Chevrolet’s Sonic can be had in many forms and has two available engines: a 1.8-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder good for 138 horsepower and 125 lb-ft of torque, or a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-pot that cranks out the same 138 horsepower, but an improved 148 lb-ft of torque.
It is the second of those engines, the turbocharged variant, that can achieve a best of 40 highway (29 city) miles per gallon when paired with a six-speed manual transmission – matching the Fiesta SFE and Hyundai Accent for best-in-class fuel economy.
The advantage for the Sonic Turbo is that it has a noteworthy power advantage of the Fiesta SFE, which produces just 120 horsepower and 112 lb-ft of torque. The advantage for the Fiesta is that its 40 mpg rating comes matched to a more popular automatic transmission (in America).
The 2012 Hyundai Accent matches the 138 horsepower rating, but falls short on torque with 123 lb-ft.
To obtain the best possible fuel economy with a 2012 Chevy Sonic, one must opt for either the mid- or top-grade LT or LTZ models to obtain the turbocharged engine.
