Chevrolet will soon put the Sonic Dusk into production - but will buyers pay the premium?
With the exception of a few exotic sports cars, Americans typically measure the worth of an automobile by the inch and pound. But Chevrolet is hoping to get U.S. buyers to rethink that attitude with the new Chevy Sonic Dusk.
The concept vehicle, set for a formal debut at the upcoming SEMA aftermarket show in Las Vegas, is “designed to bring a higher degree of sophistication and refinement to the subcompact segment,” the maker explains.
The maker promises the Dusk model will soon reappear in production form. Chevrolet isn’t the only maker to try moving small cars up-market. Mini has done a good job at de-coupling the link between size and price and Fiat had a modest success when it issued the recent Gucci edition of its little 500 hatchback.
“Just like we’ve done with Corvettes and Camaros, we’re taking another one of our core products and adapting it to our customers’ lifestyles,” said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “The reaction to the Sonic Dusk concept last year was overwhelmingly positive and proved customers are interested in a more-refined subcompact. We’re moving quickly to bring Sonic Dusk to Chevrolet showrooms.”
The SEMA Show “production intent” Sonic Dusk features a variety of sporty and up-market details, including matte-finish grilles, door handles and license plate trim, large 18-inch aluminum wheels, ground effects and a rear spoiler, the body finished off in “Ashen Grey” paint.
The interior of the Chevrolet Sonic Dusk concept is finished in Jet Black leather and Mojave Tan suede on the seats, door panels and instrument panel. The up-market offering also features the Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system.
Chevy first tested the waters to see if it could move the Sonic up-market in 2011, and “With a year under our belt, we’ve learned our Sonic sedan buyers are looking at exterior styling as a key purchase driver,” said Cristi Landy, marketing director of Chevrolet small cars. “While the RS hatchback is our sporty interpretation of Sonic, Dusk is a sophisticated, well contented option – both unique to this segment. It’s all about choices and personalization.”
The Chevy Sonic Dusk is powered by GM’s 1.4-liter turbocharged Ecotec inline-four, rated at 138 horespower and 148 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a 6-speed transmission in concept trim, though the production version will also offer a manual gearbox.
Chevy isn’t talking mileage for now, but the current version of the Chevrolet Sonic turbo gets up to 40 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA.
Americans have seldom been convinced to pay a premium for small cars — with the exception of exotics and sports cars such as the Porsche 911. Mini has been able to command a higher price tag than similarly sized competitors but mainstream makers like Chevrolet have had a harder time breaking the size/price paradigm.
That’s less the case in some other markets, however. Buyers in places like Europe – where fuel prices are high and space is at a premium – are far more willing to accept the idea that good things come in small packages such as the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class and BMW 1-Series.