Chevy’s small cars have never really done much to impress. The one in most recent memory, the Aveo, was especially dismal. But GM is out to impress and ask for a second chance with a new subcompact that debuted in 2011. In much of the rest of the world, it’s still marketed as an Aveo, but Chevy must have wanted more of a fresh start with U.S. buyers, so here it is now called the Sonic, and for 2013 customers get the option of the new RS package. This results in a car that certainly looks the part with pretty aggressive styling as well as enough “RS” and “Turbo” badges and look-at-me trim to give it that hot-hatch look. And with a price tag of around $21,000, it also seems like a pretty good deal. The Sonic RS, then, is an eyebrow raiser, but is it more show than go?
The Sonic RS is only offered in five-door form, which is a good thing because the sedan looks pretty mundane and a hatchback rear end matches the rest of this car’s boy racer image. It’s not a look for everyone, but it still comes together pretty well. The front fascia is definitely aggressive and distinctive if not exactly pretty, with new fog lights, a bigger grille, and headlamps that are supposedly “motorcycle-inspired”. The rest of the car is also pretty well-styled for what it is, and it especially looks the part riding on those 17-inch aluminum wheels, an appealing change from the caster wheels that we see on so many small hatchbacks. All in all, the Sonic RS looks pretty good and is distinct enough from the regular car without being overdone.
