2016 Chevrolet Volt Premier
EPA ratings: 106MPGe; 42mpg gas only. 0-60mph: 7.8 sec. Price as tested: $40,825
The first Volt was a technological tour de force, the most usefully frugal vehicle you could buy. Once it depleted its roughly 40-mile range as a pure electric vehicle (EV), it could switch over to its gasoline engine and drive anywhere. Volt Gen II takes most everything about that seminal car and improves it, making it an excellent choice for those focused on “sustainable” motoring.
If this new Chevrolet doesn’t look as distinctive as its forebear, its overall aesthetic remains pleasing, with such smart exterior details as polished grills and clear coat trim. The interior boasts a layered, sweeping dash and generally well-designed cockpit. Yes, many of the plastics are thin and hard, but this Volt weighs almost 300 pounds less than the first, a commendable feat. Most things you touch regularly, like the seats, wheel and shifter, are far nicer, and the displays make a BMW i3’s look 8-bit retro.
Chevrolet focused on how hypermilers really use vehicles like this, and basically improved all aspects of the driving experience. The 18.4 kWh battery is lighter and more powerful, meaning this Volt can routinely exceed its rated 53-mile range on pure electricity; when it’s time to slow you can pull a steering wheel paddle to engage battery regeneration, often bypassing the well-tuned brake pedal entirely.
Multiple drive modes mean you can save EV’ing for the city or extra electric motor muscle for mountain climbs. 0-60mph is substantially faster at 7.8 seconds, thanks to that bigger battery, an innovative aluminum 1.5-liter Atkinson-cycle engine and a new configuration for the two electric motor/generators.
This drivetrain isn’t only faster and more efficient, it is generally more refined too: Only at idle does the engine sometimes betray its roots; most of the time the potent motor torque makes it feel much more refined and expensive. The Volt’s ride is supple over most surfaces, though bigger craters betray its compact-car origins. Steering is linear and direct and the handling quite entertaining, something the Chevrolet shares with other EVs like the Tesla and Leaf.
Volts have shown themselves to be incredibly reliable, despite the astonishing complexity of the hardware and software; this is indeed Moonshot stuff, but done with the kind of care that got the astronauts back to Earth. It makes a very compelling case as an only vehicle, something that the otherwise superb BMW i3 cant really accomplish for most, and while it doesn’t have the kind of cockpit ambiance of the Audi A3 e-tron, it costs less, has greater range and is actually more engaging to drive.
Isaac Bouchard is owner of Bespoke Autos, an auto brokerage that helps people save time, money and hassle when buying or leasing vehicles. Since 1991 he has helped his clients save over $1 million dollars. He has written extensively about getting the best deal possible when buying or leasing a vehicle, arranging financing or trading in a car. Isaac has been a professional automotive journalist as well for over 12 years, having reviewed most all types of car, truck and SUV.
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