| 777 | Date: Friday, 29 Oct 2010, 10.51 | Message # 1 |
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User ID: 777
Joined: 18 Oct 2010
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| With all the hype -- and ink spilled, as it were -- surrounding the Chevy Volt, it seems as if the car has been out for a while now. Not so, of course: The extended-range electric vehicle doesn't go on sale until the end of this year, and even then only in select markets such as Los Angeles, Michigan and Washington, D.C. However, the staff at Consumer Reports got their hands on a production model, and the magazine's blog has published its initial findings. A rundown of some of the highlights is below, and the video review is posted after the jump.
The extended range for the Volt -- General Motors claims up to 300 miles -- comes from a gasoline engine. In pure-electric mode, the Volt gets about 40 miles.
Between the batteries and the gasoline engine, handling gets a lot of plus-minus action. The torque-heavy electric powertrain gives the Volt some pep, though the batteries also weigh the car down (especially in corners) and make it quite heavy for its size. On the other hand, the Volt engineers did a good job making the transition from pure battery to gas-assisted power seamless.
The Volt is quiet, natch.
"Practical" is a word that came up often in the review -- good trunk space, easy fold-flat rear seats for even more storage, and a roomy rear seat (though due to the battery's space demands, not a three-across) make the Volt a functional electric.
The center console is large and takes some getting used to -- there aren't buttons per se, but rather labeled areas that you touch, sort of like a touch-screen, but not, in fact, a touch-screen.
The Volt has a "mountain mode," as steep grades can sap power quickly. GM says there are only eight such grades in the U.S. Still, if you live in the Rockies, you probably don't want a Volt.
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