The all-new 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, which boasts of key features such as a sporty drive, with sleek designs, and fuel efficiency, made its Midde East debut at a fun-driving event held at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai.

Sonic is a compelling choice for young-at-heart, style-conscious drivers - and it complements the range of Chevrolet new vehicles that are being launched throughout 2011, Chevrolet's centennial year.

Sonic is available for sale now across the Middle East and is designed to be a successful car in the highly competitive small car market.

It will be offered as a five-door hatch and a sedan, each delivering excellent ride and handling characteristics and a sporty and sophisticated design, as well as roominess and fuel efficiency.

'Sonic is a completely new car which is ready to compete against the best in the small car segment. This is the perfect car for those who care for a compact vehicle that provides a sporty drive, with sleek designs, and fuel efficiency,' said Chevrolet marketing manager at General Motors Middle East Operations Ahmed Soudodi.

Chevrolet Sonic features an exterior form that convey strength, stability and sportiness, a newly developed chassis and body structure, as well as an upgraded fuel-efficient, low-emission engine.

It has been engineered to make everyday driving in a small car a more dynamic and enjoyable experience, while delivering practical, hands-on solutions and value.

Featuring a sporty exterior that speaks Chevrolet's global design language, Sonic appeals to the young and the young-at-heart. This holds true for both body styles, but especially for the five-door hatchback, with its aggressive, flowing body lines. Meanwhile, the all-new four-door version conveys a more mature, upscale feel. The notchback is aimed at young families in particular.

Sonic's sporty driving experience is a key feature that contributes to the car's appeal. It consists of an exceptionally rigid body-frame-integral structure, with the upper body and the frame engineered as a single unit, ensuring a more mass-efficient and stiffer structure.

Sonic's tight body-frame-integral structure is also key to the vehicle's advanced safety performance. In the event of an accident, the roof will be able to carry 4.2 times the car's weight.

A carefully tuned set of sensors is wired to four airbags that are standard on LT, along with a four-channel anti-lock braking system with brake assist that is available on LS and standard on LT.

Sonic also offers a quiet, relaxed driving experience.

Fuel efficiency and enjoyable driving that creates a small environmental footprint were the main criteria guiding the design of Sonic's engine.

The 1.6-litre engine (115 hp) gives the Sonic strong acceleration characteristics and an immediate feeling of performance during low-speed driving.

Sonic will be the first Chevrolet small car to sport a six-speed automatic transmission. One of its principal advantages is the positioning of the gear sets which have been placed on the same axis as the engine crankshaft centreline.

Among the benefits resulting from this modification are a shorter powertrain, a lower hood line and increased interior space.-TradeArabia News Service