2017 Chevrolet Volt

The 2017 Chevrolet Volt marks the second year of production for the redesigned model, but last year's redesigned Volt was only available on a limited basis. As such, many shoppers may not be aware of the changes that the second-generation Volt incorporates. There's a whole new body structure, for one thing, along with more conventional styling inside and out that departs from the old Volt's concept-car vibe. Under the surface, a revised plug-in hybrid powertrain delivers a remarkable 53 miles of all-electric range, up from 38 miles in the original. Moreover, the 2017 Volt's quieter 1.5-liter gasoline engine/generator no longer requires premium fuel, and it achieves an EPA rating of 42 mpg combined, a healthy 5-mpg improvement.
Fundamentally, though, the new Volt's appeal remains the same. Whereas most plug-in hybrids offer roughly 10-20 miles of electric range, this Chevrolet has enough battery power to keep you away from the gas station for weeks at a time, if not months. On the other hand, there's none of the range anxiety that plagues purely electric cars, because the gasoline engine is always ready to kick in and propel you more than 400 miles between fill-ups. During the week, you can commute in your Volt and never use a drop of gas. And should a weekend getaway come up, you can simply rely on hybrid gas-electric power, with no need to stop and find a charging station.
If you're still not sold on the Volt, we suggest a trip to your local Ford dealer. The Ford C-Max Energi hatchback and Ford Fusion Energi sedan are plug-in hybrid stablemates that offer more interior space and share a capable gas-electric powertrain, though their electric-only range is capped at about 20 miles. We've been hearing about a much-improved Toyota Prius Plug-In for a while now, but concrete details have yet to emerge. For a more avant-garde experience, you could try the sporty BMW i3 with its available range-extending gas generator. Overall, though, we recommend the 2017 Chevrolet Volt if you want real EV functionality without the usual range-based limitations.

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Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2017 Volt is a five-seat, four-door plug-in hybrid hatchback sedan offered in LT and Premier trims.
The Volt LT comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights (low-beam) and taillights, keyless entry and ignition, remote start, 60/40-split folding rear seatbacks, automatic climate control and a tilt-and-telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel. Technology features include a reconfigurable driver information and gauge cluster display screen, Bluetooth, OnStar (with 4G LTE and WiFi connectivity), an 8-inch central touchscreen with Chevrolet's MyLink interface, Apple CarPlay smartphone integration for iPhone users and a six-speaker sound system with satellite radio, two USB ports and an auxiliary audio jack.
Optional for the LT is a Comfort package that includes heated mirrors, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. Leather upholstery can be ordered with the LT Comfort package as well. An eight-speaker Bose audio system is available as a stand-alone option.
Move up to the 2017 Volt Premier and you get all of the above as standard, plus different 17-inch wheels, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, heated rear outboard seats, a wireless charging pad for cell phones and other equipment, illuminated vanity mirrors, a navigation system and an automated parking system (parallel and perpendicular).
The Driver Confidence package available for the Premier trim includes blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning and rear cross-traffic alert. The Driver Confidence 2 package (requires basic Driver Confidence package) adds forward collision alert with automatic low-speed emergency braking, lane-departure intervention and adaptive headlights. If you get the Driver Confidence 2 package, you can also spring for adaptive cruise control, which is bundled with an upgraded automatic emergency braking system.

Powertrains and Performance

The 2017 Chevrolet Volt has a plug-in hybrid system consisting of twin electric motors (149 horsepower) and a 1.5-liter gasoline engine/generator. The electric motors are powered by a 18.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that you typically plug in to recharge, but it can also be partially recharged on the go from the gas engine/generator and regenerative braking. The gas engine kicks in when the battery pack's initial charge is depleted, working primarily as a generator to continue providing electricity. In some situations, such as accelerating with a depleted battery, passing and climbing steep hills, the gas engine also assists the electric motors to increase the Volt's performance.
In addition to Normal, Sport, Hold and Mountain drive modes, the 2017 Volt has a "Regen on Demand" paddle on the steering wheel. This feature allows the driver to adjust deceleration and the amount of regenerated braking energy that can be sent back to the battery pack.
Recharging the battery pack requires you to plug in to either a standard 120-volt outlet or a dedicated 240-volt charging station. Regenerative braking and excess power from the engine/generator also can help boost the battery charge when the Volt is in motion. It takes about 4.5 hours to recharge a fully depleted battery from a 240-volt power source, or 13 hours from a 120-volt source.
In our road test of the 2016 Volt, we achieved 62 miles of all-electric driving on a fairly flat route, easily beating the EPA's range estimate of 53 miles. For combined gas and electric operation after EV mode expires, the EPA rates the Volt at 42 mpg combined (43 city/42 highway). Overall energy usage is rated at 106 mpg (MPGe), but longer trips without periodic battery charging will significantly reduce this figure.

Safety

Standard safety features on the 2017 Volt include antilock brakes, traction and stability control, front knee airbags, front and rear seat side-impact airbags and front and rear side curtain airbags. Also standard is the OnStar emergency communications system, which includes automatic crash notification, an emergency assistance button, remote door unlock and stolen vehicle assistance, and a pedestrian safety signal that alerts pedestrians when the car is approaching in silent all-electric mode or is stopped at a crosswalk.
Available on the Premier trim are lane departure warning and intervention, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision alert and one of two automatic emergency braking systems, with the low-speed version included in the Driver Confidence 2 package and the full version added via the optional adaptive cruise control feature.

Interior Design and Special Features

The 2017 Volt's relatively ordinary exterior design is matched by a stylish but familiar-looking interior. Gone is the old car's adventurous dashboard with available Apple-like white trim, replaced by a straightforward layout similar to that of the related Chevy Cruze. This is intended to broaden the Volt's appeal, as are optional two-tone color schemes and the latest version of Chevrolet's intuitive 8-inch MyLink infotainment interface. On the downside, there is still a fair amount of hard plastic inside, detracting somewhat from the interior's otherwise excellent fit and finish.
Front seat comfort is fine, but the lack of a power-adjustable driver seat is a drawback, and the seat bottoms may be too short for some physiques. We also docked the Volt some points for its underwhelming backseat, which continues the model's tradition of offering meager rear headroom and legroom. The new car does accommodate three across in back, unlike the original four-seater, but the battery pack still takes up space underneath, so it's more of an emergency-use perch than a truly useful seat.
In the cargo area, the Volt's hatchback design makes for easy loading and unloading. The luggage area has 10.6 cubic feet of space with the rear seats up, more than you'll get in a Ford Fusion Energi but only about half of what a hatchback like the Ford C-Max Energi can provide. Fortunately, the rear seatbacks fold down to give the Volt substantially more cargo space than any sedan.

Driving Impressions

The 2017 Volt's hybrid powertrain retains all the low-end power of the original and, according to Chevrolet, is almost a half-second quicker to 60 mph from a dead stop. That would put it in the mid-8-second range, which is quite good for a plug-in hybrid. Around town, it feels responsive and quick, and it tackles rough roads with admirable smoothness. It's also quiet. There's still the bliss of all-electric mode, but wind and road noise are less intrusive than before, and the gas engine's operation is less obvious. At a moderate pace, it also feels fairly sporty around turns, though its steering has a decidedly synthetic character. One unfortunate fact of life with the Volt is that its low front airdam frequently scrapes when entering parking lots, driveways and the like.