General Motors added a six-speed automatic transmission to the Chevrolet Sonic model equipped with the automaker’s 1.4L Ecotec turbocharged engine. GM stated that the vehicle achieved fuel-economy performance of 37 mpg highway, 27 city. The Sonic model with the manual transmission gets 40 mpg highway, 29 city, for the sake of comparison.

During testing, GM reported that the Sonic with the Ecotec 1.4L and automatic transmission also achieved a 0 to 60 time of 7.8 seconds (according to independent research conducted by AMCI Testing).

“Traditionally, turbocharging was used to enhance the performance of engines, but today it is as much about fuel economy as a 0-to-60 time,” said Bob Benedict, assistant chief engineer for the Ecotec 1.4L engine. “The turbocharger provides high-pressure airflow for high torque to boost the vehicle and give the driver a fun driving experience with improved fuel efficiency.”