TURBO option.  Check back for more updates and reviews.

Chevy has announced another giveaway campaign for the all new 2012 Chevy Sonic.  This latest giveaway follows the "Let's Do This" challenge which runs through March 2012 where Chevy is giving away two Sonic's each month.  The new giveaway is called the Chevy Sonic Adventure.  The Sonic Adventure website has information about a scavenger hunt themed challenge utilized through social media.  Both of these advertising efforts are clever approaches that use social media and promote interactivity of participants.

References:
Chevy Sonic Adventure website. 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2011 from: http://www.chevysonicadventure.com/
Chevy Let's Do This website. 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2011 from: www.letsdothis.com

Chevrolet released the first of a series of interesting advertising campaigns for the 2012 Chevy Sonic today on YouTube.

Reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpwiqBCSN10

This past weekend New York was host to the infamous Comic Con convention.  We here at the blog were fortunate enough to have a colleague on the inside who was able to visit the Chevy Sonic stage on our behalf and snap a couple photos.  Enjoy the images from the show!

Comic Con New York: http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/

Keep your little web browsers glued to letsdothis.com  for details from Chevy on a all new game where some interesting prizes may be awarded.  Under the new "Let's Do This" advertising campaign, it appears Chevy is using some strategic methods to push the new 2012 Sonic.

Chevy is about to embark on a new advertising blitz according to a recent GM Media release.  One segment of this advertising campaign features the all new Chevy Sonic being dropped from an airplane.. parachute attached of course!

Reference:
GM Media. 2011. Chevy Sonic to Launch "Let's Do This" Digital Campaign.  Retrieved October 13, 2011 from: http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/gm/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2011/Oct/1013_sonic

Chevy has added the 2012 Sonic to the online graphics designer website powered by Original Wraps.  There are a number of configurations for the user to play with at http://www.chevroletgraphics.com/sonic.php?type=hatch  The online graphics configurations available for the various Chevy models is a creative way for owners to personalize their vehicles.  We recommend everyone go and play around on the site.

First thoughts on the graphics was this must be for the upcoming Z-Spec line, but after playing around with the different options it appears that the configurations are available for any of the lines.  Be prepared, prices for these factory graphic stickers might just give you a classic case of "sticker shock".

GM News released a press statement confirming the 2012 Chevy Sonic turbo motor with six-speed manual transmission has been ranked by the EPA as having an estimated 40 MPG on the highway and 29 MPG in the city (1).  This is a marginal improvement over the standard 2012 Sonic 1.8 liter naturally aspirated engine which earned marks from the EPA as having 35 MPG on the highway and 26 MPG in the city (1).

(1). General Motors Website. 2011. 2012 Chevy Sonic with 1.4L Turbo Hits 40 MPG on the Highway.  Retrieved September 15, 2011 from: http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/gm/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2011/Sep/0915_sonic

2011 AVEO HB                                     2012 SONIC HB                                 2012 VELOSTER

Front Head Room                              Front Head Room                                 Front Head Room       

39.3 in.                                                38.7 in.                                                39.0 in.

Front Hip Room                                 Front Hip Room                                   Front Hip Room

51.6 in.                                                51.4 in.                                                53.2 in.

Front Leg Room                                Front Leg Room                                   Front Leg Room

41.3 in.                                                41.8 in.                                                43.9 in.

Front Shoulder Room                        Front Shoulder Room                           Front Shoulder Room

53.6 in.                                                53.4 in.                                                55.6 in.

Rear Hip Room                                   Rear Hip Room                                    Rear Hip Room

52.8 in.                                                 51.6 in.                                                52.6 in.

Rear Head Room                                Rear Head Room                                   Rear Head Room

37.6 in.                                                38.1 in.                                                  35.3 in.

Rear Leg Room                                   Rear Leg Room                                    Rear Leg Room

35.4 in.                                                  34.6 in.                                                31.7 in.

Rear Shoulder Room                           Rear Shoulder Room                          Rear Shoulder Room

52.8 in.                                                 53.0 in.                                                54.0 in.

Width                                                   Width                                                  Width

66.1 in.                                                 68.3 in.                                                70.5 in.

Height                                                  Height                                                 Height

59.3 in.                                                 59.7 in.                                                55.1 in.

Length                                                 Length                                                 Length

154.3 in.                                               159.0 in.                                                166.1 in.

Front Track                                          Front Track                                          Front Track

57.1 in.                                                  59.4 in.                                                61.5 in.

Rear Track                                           Rear Track                                           Rear Track

55.5 in.                                                  59.4 in.                                                62.0 in.

Wheel Base                                          Wheel Base                                          Wheel Base

97.6 in.                                                  99.4 in.                                                104.3 in.

           

Cargo Capacity                                     Cargo Capacity                                    Cargo Capacity

15.0 cu.ft.                                              19.0 cu.ft.                                             15.5 cu.ft.

Max Cargo Capacity                              Max Cargo Capacity                            Max Cargo Capacity

37.2 cu.ft.                                              30.7 cu.ft.                                             ------------

EPA Interior Volume                             EPA Interior Volume                           EPA Interior Volume

105.9 cu.ft.                                            109.6 cu.ft.                                          105.3 cu.ft.

Curb Weight                                        Curb Weight                                          Curb Weight

2546 lbs.                                                2795 lbs.                                                2584 lbs.

Fuel Tank                                             Fuel Tank                                            Fuel Tank

12.0 gal.                                                12.1 gal.                                                13.2 gal.

  

Source of Comparison Data Retrieved from:

General Motors Website. 2011. Chevrolet Creates Waves With The All-New 2012 Chevy Sonic.  January 01, 2011. from: http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/news/news_detail.brand_gm.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2011/Jan/11naias/chevrolet/0110_sonic

Chevrolet Website.  2011 Aveo 5 Specs from: http://www.chevrolet.com/aveo/hatchback/features-specs/

Edmunds Website.  2011.  Hyundai Veloster Features & Specs.  Retrieved September 20, 2011 from: http://www.edmunds.com/hyundai/veloster/2012/features-specs.html?style=101404379

On September 14, 2011 the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released data on the all new 2012 Chevy Sonic crash tests.  IIHS has concluded that the 2012 Chevy Sonic is a TOP SAFETY PICK for both the sedan and hatchback models and is a marked improvement over the predecessor Aveo (IIHS).

This is wonderful news for a vehicle of this size and demonstrates how Chevy is concerned with safety when designing vehicles.  The IIHS also list the 2012 Sonic LT sedan weight as 2,798 lbs with an estimated EPA rating of 25 mpg cit and 35 mpg highway (IIHS).

We are still awaiting word from the safercar.gov website on the 2012 Chevy Sonic crash data.

To read the actual crash test data from the IIHS, please refer to this link:  http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=737

Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS) Website.  September 14, 2011.  Chevrolet Sonic Earns TOP SAFETY PICK Award.  Retrieved September 14, 2011 from: http://www.iihs.org/news/default.html  And YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt4K2h10NCk&feature=player_profilepage

It has been some weeks now sinice select dealerships first revived the new 2012 Sonic line. Granted this appears to be way ahead of schedule, but where are the 1.4 turbo six speeds? Is the delay related to the order of assembly? Have the engineers found something of concern or still not signed off on the turbo models?  A quick web search of available Sonics fail to show any turbo models in stock, but many dealers have listed "in-transit" for the turbo option.  If you go to CARS.COM and search for all Sonics within any distance zip, then as of September 14, 2011 the search will show 530 Sonics available, all with the 1.8 non-turbo.  SONIC SEARCH via CARS.com

Many of the Chevrolet dealerships are beginning to update their website accessory pages to include options for the 2012 Chevy Sonic.  Searching any number of these dealers will revel a number of the interior and exterior options with prices which are available for purchase.  Even a few online GM part vendors have updated accessory options for the 2012 Sonic.  Listed below are a few of the accessories found on the internet, and will be updated periodically:


Interior:


       Sonic Pedal Covers.  GM Part Number: 95970279 (MT) 95970280 (AT)
       Sonic Door Plates.  GM Part Number: 95954000  
       Sonic Premium Floor Mats.  GM Part Number: 95918875
       Sonic All Weather Floor Mats:  GM Part Number:  95918878
       Sonic Cargo Net.  GM Part Number:  95964983 (Black) 95964984 (Pewter)
       Sonic Cargo Tray.  GM Part Number:  95493487 (HB) 95971429 (sedan)
       Sonic Remote Start.  GM Part Number:  95990001 (HB)  95990000 (sedan)
       Sonic Rear Storage Cover Floor.  GM Part Number:  95920170 (HB)
       Sonic Smoker's Package.  GM Part Number:  95494514


Chevrolet Europe Aveo/Sonic Interior Accessory Part Numbers
       Cargo Organizer.  GM Part Number:  96448609
       Front Seat Net.  GM Part Number:  93742973


Exterior:


       Sonic Chrome Door Handles (GBA) Sedan Only.  GM Part Number:  95031499
       Sonic Splash Guards Mud Flaps.  GM Part Number:  95463818
       Sonic Window Air Deflector Smoke, HB Only.  GM Part Number:  95961276
       Sonic Center Cap.  GM Part Number:  96682160
       Sonic Fog Light Kit.  GM Part Number:  95950429
       Sonic Rear Bumper Protector, HB Only.  GM Part Number: 96696273
       Sonic Wheel Lock Set.  GM Part Number:  12498078


Chevrolet Europe Aveo/Sonic Exterior Accessory Part Numbers
       Chrome Side Mirrors.  GM Part Number:  95950260
       Chrome Fuel Door Cover.  GM Part Number:  95473309 (HB),  95473310 (Sedan)
       Chrome Grill Trim.  GM Part Number:  96696392
       Fog Lamp Kit.  GM Part Number:  95950434
       Headlamp Bezel Red Rings.  GM Part Number:  95950440
       Bumper Protection Cover Trunk Hatch Entry.  GM Part Number:  95984297 (HB),  95984298
       Bumper Molding Kit.  GM Part Number:  95985982 (HB),  95985979 (Sedan)
       Spoiler Kit Sedan Only.  GM Part Number:  95908897
       Roof Racks.  Europe Part Number:  EC95950258 (HB),  EC95950259 (Sedan)

Understanding the Z-Spec line and target audience, I felt it was time to jazz things up with an enthusiast version of the Sonic for those of us who desire more effective and practical styling.  Idea was to demonstrate a conceptual version of what a street tuned 2012 Chevy Sonic may look like.

For this project I called upon a photo-realistic, professional rendering artist, Mike Creighton of Rampant Renders to create a first of it's kind rendering of a street tuned Chevy Sonic.  First, let me just say Mike is not only a wonderful artist, but is a true professional!!  Now let's discuss some of the key features.  Our goal was to design a simple daily driver.  First you will notice the Sonic is painted in the soon-to-be released grey color.  The bumper is a completely new concept courtesy of Mike.  Wheels are similar to the design of the VOLK TE37V in Gun Metal with chrome lip.  The suspension was lowered to give a more stout effect.  Oversized intercooler up front.  Racing brake package with red calipers.  Smoke turn indicators.  Carbon fiber spoiler and front diffuser were added, and air ducts replace the stock fog lamp placement.  Also, for a nice finishing touch, the blue headlamp rings.  Now, only were in the market to produce a limited number of Sonics like this?  Who know's maybe something similar to the Volkswagen R32 line?  

About the artist.  From the beginning Mike clearly understood the vision and with minimal input and was able to design this rendering flawlessly and delivered in record time.  So, if any of you out there are looking to have a professional automobile rendering, for a very reasonable creative fee, then MIKE CREIGHTON of RAMPANT RENDERS is your man!  For contact information or to view more automobile renderings click here: www.rampantrenders.com

Please respect the copyright and artist integrity by citing all sources for the article and image!!!!  


2012 Chevy Street Sonic Rendering, by Mike Creighton of Rampant Renders.  www.rampantrenders.com

Chevy has recently updated the www.chevrolet.com website to include a fully function Sonic page.  They have also silently removed the Aveo from the cars section which is replaced by the 2012 Sonic.  While on the Sonic page individuals can learn about all the options, and build their own version.  The site features a number of interactive 360 tools of the exterior and interior.

To view more please click here: http://www.chevrolet.com/sonic-family/

September 4, 2011, on the CBS Sunday Morning broadcast there was a news report focusing on the current employment market.  One portion from that particular segment featured the GM ORION Assembly Plant, the manufacturing home for the all new 2012 Chevy Sonic.  Although the report was focused on an economic perspective, for those of us interested in Sonic news, there were some nice clips of the Sonic assembly line.

Video Link: CBS Report: Where Have All the Jobs Gone?  or full web link: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/04/sunday/main20101490.shtml