Rumormill: General Motors Working On Sonic SS
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Since the announcement of the Chevy Sonic/Aveo — as well as its larger brother, the Cruze — motoring enthusiasts around the world (us included) have been clamoring for high-performance variants of both vehicles. In fact, both the Sonic/Aveo and Cruze have excellent chassis configurations that make both small cars very fun to drive, except for the fact that both are powered by very unexciting engines (that also applies to the Sonic RS. But all that may change.
According a new report, GM is working on a Sonic SS that will be powered by the automaker’s new 1.6 liter direct-injected and turbo-charged Ecotec engine. The boosted four-banger has a maximum output of 200 horsepower and 221 lb.-ft. of torque, which pretty much puts the rumored high-performance Sonic directly in competition with Ford’s upcoming Fiesta ST (180 hp, 177 lb.-ft. of torque). Besides the much-needed engine upgrades, the Sonic SS will also reportedly receive more potent brakes, suspenders, and steering mechanics.
Of course, this is all just a rumor at this point.
GM's new 4-cylinder 1.6 liter turbocharged Ecotec engine
This would be SO HOT!!
Dang, and I just purchased a 2012 Sonic LTZ too… *kicking dirt*
Is the 1.6T going to replace the 1.4T or is it going to be a supplementary powerplant?
The 1.4T has some history behind it (read: it’s old) and will likely be phased out over the next 2 years.
wait then why can’t we put that 1.6T inside the Encore?
The 1.6 isn’t quite ready yet.
But then Encore isn’t coming out until next year though….
Right; the fact that a new engine exists doesn’t necessarily mean it will be applied to any and all vehicles that will eventually get it. There is a wind-up process for the new engine, a wind-down for the old ones, and a period at which both engines are made at the same time.
The new 2.5 is a perfect example. It just started production and thus one could expect it to replace all instances of the 2.4 (Verano, Equinox/Terrain) right away; but that will take several months, if not longer.
It’s a transition… and like most transitions, it will take some time.
Waiting months is OK. Waiting years puts a buyer in some other dealership. Unfortunately, we’ve come to expect the latter.
The bottom line is that the company as a whole is undergoing the biggest transition ever, which spans EVERYTHING:
- business operations
- marketing
- brand alignment
- engineering (platforms, powertrain, alternative propulsion)
The lack of flexibility and choice, along with gaps in the product lineup, will be felt for the next 2 years. After that, better hand on tight.
I’m also annoyed having just got one of the last 2012 LTZ’s last week.
Oh bless GM thank you!!
Thats good news but c’mon… WHERE IS THE CRUZE SS?!? There is more competition in the compact sport sedan segment than there is in the sub compact sport segment. GM has all the pieces for an SS Cruze, they just have to put them together. Maybe one will come with the 2015 Cruze update, but I can’t believe there have been no rumors. And for god sake, bring the hatch over too. Hot hatch should be the only body style
Another question: where is the Sonic diesel?
you will see this soon D2 will have more engine choices
Now I’d be will to pay $22k – $23k for an SS Sonic with the 200HP 1.6L.
SS Sonic… How about just Super Sonic?
YYYYYEEEEEEESSSSSS I knew it!!!! I thought, hmmmmm…. that 1.6L Turbo in Europe would be perfect for a Sonic SS. And then I heard they were bringing the engine here, and I got a little bit more excited. And now this!!! YAY
Ok, now I’m not a mechanic, but why couldn’t GM turbo the 1.8L that they already have?
The 1.8 is also a last-gen engine while the 1.6 is an all-new design through and through. In other words, it’s much more than just bolting on a turbo and calling it a day, but rather refining the entire configuration for performance/power, NVH, and endurance, among other things.
This would be great news! Chevy could do the following:
Sonic RS with a 170 HP 1.6 Turbo
Sonic SS with a 200 HP 1.6 Turbo
Cruze RS with the 200 HP 1.6 Turbo
Cruze SS with the 260 HP 2.0 Turbo
This begs the question: what will replace the 1.4 Turbo in the regular LT and LTZ models?
And what will replace the ancient 1.8L four in the base LS models?
Alex, can you speculate?
@Jbest05 Given the overall small market demand for performance cars (why do people suck?), I would think that any automaker would want to focus on a single high-performance variant of a mainstream model. So while I would like to see the kind of lineup you’re suggesting (with RS and SS), we will likely only see one (on higher-end).
In regards to the 1.8 — this engine will probably go away in the near future, while the 1.4T could either stay or be replaced by the new 1.6T. It all depends on whether GM finds that down-tuning the new 1.6 more cost-effective than the 1.4T.
Jbest05 Also, keep in mind that GM is about to overhaul its entire low-displacement engine line (Ecotec), so we should see all-new replacements for all of the old-school Ecotecs in the near future. Look for an announcement (or two) soon
Also, will GM consider creating a 2.5 Turbo based on the new 2.5L four that just debuted in the Malibu and base ATS?
A 2.5 Turbo could easily produce 300+ HP based on the impressive output figures for the existing 2.0 Turbo.
@Jbest05 that’s a possibility; but power and fuel economy aren’t the only criteria used to determine the viability of a new engine at GM. In fact, GM is probably the most stringent automaker when it comes to durability testing of their powerplants… so if they can make a 2.5T meet their durability requirements — along with the sufficient power and fuel efficiency numbers — then it should be a given
Only a select few in the U.S. approve of diesels. GM probably won’t mess with a Sonic Diesel because the turbo already gets 40 mpg and because Diesels are seen as dirty and noisy by most Americans (which is actually false these days). VW doesn’t sell many of their TDI models but that small select audience that DO drive diesels LOVE their cars. So while diesels are still growing in the states, GM probably won’t mess around with that untill after they see how the Cruze Eco-D does in the market. I drove a buddies Jetta TDI the other day and loved the torque and fuel economy but the sound was a turn off and putting diesel fuel in it was another downer
In my opinion Chevrolet should have SS models available For all their cars.Well except for the spark I mean every kind of pointless wouldn’t it… Just picture a brand-new 2015 Impala SS that’s pure sweetness. Yeah I understand that it would take away From the planned Pure SS model but still you can’t have an Impala with out an SS version…
Why not just put in the newest 2.0T that’s also being used in the Malibu turbo? With 250+ hp, light weight, suspension and brake upgrades and a price around 25k, you’d have many people (me included) looking to buy.
I agree with jbest05. Also, put the 1.6L turbo as the base engine for the verano and the Buick GTC(!)
(I like the idea or hi-perf version of the Chevy Sonic but the old saying “nothing beats displacement” still stands (even) today so if I wanted to design a sub-compact car that leans toward the direction of a “hotrod” that’s primarily a go-fast ride with a stiffer suspension I probably would want to offer it 2 ways/1 slightly tamer than the other because let’s face it, this might just be the 1st car for one’s daughter OR son just out of high school so the so-called “base” version would be a 2.4L Eco-tec non-turbo and the more aggressive “optional” version to have the 2.0L Turbo….both of these power plants are extremely clean out of the tailpipe with fantastic fuel mileage as was proven with the Cobalt SS just several years ago. As far as naming these pair of road runners I would probably refer to them as Super Sonic STAGE ONE & Super Sonic STAGE TWO (no SS letters on these babies) AND last but not least it would probably be practical to offer both with the AWD option in Canada as well as the Northern half of the USA for those who have to drive it during the winter months. The AWD hardware could be sourced from the very same parts used on the new Buick Encore which is based off of the Sonic/Cruze platform but appropriately beefed up to handle the higher torque if necessary……let’s all pray to the GM Gods that it’s offered soon.)
I agree about AWD on performance version where it can be sourced like this, but GM will never do it. I keep waiting for a practical, affordable, smallish AWD car but they never do it. Or a semi-affordable one could be done as a Buick Verano and/or GTC. This would make sense, because GM claims Buick is to chase makes such as AUdi which clearly offers AWD at every level, but it will never happen. Too bad, because there are a lot of us living in the snowbelt in USA and Canada, as well as Europe for an Opel version, who would be much more likely to buy the available AWD.