Chevrolet Sonic hybrid 2026: MHEV test mule spotted in Brazil

A camouflaged Chevrolet Sonic was spotted testing a 48-volt MHEV system near GM's Gravataí plant in Brazil, though GM hasn't confirmed the hybrid officially.

Author: Nikita Novikov

02:19 11-08-2026

Add SpeedMe to your preferred Google sources

Chevrolet is already testing a hybrid version of the Sonic in Brazil. The camouflaged crossover was photographed in Canoas, less than 30 km from GM’s plant in Gravataí, where the model is built. According to Autos Segredos, the prototype is testing a new 48-volt MHEV system. Important: GM itself has not officially announced a hybrid Sonic yet.

The starting point remains the current production Sonic. Per Chevrolet’s official data, the Brazilian crossover packs a 1.0-liter direct-injection turbo engine rated at 115 hp and about 185 Nm of torque, sent through a 6-speed automatic. On the highway, the rated fuel economy reaches 14.8 km/l, or roughly 6.8 l/100 km.

The future MHEV system will not turn the Sonic into an electric vehicle. According to Marlos Ney Vidal, the electric module, developed with SAIC’s involvement, adds about 10.8 hp and 4 kgf·m, or roughly 39 Nm of extra torque. The electric motor doesn’t drive the wheels on its own: it assists the combustion engine at startup and initial acceleration. So don’t expect a separate electric-only mode from this Sonic.

The Tracker is expected to be the first to get the technology. That stage was already covered in SPEEDME.RU’s report on the 48-volt Tracker MHEV, which discussed pairing MHEV with Flex-Fuel for the Brazilian market. The production Chevrolet Sonic itself debuted in Brazil this spring with the standard 1.0-liter turbo engine.

GM’s South America vice president, Fabio Rua, speaking about upcoming electrified models, used the phrase “already at the gates.” The company plans to gradually electrify nearly its entire regional lineup using different approaches, not just MHEV. Motor1 also links the next step to the Captiva PHEV; when announcing assembly in Ceará state, GM mentioned a third model with “technology not previously used in the country.”

So what will matter for the Sonic isn’t the 48 volts themselves, but three still-unknown factors: how much real-world fuel consumption will drop, whether the gasoline engine’s combined output will change, and when the hybrid version will hit the market. For now, only the fact of testing is confirmed by Brazilian trade media, and GM hasn’t disclosed production specs.