Chevrolet Sonic RS to Arrive in 2012 with 138 HP

General Motors unveiled the Chevrolet Aveo RS Concept at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, and reports circulating the Internet at the time indicated that this was the way to go for a sort of semi-hot hatchback from the American carmaker.

The Aveo has turned into the Sonic since then, and GM Inside News reports the RS badge has stuck. The hatchback will reportedly see a more aggressive body kit and could be powered by a turbocharged version of Chevy’s 1.4-liter that will be good for 138 hp and 148 lb-ft (200 Nm) of torque. Expect to see a six-speed manual gearbox sending the power to the front wheels. Sources indicate the model will go into production in October 2012 as a 2013 model year product, and we see no reason why it wouldn’t be offered in Europe.

You can expect the production version of the car to drop the massive 19-inch wheels in favor of 17-inch ones, but the lines of the body don’t have to differ. At the time, the designers claimed that the Aveo RS had a "European-inspired hot hatch look" that's meant to "appeal to young enthusiasts."

Among other strategies to capture the hearts of younger buyers, the concept takes a cue from the playbooks of Scion and MINI, showing off the many personalization options that should be available on the production Sonic. Cool features of the concept include the exposed head- and tail-lamps inspired by those on motorcycles and the electric blue paint scheme.