It’s already proving to be popular with buyers in both Canada and the U.S., now the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic subcompact can add another notch in its belt, a Five-Star safety rating, courtesy of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
2012 Sonic with Z-Spec accessories
Tested under NHTSA’s revised New Car Assessment program, which began with 2011 model year vehicles, the Sonic garnered the overall Five-Star safety rating following evaluations in rollover resistance, as well as side and frontal crash scenarios, including the infamous “pole test” in which the vehicle is slammed into a poll or tree just behind the A-pillar on the driver’s side at speeds of 32 km/h (20 mph).
The announcement of the overall Five-Star safety rating from NHTSA was welcomed by General Motors. Gay Kent, a GM executive for Vehicle Safety said: “We developed the Sonic to exceed customer expectations of subcompacts in terms of segment-leading safety features. From the largest vehicles in the lineup to the smallest, we are putting overall crash worthiness at the top of the list of must haves.”
