What is it?
The Chevrolet Sonic is the company's new supermini for America, unveiled in Detroit in both four- and five-door guises. If you're wondering why it looks familiar, this is basically the American version of the new Chevrolet Aveo, unveiled at the Paris Motor Show last year and due to hit Irish showrooms later this year.
Why's it here?
Since Ford has taken the lead in the whole global car thing - as well as trying to turn America onto the joys of the 'compact' - GM thought it should be having a go too. So, take one small European car, give it a new name and a boot option, and you have GM's global 'supercompact'.
Chevrolet says it has more space than the Ford Fiesta inside, and US buyers get to choose between a 1.8-litre petrol engine and a 140hp 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol unit. And its suspension has apparently been engineered by the team that brought you the Corvette - the specific team of blokes, that is, not just Chevrolet itself. That would be an obvious statement, even for a car company. Irish Aveo buyers will get the option of the 1.3-litre diesel engine found in the Opel Corsa.
Show stopper or floor filler?
Nice looking and a significant step in GM's thrust to become purveyor of more modern, more compact, more eco-friendly and generally more relevant cars - but it's hardly a new Lamborghini, right?