In the modern era of automobiles, most customers want to have their cake and eat it too, meaning they not only want great fuel economy and a low price, but they also want a well-performing vehicle. Enter the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic with a 1.8-liter four cylinder engine that gets a respectable 25 to 26 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway. This is all well and good, but what about those looking for more miles per gallon.

Greater miles per gallon is the exact purpose for Chevy offering an optional 1.4-liter engine. Instinctively, you may assume that this more fuel efficient 1.4-liter engine may require a sacrifice of power, but GM bolted a turbocharger onto this Ecotec engine, boosting it to the same 138 horsepower as the 1.8-liter. It also produces 23 more pound-feet of torque than the larger 1.8-liter engine. In addition to its added torque, this boosted 1.4-liter gets 33 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway, and zips the Sonic from 0 to 60 mph in just 7.8 seconds – we’re not talking a Ferrari, but that’s still impressive.

Unfortunately, for those that desired an automatic transmission, the turbo 1.4-liter engine was not an option, as it was only available with a six-speed manual transmission. Well, GM decided to answer the demand for an auto-equipped Sonic turbo, as the auto giant announced that it will now offer an optional six-speed automatic transmission on the 2012 Sonic Turbo. This new turbocharged, automatic-equipped 2012 Sonic will accelerate to 60 mph in eight seconds, per GM, which is significantly faster than its closest competitors, which include the Ford Fiesta->ke1170, Honda Fit->ke1336, and Hyundai Accent->ke478.

On top of the impressive acceleration time, the auto equipped Sonic turbo will get you 27 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. All of these features combined, plus the 2012 Sonic’s modern and stylish exterior, make us wonder why you are still reading this and not picking one up now… Or are we talking to ourselves here?

Click below to read the official press release from GM.

Press Release

DETROIT – The Chevrolet->ke199 Sonic’s fuel-efficient Ecotec 1.4L turbo engine will now be available in either manual or automatic transmission, bringing the increased torque of turbocharging to drivers of automatics.

“Providing the option of a turbocharged engine to our non-stick driving Chevy customers allows us to offer everyone the thrill and power of a fuel-efficient Ecotec 1.4L powerplant,” said Jim Danahy, vehicle line director and vehicle chief engineer for North American small cars. “Both in the Sonic and Cruze, the engine enables better fuel economy without sacrificing power or performance. It’s really a winning combination.”

Sonic’s Ecotec 1.4L turbocharged engine and six-speed manual transmission achieved a 0-to-60 mph time of 7.8 seconds, according to independent AMCI testing – faster than the comparable 2012 Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit and Hyundai Accent. The Sonic with the turbo-automatic combination went from 0 to 60 in about eight seconds.

“Traditionally, turbocharging was used to enhance the performance of engines, but today it is as much about fuel economy as a 0-to-60 time,” said Bob Benedict, assistant chief engineer for the Ecotec 1.4L engine. “The turbocharger provides high-pressure airflow for high torque to boost the vehicle and give the driver a fun driving experience with improved fuel efficiency.”

The 2012 Chevy Sonic Ecotec 1.4L turbo six-speed automatic delivers an EPA-estimated 37 mpg highway and 27 mpg in the city, while the manual gets 40 mpg on the highway and 29 in the city.

To learn more about the all-new Sonic, visit the Chevy Sonic Facebook page; follow on Twitter at @ChevyLife or check out letsdothis.com.

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.