The American economy car , which means sacrifices in creature comforts. The rear seats don’t have an armrest or cup holders, but they are acceptably habitable even behind a six-plus-footer in the driving position. Both Sonic sedan and hatchback share the same 99.4-inch wheelbase. The four-door, at 173.1 inches, is 14.1 inches longer than the hatch but loses in the space race with 14 cubic feet of trunk space to the hatch’s 19. The hatch also has slightly better rear-seat headroom. The cargo area in the five-door, although not as spacious or ingenious as the Honda Fit’s, has a removable false floor that creates a level surface when the seats are folded. There is also a slot for the cargo cover to slide into behind the rear seats.

Chevrolet won’t divulge Sonic pricing until the fall on-sale date gets closer, only hinting that it will be competitive in the segment. We take to that to mean a starting price of about $14,000 and, as is the case with Fiesta and Fit, loftier trim models (including the turbo) that run as high as $19,000. Also like the Fiesta, we’re guessing the Sonic hatch will command a premium for its more attractive looks, although we have to say that the Sonic sedan manages to look something less than dumpy—a huge achievement in this segment. Even in base LS trim, the Sonic comes with the aforementioned wheels, plus air conditioning, power locks, keyless entry, stability control, and an impressive 10 air bags.

Its the flagThe return of the American small car, and not just in name. As part of GM’s restructuring, the Sonic will be assembled in Lake Orion, Michigan.