Original Article Sourced From: SonicInsider.com

Let’s get to it. The Sonic has been praised by the media as an all-around performer, but the real performance all stems from one place – right under the hood. For those new to the ECOtec school, get ready for a crash course because we have some engine talk to get to.

The ECOtec is an inline four cylinder motor family that has heritage all the way back to the ‘70s but with all of the fuel saving and performance benefits of today. It’s quite the potent little powerplant that back in 2004 was pushed all the way to 1,800 HP to outright slay the competition on the drag strip. Records were broken, parties were had and it was a fun time for the ECOtec.

But that was then and this is now.

So what’s the latest with ECOtec and does the Sonic’s motor even deserve to be labeled an ECOtec? Well for starters the Sonic does have the ECOtec logo stamped on the engine cover of its new 138hp 1.4L Turbo LUV. If you’re asking yourself what an LUV is, well that’s the technical engine code that GM has christened this motor with. Know it well.

Quick tip: You should just write “LUV” on your mirror now so that every morning you can remind yourself to search for all the latest performance parts that will be coming out in the upcoming months.

Now back to the LUV specifics. In comparison to the previous family of ECOtecs, of which one powered the Cobalt SS and pumped out 260hp right from the factory floor, there are some positive similarities and differences to the LUV. One key difference, there’s just 1.4 liters of displacement in the LUV versus 2 liters in the LNF which powered the Cobalt SS. One key similarity, they’re both turbocharged.

Being turbocharged from the factory is a critical benefit that Sonic has over its competition like the Ford Fiesta, Scion xD and Fiat 500. With the turbo, not only is big power delivered consistently and low in the RPM range, but for those speed seekers it also means that plugging a computer into this bad boy and tweaking the tune can give you a major boost in power very easily and at minimal cost (more on that in the future).

Like the title says, this is a quick dive into the new 1.4L Turbo LUV ECOtec as there is a lot more to get to. We also realize that this article probably just created more questions than answers and we’re ok with that, even though it may drive you crazy.

If you want to get any of those crazy questions off your chest and into the next LUV article, drop us a line below and we’ll look at covering the best ones in our next quick dive into the LUV.

The Chevy Sonic has a lot of things going for it. For one, it has quite a loud bark due to its aggressive styling which doesn’t make excuses for being a B-segment vehicle. Its bite is even worse though, as the Sonic packs some serious damage in the form of the 140HP turbocharged LUJ ECOtec. But we’ve known both of those things already. So what gives with the recap? Well as we get closer to the launch of the Sonic, late 2011, more and more Sonic styling and performance goodies are starting to see the light of day. The latest – a look at the production version of the much anticipated Z-Spec accessories package.

While there are no go-fast bits included in the latest release, there are some nice sit ‘n stare options. Those parts are the parable default of manufacturer offerings, but Chevy has turned the volume up on Sonic and is starting to break out different styling cues in their factory appearance options. Some of the new looks are outlandish, some are clean, but all will allow anyone to express themselves with minimal cost and maximum effect.

We’ll only be sharing one today, called “White Out”. But we’ve seen many others that will be coming out that are sure to peak interest in anyone that has a pulse. Beyond that, we can share that there will be another wrap called “Black Out” that incorporates some sharper design elements.

With this initial salvo of add-ons goodies, we can only imagine what’s on the horizon for Sonic in the form of Z-Spec accessories. Only time will tell, but as the months tick away in 2011, we’ll be covering each and every update from Sonic that we can dig, scratch and claw for.

Stay tuned!

The Chevy Sonic is the newly announced member of the Chevy family and one that might be the source of lots of future ECOtec fun. Sonic has the highly anticipated LUJ powerplant that we covered last year, LUJ Delivers on ECOtec Promise, and have seen previously only motivating the Chevy Cruze. Now imagine having the 138hp iron block, turbo 1.4L having to propel only about 2400lbs. That sounds like it could be a serious street terror with a little tuning.

The only issue we see, is that there are two flavors of Chevy Sonic to be had – one with a hatchback, and one in the traditional sedan layout. So which one to choose? Do you stand on the side of increased utility in the five-door, or ditching the euro-styling in favor of the classic American lines that a sedan offers?

The choice is yours, let us know what you think is the winner. To help you choose, we’ve included some clean shots of both to give you an uncluttered opportunity to decide what you’d rather sit in come this fall.

Vote now in the poll to the right and get in your thoughts below. Go!

We all remember and love the speedy, blue hedgehog of our childhood. As iconic as Mario is to Nintendo, our friend Sonic the Hedgehog was the symbol of SEGA. And what a symbol he was. Fast, nimble and full of energy, Sonic was the digital cartoon equivalent of what many of us were after downing a two-liter of Surge. Transfer that youthful energy to GM’s latest small car, and you have the brand new Chevrolet Sonic.

The Sonic doesn’t just bring new life into the Chevy small car line from its name. The new Sonic is a far departure from the ubiquitous rental car, the Aveo, it replaces. Propositioned as “roomy, stylish and fun to drive” the Sonic sounds promising, but the proof is in the pudding, or in this example, the giant metal container filled with possessed woodland creatures.

Either way, we’re excited to see the new Chevy Sonic hit the streets. And we’d be even more excited to see how it responds to 75-shot of nitrous – we bet that version might even qualify for the “Super Sonic” name.