TEST DRIVE: The All-New Chevy Sonic Is a Sub-Compact Blast from the Past

The <a title="Chevy Sonic" href="http://www.chevrolet.com/sonic-small-cars/" target="_blank">Chevy Sonic</a>, an all-new compact model from <a title="General Motors" href="http://www.gm.com" target="_blank">GM</a>, made its debut at the <a title="Inhabitat: Detroit Auto Show" href="http://inhabitat.com/index.php?s=detroit+auto+show" target="_blank">2012 North American International Auto Show</a> in Detroit last month. We were so busy covering all the <a title="Inhabitat: NAIAS" href="http://inhabitat.com/index.php?s=naias" target="_blank">hybrid and electric car reveals</a> that we couldn’t pay it much attention, but a week-long test drive in the little wonder has made us feel remiss about that. After all, it fulfills the demands of many younger drivers in the States: it's small, efficient, well-appointed, and it features a turbocharger on its tiny engine to really give you some kick. The Sonic actually feels a lot like the old Ford Festiva from the early 90s, which is to say simple and down to earth but with a lot of get up and go. Remember that lurchy feeling you got learning to drive in a small manual-transmission car with more power than its tiny frame needed? It’s just like that, without the cigarette burns in the seats.

We took the Chevy Sonic down some pretty muddy mid-winter roads, and while it skipped over potholes in true small car fashion, it really held its own in the muck and slush.

You definitely get more sporty style with subcompact hatches these days. Compare these near-Camaro headlights with foglights below to the 90s subcompact ultra-bland alternative, and you'll see just how far small cars have come this decade.

You definitely could hear all the melting snow and mud hitting the undercarriage of the Sonic, though. This car is best for drivers who like to be connected with the road and aware of the surface they're driving over.

The wheels are a little on the small side, but not bad for such a small car.

It's such a small detail, but we really loved the chrome accent on this door handle. Very well thought out and high style for a little car.

Again, just a detail, but the two-tone mirror also shows signs that someone really thought through the sportiness of this design. Most cars this small have little mirrors that stick out like awkward--and cheap--afterthoughts.

The door handles on the rear doors of the Sonic aren't quite as seamlessly integrated into the body as in the Hyundai Veloster, but they're close. This gives the little car a nice smooth and spacious appearance.

The rear roof spoiler and angled taillights really make the package. We love it when a car is nice to look at from all angles.

From the back, the Sonic looks somewhat similar to the Lexus CT200h hybrid hatch we tested recently. Chevy has come a long way in styling this decade.

Once more, good attention to detail in this design element.

The Sonic has a turbocharger, which takes the performance of the little car from bland to more than adequate. Turbochargers bring unused fuel in the exhaust back to the engine for a richer air-fuel mix to give you more oomph and are an easy way for automakers to improve the efficiency and performance of their cars using existing technology. Expect to see more turbocharged and supercharged (more air going into the engine on the front end) cars coming out in the next few years.

The rear hatch has a quality feel, with a surprising amount of space behind the second-row seats. The seats fold forward for extra storage.

We're not really fans of the built-in trunk covers, but this one is standard fare if you like to keep your gear from jumping out of the back as you drive Calvin and Hobbes style down the road.

The door is a little tinny when you close it because of the lower levels of insulation you find in smaller or less expensive cars, but it's well made.

Power everything is a good sign in a small car.

We never had any issue with foot room in front or back.

Yes, leather seats, and heated too.

GM is done being told their interiors are poorly put together, so you'll find great quality in here with leather and power everything.

We love the auto option on the headlights, which turns on your lights when it sees fit (usually it's right).

More attention to detail inside, where curves abound and even the HVAC vents are nicely shaped to mirror the taillights.

Okay, so here's where the modern design all falls down. This instrument cluster could have been taken from a 10-year-old car, and is hard to read because of the multitude of little boxes for various lights. Its saving grace is that we actually liked driving in the little cars this thing reminds us of back in the 90s.

Phone controls, volume, and other bits and pieces make this a high-end steering wheel for such a small car.

The radio controls are nothing special, but they're certainly nicer than the instrument cluster, and work well.

The radio and phone controls are clustered together, making everything easy to find.

Heated seat controls and HVAC buttons are placed side by side.

If you drove a subcompact car in the 90s, it surely didn't have a sporty thick gear shifter like this, and it didn't have 6 gears. The Sonic shifts pretty smoothly and always has plenty of power on tap.

Those buttons turn child safety locks on and turn off traction control, also a feature you might not expect in a subcompact.

Finally, we get to the storage cubbies, which is an important feature of such a small car. This one on top of the dash holds small items.

Two cubbies on either side of the center stack hold larger items.

The Sonic has two glove boxes for extra storage.