Sonic with a naughty sizzle

It handles the corners well.

Both of these zippy little hatches are fun cars to drive. They go like the clappers, handle well and come with lots of street cred, emphasised by the Sport or RS badges tattooed on their bums. They also invariably come in bright colours to distinguish them from the run of the mill Kia, Hyundai, Toyota and VW laaities.

I recently got to play with a shimmering orange-red Sonic RS and loved its cheeky attitude and willingness to delight anybody who has a heavy right foot. Although its 1.4 turbo-fed engine (common also to the Meriva and other Sonic models) kicks out 103kW and 200Nm, it does need to be whipped quite harshly because its strongest punch is only delivered at 6,000rpm. The RS does the standard 0-100km/h dash in just over 9 seconds, which is not really hot hatch territory but still rapid enough to put a smile on your dial.

Fun on the run

Strangely enough though, partially due to its size, the Sonic feels quicker than the figures suggest. It certainly is fun all the way as you zip through the smooth six-cog transmission and if you are harsh enough with your footwork it is quick to produce a little rubber squeal of protest between 1st and 2nd gears. The clutch does need a bit of time getting used to though, particularly at take-off when it is quite easy to stall until you get the hang of it.

The RS does the standard 0-100km/h dash in just over 9 seconds.

The ride is fairly firm but not uncomfortably so and it handles the corners well. The ABS brakes, ably assisted with EBD, are more than good enough to cope with any flat-on-the-mat enthusiasm. The cheeky Sonic delivers close to the maximum fun you can expect from a junior baby hatch in this price range.

It may not be in the same class as the total package delivery of the hotter, more expensive kids on the block such as the baby Renault Clio, Ford Fiesta ST, PoloVivo and the Peugeot 206 GTi but in terms of driveability, fun and good looks the RS oozes appeal.

Feeling badgered?

Inside, too the furnishings, fittings and equipment are generous if at times a tad over-decorated with a zillion RS badging splattered all over the place. The leather and cloth combo seats are comfortable and offer good grip through the twisties.

The furnishings, fittings and equipment are generous, but the badging is a bit OTT.

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The metal pedals add an air of sportiness and are a good match for the small steering wheel. There is also a liberal scattering of convenience, comfort and safety features all over the RS. The younger buyers will like its MyLink touch screen which plays music and videos via USB, aux-in or Bluetooth, and the multi-function steering wheel. Other nice to haves include ESC with traction control and hill-hold, and four airbags.

War paint - to unleash your inner road warrior

But it is the RS' war paint that will be its biggest magnet with 17-inch alloys, prominent RS badges, bespoke grille, fog lamps, roof mounted spoiler and gaping exhaust outlet proving lots of eye-candy. Unlike some other little sprinters the Sonic is actually also quite a good, comfortable commuter chariot and if you drive it sensibly it should give you fair distance on a litre of juice.

I like the RS for its price, fun character and the fact that its price of R225,300 includes a five-year/100,000km warranty and a three-year/60,000km service plan.