2013 Chevrolet Volt Hatchback

PREVIEW

The 2013 Chevrolet Volt is not an electric car. In some ways, it's actually better than an electric car. The Volt belongs to a new class of environmentally-friendly models known as plug-in hybrids. In simple terms, a plug-in hybrid runs on pure electric power for a given distance, then switches over to a gasoline-electric powertrain similar to that of regular hybrids. In the Volt's case, this four-seat hatchback can travel about 38 miles on battery power alone, whereupon the 1.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine pitches in to generate electricity that can extend the car's range to about 300 miles.

Practically speaking, this means the car's actual fuel economy depends greatly on how it's driven. Buyers with an average 30-mile commute who plug the car in to recharge the battery pack every night (a process that can take up to 10 hours using a normal household outlet) are likely to find themselves going a very long time between visits to the gas station.

Drivers with a 60-mile commute -- not to mention those who want to use the Volt for roadtrips -- will find themselves exceeding the car's all-electric range and utilizing the gasoline-electric hybrid system that returned 35 mpg in a year of Autoexpress testing. That's pretty good, but still a good bit lower than the 40-50 mpg commonly achieved by most traditional hybrids.

For 2013, Chevrolet engineers have introduced a new factor into this equation in the form of a "Hold" mode. Say you're about to take a drive that involves lots of highway driving followed by stop-and-go city driving. In the Volt's "Normal" mode, most of its all-electric power would be wasted on the highway before it even reached the city environment in which electric power is best utilized. Selecting "Hold" allows the driver to engage all-electric power when most appropriate.

As is the case with all hybrids, bottom-line-oriented buyers will want to spend some time crunching the numbers. Though the cost of the electricity to recharge the Volt's battery pack is a bargain compared to the price of a gallon of gasoline, the Volt's relatively high sticker price can be hard to justify even with the available $7,500 federal tax credit and/or additional state credits.

For this reason, we think buyers looking at the Volt should also consider some cheaper alternatives. Although much more limited in terms of range, the all-electric Nissan Leaf is less expensive and may better satisfy one's green-leaning desires. Alternately, the Toyota Prius Plug-In and new Ford C-Max Energi can't go as far on electricity alone as the Volt, but they are priced substantially less and are otherwise similar in powertrain concept while also being more practical.

Yet at the moment, only the 2013 Chevy Volt provides approximately 38 miles of all-electric driving range plus a gasoline-powered range extender. It's also the nicest car to drive among these super-eco machines. That should at least make up for some of its additional cost.

FEATURES

The 2013 Chevrolet Volt is a midsize four-door hatchback with seating for four passengers.

Standard features include 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, LED running lamps, heated mirrors, keyless ignition/entry, remote ignition, automatic climate control, cruise control, a height-adjustable driver seat, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, Bluetooth, OnStar emergency communications, MyLink (which includes Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, voice-controlled audio functions and enhanced smartphone integration) and a six-speaker sound system with a touchscreen interface, a CD player, satellite radio, an auxiliary audio jack and an iPod/USB interface.

The Comfort package adds heated front seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The Premium Trim package includes the Comfort items plus leather upholstery and a removable rear seat center armrest. A new Enhanced Safety package 1 bundles a rearview camera, rear parking sensors and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. To that, the Enhanced Safety Package 2 can be added, which includes front parking sensors and forward collision and lane departure warning systems.

Other options include a seven-speaker Bose sound system. A navigation system can be added to this that also includes real-time traffic info, voice controls and 30GB of digital music storage.

INTERIOR

Inside the 2013 Chevy Volt, the four-passenger interior has a modern feel thanks in large part to touch-sensitive controls inspired by the latest in personal electronics. While this design creates a suitably cutting-edge mood, in practice these small and similar-looking buttons can be difficult to identify at a glance. They also don't work very well if you're wearing gloves.

The gauge cluster is another futuristic touch, as it's really a display screen that digitally shows speed, battery and/or gasoline level, various trip functions and a little graphic that encourages efficient driving. It can be a bit much at first, and the screen itself can wash out in direct sunlight, but most find it to be usable and even helpful.

From an aesthetic point of view, the passenger cabin looks attractive and has a refined feel thanks to good quality materials. The lack of a power-adjustable driver seat and a cramped second row lacking in both headroom and legroom are somewhat disappointing, however, especially for a car in this price range. Out back, the Volt's hatchback design makes for easy loading and unloading. Cargo capacity is a mere 10.6 cubic feet with the rear seats up, a number that puts it at a significant disadvantage compared to hybrid hatchback competitors like the Toyota Prius.

UNDER THE HOOD

The front-wheel-drive 2013 Chevrolet Volt is primarily powered by an electric motor that puts out 149 horsepower (111 kilowatts) and 273 pound-feet of torque.That electric motor is fed by a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery pack until the battery charge is 70 percent depleted, at which point the Volt's 1.4-liter four-cylinder internal-combustion engine springs to life to power the electric motor. In some situations, the gasoline engine can also come online to boost the car's performance. There are Normal, Hold, Sport and Mountain modes designed to maximize the powertrain's performance and efficiency in different situations.

Recharging the battery pack completely requires plugging the car in to a 120- or 240-volt outlet, though regenerative braking and the engine generator can help recharge it to a certain extent. In long-term Autoexpress testing, we found the Volt had an average all-electric range of 37 miles (against an EPA estimate of 38 miles), with certain charges ranging from 25-50 miles. Once the battery was depleted, the Volt averaged 35 mpg in our year-long test, a few mpg under the EPA's combined estimate of 37 mpg.

In Autoexpress performance testing, the Volt took 9.2 seconds to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in electric mode and 9 seconds flat with the engine generator. Both are reasonably quick times for the traditional hybrid segment.