Driving supercars is exhilarating and the stories of craftsmanship and engineering that goes into them are unparalleled. But some of the most impressive creativity and innovation behind car design can be found among other classes of autos as well. Chevy's Sonic, the latest contender in the small-car class, is an awesome affordable car with an anticipated five-star safety rating, made right here in the U.S. Eager to see another example of the Renaissance happening in Detroit, I visited GM last week to tour the design center, safety facilities, and of course, drive the Sonic. I was more than pleasantly surprised that the miniature domestic model achieves the dream of safety and sport with a sticker price of $14k.
The Sonic comes in a four-door sedan as well as a five-door hatchback. Both models feature motorcycle-inspired headlamps, a high waistline and a low roofline. This slightly squat stance affords better handling, while a slight increase in width also makes for a roomier interior than typical small cars.
While I had a chance to drive both models on GM's amazing proving grounds, it was the five-door LTZ with a 1.4L turbo engine and six-speed manual transmission that I enjoyed the most. "The little engine that could" was quite zippy, the steering responsive and the suspension firm but forgiving.
0 comments:
Post a Comment