Chevrolet has shown off a new Sonic in South America this week, and the first thing many viewers will notice is not the vehicle itself but the badge on its nose. The teaser images were released in darkness, with the bowtie framed by an illuminated border and chrome, a sharper break from the current Chevy look.
The new Sonic will be revealed next month, and Chevrolet says the model is an SUV coupe measuring 166.5 inches long, about 3 inches shorter than a Chevy Bolt. The company says it will sit between the South American Onix hatchback and the Tracker SUV, giving the brand a vehicle that fills a narrow space in its lineup while also previewing the new chevrolet logo language it is starting to use.
That badge matters because Chevrolet confirmed the new logo will appear in the U.S., even though it did not say which model will get it first there. The Sonic will be the first model to wear it, and other models launching next year will follow. The press release describes the badges as more horizontal than before and says they will be mainly black rather than the brass-like gold that remains standard on most Chevrolet models.
The timing fits a broader push across the industry. Over the last year or so, automakers including Chrysler, Honda, BMW Alpina and Mazda have updated their badges and logos, and Chevrolet has been willing to tinker before. It has used blacked-out badges in the U.S. in the past, and blue and red bowtie variants have appeared at different points in its history, but the gold version has stayed the default on most of the lineup.
What stands out this time is that Chevrolet is using the South American Sonic to test a new identity before it reaches the U.S. The company has made the logo change public, but not the first American model to wear it. For now, the Sonic is the answer to both questions: what the new vehicle is, and where the new badge starts.
