When we asked TTAC’s Best And Brightest whether Chevy should stick with the “Aveo” nameplate for its new subcompact offering or move in a new direction, only a few seemed to believe that “Aveo” carries much equity at this point. But then, it’s not like Chevy has a lot of small-car “heritage” to draw on… Sprint, Vega, Monza and Citation all have their obvious limitations. The B&B’s debate was typically dynamic, but it seems that this discussion has gone back and forth at the RenCen as well. GMI reports:
GM has struggled with the Aveo’s name for the last two years. According to sources former U.S. marketing chief Mark LaNeve originally wanted to rename the Aveo to “Viva.” Then–following GM’s bankruptcy filing last year–Bob Lutz ordered the Aveo name to stay put…
The lackluster image of the current Aveo has left GM’s new marketing chief, Joel Ewanick, to conclude that the car needs to be renamed. Although GM has not formally announced the new name, GMI sources are stating that GM has signed off on the name “Chevrolet Sonic.”
According to U.S. Trademark records General Motors LLC filed for a trademark on the name “Chevrolet Sonic” on October 5th.
Too bad they didn’t reconsider “Verano” for the new Buick as well.
Sonic isn’t awful, better than Aveo, but Monza would have been my pick.
I think “Metro” would be a pretty decent fit.
Name equity doesn’t just spring into being. It’s built over time. A new name won’t mean a thing if they don’t stick with it and show a pattern of improvement and ongoing development. Sonic might be better than Aveo (I think it is at least) but it can turn to crap the same way that any other compact Chevy name has.
A P.O.S. by any other name will still smell as foul….
I guess that’s why Ford brought back “Fiesta”…
I’d go with Monza also, Sonic seems like hype. They can call the Corvette ZR1, Sonic or the Z28. Not an Aveo unless it has a decent turbo or something.
I agree that “Sonic” has a good ring as a performance trim line. Malibu Sonic, Corvette Sonic or even Aveo Sonic sound pretty sweet, actually.
Hope they change more than the name.
If the Aveo had a great reputation they should keep the name. But it doesn’t. A new name will help folks to realize that it’s a new car. I’d go Monza, most people have forgotten about the original, and with a six or V8 they weren’t that bad. But really, anything other than Aveo is good.
Back during the second coming of the Monza label, we had the basic T-platform Chevette to ridicule.
Call it whatever, for the past 40 years, starting with the Vega, the lowest rung GM car gets to wear the P.O.S. crown in N. America.
I miss them all, the Chevette Scooter, the Spectrum, followed by a Sprint.
Sonic Automotive must be pleased as punch to hear this!
Better than ‘Doctor Robotnik’…
Nova, it was the best of the ‘compacts’ , and it’s close enough to both ‘Sonic’ and ‘Aveo’. Just my 1/50th of a dollar.
Viva ??!! How about Vibe…no trademark lawyers required !
I thought GM already owned the right to use Viva. The Daewoo Lacetti is known as the Holden Viva in Australia and NZ… but then again my knowledge of trademark law is practically nil.
In the sixties GM sold a “Vauxhall Viva” here in Canada.
Indeed, you can still see quite a few Vauxhall Viva’s on the roads in the UK. They’ve almost got as fanatical a following as the MK1 & MK2 Ford Escorts.
‘Viva’ would be perfect. Conjures up the structural rigidity of a paper towel.
Is this a different car than the Chevy Spark? It doesn’t matter what they call it, within a month people will know it means Korean Penalty Box.
What does it say about a company when it needs to change the name of a product repeatedly in order to keep folks buying it? Whose fault is it that Chevrolet is unable to use it’s 50 year heritage of manufacturing small cars because they have been building 50 years of bad small cars? Who are they to complain about finding buyers of these small lemons?
GM could change the name of the Chevy Aveo to Honda Fit and it wouldn’t sell. The car is cheap and dumpy and looks like an embarrassment regardless of it’s name. Sonic? Please! The problem is the car, not the name. The problem is the company, not the name. The problem is the history of small Chevys over the past half century, not the name.
You have to believe that your buyers are morons if you do things like this to your products. Any marketer claiming that they are being held back due to the name of the product, just isn’t trying to promote the product.
You could call the Aveo whatever name other bloggers believe would help sales and fix this car’s image – but the problem isn’t the name.
You mean like the the Toyota Tercel, er Toyota Echo, oh wait Toyota Yaris.
Chevy can call the performance version the Super Sonic.
Would this make the tow truck the Super Sonic Transport?
Yes, that would be the SST version. Perhaps Chevrolet can see if Chrysler still holds the rights to that name through its acquisition of AMC!
So, in 5 years “Sonic” will be yet another cool-sounding name synonmous with a little POS car, like Nova, Monza, Spectrum, Chevette, Cavalier, etc.
Or, maybe “Sonic” was chosen to tell something about the noise levels this car will undoubtadly have.
Perhaps they should play up the Daewoo heritage and call it the Leganza.
I prefer “Hedgehog”.
Sub-sonic would be more fitting!
Bancho’s got it right.
If they suck it up, accept the fact that the previous generations weren’t great, but stick with the name and show steady improvement in the vehicle using that name, they could establish real brand equity.
Throwing a new name at it can get them past the tarnish quicker, but it won’t get them as highly regarded as if they achieved it the hard way.
Accord, Civic, and Corolla earned their equity. Camry replaced the Corona, so they may have cheated a little on that, but it was a long, long time ago. Altima doesn’t have the same name equity, but it’s debatable how much of that is due to the car and how much is from switching out from the Stanza name.
I suppose they all hope that the first use of a name starts with moderate success, which would make it easier to build on that equity. That can go two directions: Gran Prix or 3-Series.
I do wish they would focus more on the cars and the customers than on the marketing and the sales pitch.
Chevy Vulva
Chevy Rectum
Chevy Colon
Chevy vas Deferens
Chevy Speculum
Chevy Loop of Henle
Here’s a web page with a number of NSFW names for it:
http://www.youswear.com/index.asp?language=Korean
“Sonic” may best describe the typical dinner out for, or even employer of, the driver of this car. Drive America’s entry-level car to America’s Drive-In!
Um, the lasttime I checked, “Geo” was still available…
Geo was a sub-brand, not a model.
Dare I mention the name Corsa? There is a great little car that would help GM compete where they need to… against the Ford Fiesta… Need I say more.
Vega.
Korean Beer Can
Well, they lost the Saturn line.
How’s about UrAnus?
Sonic is a drive-in fast food chain.
In naming the car, DeLorean said: “Studies were conducted by the division showing one name stood out – Gemini. When pronounced it almost said “G-M-ini. Marketing studies notwithstanding, Ed Cole liked the name Vega and so did top corporate management, who disregarded our test results.”
Nova isn’t bad. “Nomad” is a name Chevy didn’t destroy. Same with “Corsa”.
Whoops:
http://cars.about.com/od/detoursanddiversions/ig/American-world-cars/Chevrolet-Corsa-Chevy.htm
Chevy already has the big Suburban, so how ’bout Chevy “Urban”? Or “X-Urban”?
Apparently neither SEGA nor even SONIC Corp. have the standing to put a stop to this. Shades of DEC vs. Bissell.