Chevrolet Volt ‘Smacks of the Future’
Wired.com
By Simon Metcalf
August 4, 2010
2011 Chevy Volt winners
Editor’s note: The Wired Volt Challenge gave four Wired.com readers the chance to visit General Motors to learn first-hand about the Chevrolet Volt, drive the car at Milford Proving Ground and write a review. This is contest winner Simon Metcalf’s review.
The Chevrolet Volt looks like a sleek midsize sedan that smacks of the future.
The lines of the car are sharp and I especially like the metallic highlights. The car certainly looks distinct, but consumers accustomed to the aggressive-looking car seen in the marketing photos may be surprised by the car’s compact, friendly appearance in person.
This is not to say that the Chevrolet Volt is small or cramped.
The Volt will comfortably seat four adults. There’s only room for four, though, because the back seats are two individual seats, not a bench. This design feature was necessitated by the Volt’s 16 kilowatt-hour battery pack, which runs down the middle of the car and behind the rear seats. I had feared this would reduce interior space and practicality, but that was not the case.
Overall the interior trim is attractive and feels sturdy. The trunk is spacious and has a cubby for the charging cord and a “tire inflation kit,” which is basically a can of Fix-a-Flat. The rear seats fold flat to increase cargo space, however this leaves the center console seeming somewhat vulnerable.
Up front, the center console has a fairly standard layout, but in place of buttons or knobs the Volt is outfitted with capacitive touch sensors which, while very cool, will take some getting used to as they offer no tactile feedback. The emergency brake is electric and is a large switch at the bottom of the panel. Although that will prevent power sliding, it also interfaces with the drive electronics to prevent you from leaving it on.
The center console’s touch screen pulls triple duty, displaying incidental vehicle stats, the back-up camera and the navi system which is included with the five years of OnStar service you get with the car. There’s another LCD screen where you’d normally find the instrument cluster. It displays speed, state of charge (or fuel level) and instantaneous efficiency as well as other data you won’t care about because by that time you’ll have found the go pedal.
The silent operation of electric vehicles is probably their most readily apparent feature, but having never driven an electric vehicle before climbing into the candy apple red Volt I will risk sounding clichéd. (Editor’s note: General Motors calls it “crystal red metallic,” which doesn’t sound nearly as cool as candy apple red.) Pulling away without any engine noise or vibration felt as though I was cheekily breaking some minor but fundamental law of the universe.
The Volt has three driving modes; economy, normal and sport. I didn’t drive the car in economy because several companies, not to mention home enthusiasts, have been building reasonable electric vehicles for years. I felt confident GM could do it too. In normal mode the Volt behaves much like an entry-level compact sedan, with practical acceleration and driving dynamics.
Sport mode is where the fun happens. The motor’s torque is electronically limited to prevent you from smoking the tires, but you can make them chirp. Stomp on it and the car will really take off, and 0 to 20 mph is exhilarating as all that torque is unleashed. Despite its EV cred and compact car demeanor, you’ll have no trouble speeding in a Volt.
The suspension is soft and the ride is comfortable, and the car handled several of bumps at speeds that would have easily bottomed out my Honda Fit. I have no racing experience and so can’t really speak to the handling, but I will say I easily took several corners at speeds far higher than I normally would attempt.
After driving the car for several laps as fast as I thought my GM handlers would allow me, the battery had been sufficiently depleted to activate the “range extender,” which is what General Motors calls the 1.4-liter gasoline engine that drives the 53 kilowatt generator that keeps electricity flowing to the front wheels. I had imagined the engine would roar to life dramatically. I was somewhat disappointed when the only discernible change came when the instrument panel switched from displaying the remaining battery range to the remaining fuel level in the tank. I couldn’t even hear the little four-cylinder engine without turning off the AC and straining my ears.
The Volt is an excellent vehicle which leaves little to be desired. It offers a fundamentally different driving experience that is wholly enjoyable. Perhaps the most striking thing about it is the disappointment one experiences when returning to a conventional automobile. General Motors concedes that the Volt’s price — $41,000 before the $7,500 federal EV tax credit — will keep it from being a car for everyone. But for those with the means to afford it, this truly new car is definitely worth a look.
Photo: Jon Snyder / Wired.com
Read More http://www.wired.com/autopia/2010/08/simon-metcalf-chevrolet-volt-review/#ixzz0veFfygC0
NOTE: Apple Chevrolet is now taking deposits on Volts that will be in our showroom in November.
