The Sonic family has been a good seller for Chevrolet, accounting for 93,518 sales in calendar year 2014, an increase of 9.2 percent compared to calendar year 2013. And for the 2016 model year, the Sonic is getting several notable changes and updates.
To start, the 2016 Chevrolet Sonic discontinues two exterior colors while adding three new ones:
Deleted Colors
- Black Granite Metallic
- Ashen Gray Metallic
New Colors
- Nightfall Gray Metallic
- Mosaic Black Metallic
- Kinetic Blue Metallic
In addition, 2016 Chevy Sonic does away with the AM/FM stereo with CD player, the Dragon Green Promotional Package, and the Manual Equipment Group from the LTZ trim level of both the four-door sedan and five-door hatch models. Rounding out the deletions are the 17-inch LPO-level wheels in Black and White.
All of the new features for the 2016 Chevrolet Sonic consist of various LPO-level items including a storage bin liner for the instrument panel, three types of 17-inch painted wheels in Black, Silver and White, as well as a wheel lock kit.
Lastly, 2016 Chevy Sonic changes include:
- Standardizing the MyLink radio on the LT trim level
- Requiring Nightfall Gray Metallic exterior color on the Dusk Package
- Renaming Advanced Safety Package to Driver Confidence Package
- Changing the capacity of the fuel tank to 10.8 gallons on LT and LTZ models equipped with the manual transmission and turbo-charged 1.4L LUV I4 engine; by comparison, Sonics with automatic transmissions will have the 12.2 gallon tank
- Deleting the rear floor mats on the Sonic LT Sedan when it’s ordered with the manual transmission and available turbo-charged 1.4L LUV I4 engine
Check the full RPO-level changes just below:
Deletions
- 1SE (Manual) Equipment Group from LTZ Sedan and LTZ 5-Door
- (GAR) Black Granite Metallic exterior color
- (GLJ) Ashen Gray Metallic exterior color
- (UH7) AM/FM stereo with CD player and MP3 playback
- (PDG) Dragon Green Promotional Package
- (SE1) 17″ painted Black wheels, LPO
- (SE0) 17″ painted White wheels, LPO
New Features
- (G7Q) Nightfall Gray Metallic exterior color
- (GB8) Mosaic Black Metallic exterior color
- (GD1) Kinetic Blue Metallic exterior color
- (SA0) Storage bin liner, instrument panel, LPO
- (5BA) 17″ painted Black wheels, LPO
- (5BC) 17″ painted Silver wheels, LPO
- (5BD) 17″ painted White wheels, LPO
- (SFE) Wheel locks kit, LPO
Changes
- (UF7) Chevrolet MyLink radio is now standard on LT models
- (WKC) Dusk Package now requires new (G7Q) Nightfall Gray Metallic exterior color
- (PCY) Advanced Safety Package name changed to Driver Confidence Package
- (UE1) OnStar Directions & Connections plan for 6 months, changes to Guide plan included for 6 months (trial excludes Hands-Free Calling minutes)
- LT and LTZ models with manual transmission and equipped with the (LUV) turbo 1.4L engine will have a 10.8 gallon capacity fuel tank
- Rear floor mats will be deleted on the LT Sedan with manual transmission (1JV69 1SC) when the available (LUV) turbo 1.4L engine is ordered
Comments
I’m kinda puzzled by the shrinking gas tank for the 1.4 LTZ and LT models. I hope the RS is not affected by that. I actually wish I had a 14 gallon tank in mine. That Kinetic Blue is a sweet color!
Kinetic Blue rocks.
Shrinking the gas tank on the 1.4T/manual seems odd, as does deleting the rear floor mats on the LT sedan with the same combo.
I disapprove of the deletion of the CD slot /standardization of Mylink on the LT. I find the CD slot to be of more value than a touch screen. My wife has had ongoing problems with her Mylink having a mind of its own, playing from the top of the USB rather than where it last left off, and occasionally resetting to factory settings. She has been in contact with Chevy and various people at the dealership and nobody has a solution.
New colors, mats, storage bin liners, and things like that are pointless changes. Some people will like new colors, such as me, but some will prefer the old. I find storage bin liners to be kind of unattractive in the interior.
Infotainment systems are horrible all around. Chevy’s isn’t the worst on the ranks, but it IS an annoyance that people shouldn’t have to deal with when they don’t want to. Things like MyLink, OnStar, in-car wi-fi, satellite radio, bluetooth, etc. are expensive to buy and easily breakable, even when the vehicle owner only uses them every once in a while. Then it costs even more to get ’em fixed, which you have to do with most of them because the car design usually relies on them way more than they should… Such things should only be standard on the top one or two trims, where people would naturally expect to pay more to get them. Standardizing them on lower trims isn’t offering people a “great deal”; it’s making it hard for the people who don’t want them to avoid them. Also known as “cramming it down their throat.”
The worst thing on the list is the gas tank change, though. It was not a good idea with the Cruze, and it’s not a good idea here, either. Anything less than 12 gallons is unacceptable. You’re not saving money if you’re filling up all the time. Especially on a manual, which takes time to learn to drive smoothly, and costs more in gas while you’re learning to than just getting an automatic. Subcompacts are supposed to get good range to the gallon from a tank that doesn’t cost very much to fill up. Having a sub-12 gallon tank hits that purpose hard when you realize that the 12.2 tank capacity times the 29 EPA-estimated city equals a lot more than 10.8 x 29. And it’s already rare to get what the EPA estimates, too…
If I’m going to actually get my own Sonic, I’d better hurry. But if things don’t come together financially soon enough for me to do that, I’ll probably just skip it. I like my friend’s Sonic, and my own Aveo5 that is the first-generation Sonic model, but not enough to go through all THIS. Otherwise, never mind it…
I’ve been shopping for 2016 models and was VERY interested in the Sonic. That is, until now. The second thing on my must have list is an AM/FM/CD player. Sorry Sonic. I think Chevrolet may be regretting this decision if potential customers are like myself.
Where are you guys seeing the new Kinetic Blue color for Sonic ??
The Kinetic Blue is in the 2016 MY order guides.
Not a fan of the infotainment crap. And 10.8 gallons too small. Damn it… I really wanted my next car to be a manual, and my eyes were really on the Sonic.
The manual is still available, just not on the LTZ trim level. And what’s wrong with the MyLink system?
Yes, but why bother? The small gas tank renders the manual turbo’s “29 city, 40 highway, and 488 miles’ range on a full tank” completely worthless (along with Chevy’s advertising of it). And what’s more, there’s the added inconvenience of the extra fill ups. Which will cost more per any given time period, as well, because you don’t actually use all the gas in a tank, and you don’t usually get what the EPA estimates. More stops per month, for example, makes for more money into the pump, and more time spent standing there while it fills. It detracts from one of the keys to a good economy car, and is literally a lose-lose for the consumer.
It also kind of negates the LTZ trim, as you can get almost all of its features for less money (even when those features are presented as options) on the LT. And chances are, if you’re looking at an economy car, you also want to save some money. And the Sonic, in considerable part because of its adaptation of all these “new car” features, is already pretty expensive for a subcompact… So if you’re looking to get the bare minimum trim level that still has all the features you want, and as few of the ones you don’t want as possible, you’re probably not interested in an LTZ, anyway.
Plus, with the deletion of the manual on the automatic, that literally means the only trim level to suffer from this 10.8 tank is the best configuration for the one people are most likely to buy: the middle, LT. So, out of four trim choices, Chevy are stubbornly insisting on shrinking the gas tank on just one of them. And not even that; just one VERSION of that trim.
Come to think of it, it’s pretty stupid to limit the turbo manual to the LT, in the first place… They made such a big deal of it, even if few people in America were likely to actually buy it, that one would think they’d want to at least offer it on more than one trim level…
As for the infotainment system, there it is, right away: it’s an infotainment system. And although Chevy’s is likely not the worst on the market (I’ve only tried four of them, myself), it’s still an annoyance I don’t want to have to deal with when a standard stereo with input jack does the job easier, smoother, and more to the point. Just because it isn’t complicated among its peers doesn’t mean it’s something I’d want to have to mess with every day.
It’s just one of those new car features that has its fans, but seems to be mostly tolerated by everyone else, because auto reviewers are telling automakers that it’s what people want, when it’s really more what automakers are trained to think is good for a car.
And even when that is not the case (which it isn’t always), Chevy should be doing a better job remembering their other customers, as well.
It’s a mess in disguise, but it’s one the Sonic made easy enough to avoid. And it’s just discouraging to know that it’s been made that much harder by the 2016 model year (which was out before the last quarter of 2015 even began) changes.
Pretty much just what the other guy said. Why buy an LT manual if it doesn’t actually save me gas?
And why force MyLink? Chevy have gotta know it’s not something everyone wants, just like all their other damned tech. Of course there’s gonna be people who want all that stuff, but there’s also gonna be people who don’t, and they shouldn’t have to get stuck without any of the LT’s pros just to get away from one con that really gets in the way of using a car every day. Also no reason at all to take away any customize choices for the buyers…
Sonic was pretty close to gold. Why screw with it?
Myopic ideas at Chevrolet shrank the gas tank and removed the AM/FM/CD. Catering only to a narrow demographic infatuated with only the latest streaming tech, while ignoring the needs of the very large group of potential buyers that really desires and still requires traditional (and still valued) AM/FM/CD audio tech is just plain dumb. However, as an old school guy with more money than bleeding edge tech saavy, I will dutifully respond as Chevy’s brilliant marketing research dictates, and look elsewhere for an economy car that actually has a quality AM/FM/CD for my long Texas road trips and an appropriate range on a full tank of gas.
Although not my first choice when looking for a car, i have to say my 2016 Sonic LT is pretty decent. The mileage is great (36 hwy) and is way more comfortable than I thought it would be, im 6ft, and the ride is snooth. My only major complaint is that Chevy did away with the cd player. Its a pain to stream from phone or Ipod. Leave the CD alone and while youre at it, at least give the option of the standard nav, and not force Bringo on us. Not eveyone who buys your autos are 20 somethings. Im 50.
What Aaron said.
I’m a grandma who simply needs to get in AND out of a car; hard to do with today’s SUV-height sill plates and W.I.D.E, entry on most ALL vehicles. Thinking it has something to do with the switchover to “frame-less” production. But I always said I’d seriously consider a Sonic when they added power driver’s seat and now available on 2019 it may be the last year. Go figure.
As per Aaron, you’d think SOMEONE would figure out how to get us senior’s with total joint replacements into and out of their cars. Size has no bearing on the adaptation.
WE NEED:
*wide entry doors (who makes coupes any longer?),
*low and narrow sillplates (ground “clearance” makes no difference on the access),
*floorpans need to be somewhat level to the lower sillplate (remember the 70s and 80s?),
*high seating (so we don’t have to drag our butts off the floor to get out),
*power seats (reaching for a lever under the seat is impossible!),
*console shifting necessary for shoulder replacements and thankfully available on 99%,
Actually, on every point except the power seats the car that is THE MOST accessible is the mini-car Sonic iQ with 52″ wide doors, made only from 2011-2015. Not many come to market so the owners must be reluctant to let them go.
@Rick and Aaron: I’m 75. And still driving.