I am a cubic-inches horsepower kind of guy. Growing up in Detroit had a tremendous influence on my taste in vehicles. My brother and I street-raced everything from sport bikes to Mustangs in the Motor City. There is no substitute for the euphoria of horsepower.
However, as I have gotten older, my enthusiasm for all types of vehicles has certainly broadened. That’s why I was pumped to test-drive the all-new, much-anticipated 2012 Chevrolet Volt. This plug-in battery/gasoline hybrid offers an electric-only mode that will take you up to 40 miles.
First off, this new Volt looks really cool. Its exterior is sleek and modern – a look and feel that is completely different than what you would expect from an environmentally friendly car.
The Volt is considered a mid-sized hatchback sedan that sits on 17-inch alloy wheels. It comes in a number of different colors, but my favorite is the silver ice metallic with black trim.
Under the hood is where this Volt is truly unique. This front-wheel-drive ride uses an electric motor rated at 149 hp (111 kilowatts) and 273 pound-feet of torque.
The motor comes to life thanks to a lithium-ion battery pack until the battery charge is 70 percent depleted. Then the Volt’s 1.4-liter, four-cylinder internal combustion engine, which requires premium fuel, kicks in as a replacement power source for the electric motor.
The great feature of the Volt is when you run out of electric juice, you still have another 300-plus miles thanks to the gasoline-powered, inline 4-cylinder engine that keeps the electric motor going unlike other electric vehicles on the market.
On the road, this Volt does not act like an eco-friendly vehicle at all. Tests show it hits 60 miles per hour in 9.2 seconds, and eats up the quarter mile in 16.8 seconds at 81.5 miles per hour in its electric-only operation.
I enjoyed driving the Volt. It willingly jumps to attention without hesitation when you hit the gas. This responsive throttle gives you plenty of confidence at stoplights and when passing on the open road.
The interior of the Volt looks and feels futuristic. Plenty of buttons and lights make up the dash control center, which features all sorts of gadget goodies.
Some of these include keyless ignition, remote ignition, automatic climate control, cruise control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, six-way manual front seats, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, cloth upholstery, Bluetooth, OnStar, a touch-screen navigation system, voice controls, real-time traffic and a six-speaker Bose stereo with a CD/DVD player, an auxiliary audio jack, an iPod/USB interface and 30 GB of digital music storage.
The cabin is fairly roomy and comfortable, with reasonably adequate cargo space.
The 2012 Volt is certainly a great choice when you are in the market for fuel-efficiency, eco-friendliness and looks. You can pick up a new Chevrolet Volt starting in the $40,000 range.
For more information, visit www.chevrolet.com.
