More evidence has surfaced suggesting the Chevrolet Sonic’s life will come to an end in the near future. The Truth About Cars reported on Thursday that the Sonic has disappeared from the latest California Air Resources Board certification document.
The document certifies vehicles for the 2019 model year, and the Sonic is only listed on the 2018 document. The document covers all vehicles featuring GM’s less powerful 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It’s found exclusive in GM’s sub-compact vehicle class and is not the same as the 2018 Chevrolet Cruze’s engine.
Currently, the Orion assembly plant builds the Chevrolet Sonic, and with its almost-certain death, it will leave the plant with just the 2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV for production. However, with the Bolt EV’s technology and architecture proposed to underpin at least one other electric car, Orion should continue humming along in the future. Orion once built the Opel Ampera-e and the Buick Verano.
The previous report detailing the Sonic’s end also spelled doom for another Chevrolet passenger car: the Chevrolet Impala. However, we haven’t heard news on the full-size sedan’s future aside from minor tweaks for 2019.
Comments
When I was a teenager in the late seventies i had 3,500 for a car i really wanted a new Firebird but it was over 7,000 so there was no way. My point is that a young person just starting out needs cheep options, and the difference between a 15,000 Sonic and a 20,000 Cruze is huge. You want a young person to start with your brand because if they have a good experience with the car the more likely they are to stay with your brand once their fortunes improve. I think that Ford getting rid of its small cars is a mistake for this reason.The cheapest vehicle they will have will be well over 20,000. They are ignoring this very important demographic.The first time buyers will go to a basic Hyundai, Kia,etc. and then they gone.Please GM be smart and at least keep the Spark, it’s not a bad first time car, and a good way to bring the young into the fold.
Well, if that’s the case that’s a big disappointment to me; I simply prefer the Sonic to the others in the lineup and was starting to think about a replacement for my 2014. The range isn’t quite there on electrics for me yet, the Spark is too small and the Cruze sedan too long for the kind of parking situations I face, and the Cruze hatchback too short on the interior. And the Sonic beats all other B-class cars on the market stone dead as far as I am concerned. Was hoping to maybe see a direct injection engine in there, perhaps some refinements to the suspension, maybe an aerodynamic tweak here and there for mileage sake, but in truth there’s not a whole lot extra it needs. Also, will the Cruze finally get the crash avoidance warning systems that the Sonic has had available for years on both the LT and LTZ?
I think the Sonic is a great looking car. Although the back end I’m not a fan of. I was thinking about buying a 2018 Sonic when the 2019 models come out, but I believe for the money the Cruze is a better deal.