2020 Chevrolet Sonic vs Kia Rio

2020 Chevrolet Sonic vs Kia Rio

The 2020 Chevrolet Sonic is a sporty subcompact car that handles well and has a great performance with its turbocharged engine. You can travel in style, enjoy its easy-to-use infotainment system, and have plenty of room for passengers and cargo. The 2020 Kia Rio is another small package to compare. Let’s take a look both and you can see for yourself. If you are in the Burlington, New Jersey area, let Burlington Chevy help you with your decision.

Design

The 2020 Chevrolet Sonic is available as a stylish sedan or sporty hatchback. For a compact car, you’ll find the space inside you need, with roomy seats and plenty of cargo space. It gives you 14.9 cubic feet of trunk space – more than most compact sedans. The Sonic seats five people with a spacious second row that is easy to get in and out of. The hatchback gives you even more space, with 19 cubic feet behind the rear seats. Fold the seats down and you will get a capacity of 47.7cubic feet. It comes with cloth upholstery and optional upgraded synthetic leather upholstery, power-adjustable driver’s seat, and heated front seats. 

The 2020 Kia Rio offers a solid amount of support for front-row occupants in either a sedan or hatchback body styles, but cargo space is limited in both styles. It features 13.7 cubic feet of trunk space in the sedan. The hatchback will offer a little more space with 17.4 cubic feet of space behind the back row and 32.8 cubic feet with its standard 60/40 split-folding rear seats folded down. There is seating for up to five people, but while the front seats are roomy, the rear seats are cramped. If you are a taller driver, you might find it awkward to find a comfortable position with the tilt-only steering wheel.

Power and Handling

Sonic provides quick, responsive, handling to help you take on traffic; and its fuel efficiency will keep you driving on the road. It has great performance and handling, making it more fun to drive than most competitors. Sonic provides sharp steering, which helps it feel agile on winding roads. It offers a standard Ecotec 1.4L turbocharged engine with 138 horsepower and a 6-speed automatic transmission that provides 26/34 mpg city and highway. With its power, that’s an impressive number.

The Rio’s new 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine is a bit weaker than the previous year’s model, making 120 horsepower. A continuously variable automatic transmission replaces the previous model’s six-speed automatic. The power is adequate, but it takes a hard press on the gas pedal to get up to highway speeds, and the higher speeds cause it to be a bit noisy. The front-wheel drive Rio has fairly agile handling and is stable through turns and over rough roads. It delivers 33/41 mpg in the city and on the highway.

Entertainment and Safety

Sonic features the easy-to-use Chevrolet Infotainment 3 System and a 7-inch touch-screen display, with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It gives you easy access to your music, messages and apps. For your safety, Sonic comes with 10 standard airbags and a rear vision camera. Other available advanced safety features include Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, and Rear Parking Sensors.

The Rio features an upgraded infotainment system with a 7-inch touch screen. Standard tech features include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a USB port, Bluetooth, and Siri Eyes Free. Safety features include a rearview camera, with forward collision warning, and automatic emergency braking that are optional.

Pricing and Trims

Sonic is available in five trims: LS Sedan, LT Hatch, LT Sedan, Premier Hatch, and Premier Sedan. Pricing ranges from a starting price of $16,720 for the LS Sedan and $20,720 for the Premier Sedan and $21,520 for the hatchback. With many choices, there is a Sonic for everyone at an affordable price. 

The Rio sedan comes in two trims – LX and S, while the hatchback models come in just one – the S trim. The sedan LX trim starts at $15,750, and the S trim starts at $16,390 for the sedan and $16,690 for the hatchback.

Overview

The 2020 Chevrolet Sonic is fun to drive and provides an affordable price tag for its features. It provides a comfortable ride, roomy seats, plenty of cargo space, and some intuitive tech features. Come take a Sonic for a ride at Burlington Chevy.