When equipped with the 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that delivers 138-horsepower and 148 ft.-lbs. (200 Nm) of torque, the 2012 Sonic returns an EPA-estimated 40 mpg on the highway and city fuel economy of 29 mpg. The 1.4 Turbo is offered exclusively with a 6-speed manual.
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What you may not realise until the last twenty seconds (assuming you’re seeing this ad for the first time and didn’t look at the title of this post) is that it’s a TV commercial for Chevrolet’s European arm.
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Of course, it would be somewhat unfair to Holden if we didn’t mention that it has played a key role in the development and design of several GM products including the 5-door Cruze that will be show in pre-production trim at the 2011 Australian International Motor Show (AIMS), which takes place in Melbourne from July to 10.
The hatchback body style of the Cruze will be joined by the new Barina (a.k.a the Chevrolet Sonic) and the Colorado 4x4 concept pickup truck, which we’ve already seen with Chevrolet's bowtie.
“The Colorado show car is the biggest and brightest star on the Holden stage this year,” said Holden Chairman and Managing Director Mike Devereux. “The next generation Colorado will be an important player in light commercial/pickup 4x4 segment which is up 11 per cent this year,” he added.
The new Colorado pickup will be introduced into the Australian market in production form next year.
Holden is also updating its bread-and-butter Commodore series with the presentation of an E85 capable V6 engine option.
“We’ll be adding to the Ecoline model range, extending E85 flex-fuel capability to the popular 3.6 litre SIDI V6 engine and launching a new dedicated LPG Commodore range to take advantage of the CO2 benefits of the locally-abundant fuel,” said Devereux.
According to Chevrolet’s European division, the Aveo is designed to appeal at the “young and young-at-heart”, with the sedan model being a more suitable offering for young families, particularly in the southern and eastern parts of Europe where a four-door saloon is more often than not the only car in the household. The four-door has a boot volume of 502 liters, while the hatch reaches 653 liters when the rear seats are folded down.
Chevrolet says the new Aveo has one of the most rigid chassis in the segment, with the upper body and the frame engineered as a single unit, thus ensuring a stiffer and lighter structure.
We're already familiar with the Aveo’s styling from the U.S.-spec Sonic, so let's skip to the engines. In Europe, the new Aveo will be available with a choice of four petrol units and, for the first time in a small Chevrolet, a diesel powerplant.
The gasoline engine range includes two 1.2-liter versions rated at 70 horsepower and 86 horsepower, a 1.4-liter unit good for 100-horses and a 1.6-liter engine developing 115 horsepower.
The most fuel-efficient version is the 86HP 1.2-liter engine, rated at 5.1 liters/100 km (US 46.1 mpg) and 119 g of CO2 per kilometer, while the 1.6-liter unit averages 6.6 liters/100 km (US 35.6 mpg).
Starting this autumn, Chevrolet will also offer a 1.3-liter turbo diesel engine featuring common-rail fuel injection, start/stop technology and a variable-geometry turbocharger. Another first for a Chevrolet small car will be a six-speed automatic gearbox, but the carmaker has not yet revealed which engine will make use of it. Country-specific prices will be announced closer to the launch date.
Scroll down to see new photos of the Aveo range in both sedan hatchback styles.
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