Nother CarGuy

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Ford and General Motors will drop a number of sedans and hatchbacks as crossovers have become the defacto choice of consumers. Citing company insiders, the publication claims the Chevrolet Sonic could be phased out later this year. It may eventually be joined by the Chevrolet Impala which is rumored to go out of production “in the next few years.” The Sonic is one of Chevrolet’s most affordable models as pricing starts at $16,170. The company also notes thirty percent of Sonic buyers are under 35 years old and this makes it “one of Chevrolet’s ‘youngest’ cars.” Despite appealing to young consumers and first time buyers, sales have been falling over the past few years. U.S. sales peaked at 93,518 units in 2014 but dropped to just 30,290 units last year. The Impala is doing significantly better as the company sold 75,877 units in the United States last year. The model has also been well received by critics but it appears sale...

The new look ditches the four inset headlights that gave the Sonic such a memorable face, and goes with what could best be described as a  Camaro -inspired look (we know it sounds crazy, but  check out the face of the Camaro  and compare it with the image above). The single-unit headlights and their LED running lamps are attached to the latest version of Chevrolet's grille. The upper grille is slim and wide, and the lower could be called gaping. In back, Chevy has retained some flashy taillights, but has again gone with a single-unit design, rather than the inset shapes with the black surrounds found on the old car. The hatchback model will now be limited to the RS trim level. There will be two versions– the RS LT and RS Premier – while the sedan will be offered in LS, LT, Premier, and RS. Like the current car, there will be 15-, 16-, and 17-inch wheel options, although based on the RS shown above, even the largest wheel option looks underwhelming, especially compared ...

Despite its role as the entry point into  Chevrolet's  lineup of sedans in America, the  Sonic  can be a fun little urban runabout in the same vein as the  Ford Fiesta  and  Honda Fit . It's also impressively  fuel efficient . Suffice it to say, then, that the Sonic is way better than the  Aveo  it replaces. And, as you can see from these  spy shots , the next version of the Sonic is currently being tested in the wintry climes of Detroit, Michigan. The 2018  Chevy Sonic  will be based on an updated Gamma platform that will be shared with the all-electric  Chevy  Bolt. In place of that's car electric motor and massive battery pack will be either a naturally aspirated four-cylinder or small turbocharged  engine . Spy shooters suggest a three-cylinder engine is also a possibility. While it's clear from these  spy photos  that the development of the next Sonic is well underway, nobody is quite sure ...