Francisco
Driven: 2013 Chevrolet Sonic RS
First, it’s important to temper expectations regarding the Sonic RS. It is not an SS. That fact was made abundantly clear in our tech briefing before we drove. It’s also not some willy-nilly styling package, like RS models of old (or new, if you count the RS packs on the Cruze and Camaro). Instead, this Sonic occupies a little-used middle ground in the Chevrolet lineup, bridging the gap between a regular Sonic hatch and something…else (possibly a Sonic SS that the Chevrolet PR people denied ad infinitum).
Driven: 2013 Chevrolet Spark 2LT
All 83 pound-feet of torque are available at 4200 rpm, meaning this is a car with zero low-end grunt. Patience is rewarded though, as the climbing revs gave us more and more to work with, until we were zipping about at a surprisingly brisk pace. All along the way, we were accompanied by a burly, rorty exhaust note that had no business coming from a 1.2-liter engine. It’s like this thing runs on minced bulldog; it just has a growl that is so pure and enjoyable. We’d recommend it for this quality alone.
Driven: 2012 Scion iQ
With the iQ, Scion is launching one of the few really different cars that we’ll see for 2012. Having spent time driving it on the streets of San Francisco and the highways and winding roads of Marin County, we can report that the iQ is very nearly brilliant in its concept and execution. We can also forecast that 99 percent of you will see the iQ as a curiosity or a bore, not as a real alternative to the 499 other models on the market. The remaining 1 percent, on the other hand, will find the iQ close to ideal, though it takes some mental effort to fully appreciate Scion’s philosophy.
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