Hybrids have long suffered cheaper looking and feeling interiors than their “normal” counterparts. There are also subtle tweaks to the rear tail lamp modules this year. The Volt/Prius/Insight reminds me of this tactic and parked next to one another in the dark you’d be hard pressed to differentiate them by silhouette.įor its first refresh since it launched as a 2011, GM decided to ditch the somewhat awkward black roof and black painted liftgate opting for a more harmonious body-matching hue. Why? Because they all have the same shape and teams paint / add decals to “brand” their car. Since the shape is dictated by wind-tunnel testing (just like the Prius and Insight) the Volt reminds me of NASCAR cars. The Volt’s styling isn’t for everyone, but I find the overall style aggressive and attractive. Like the Japanese hybrids, the Volt is a liftback design which is more practical than your typical trunk lid for carrying large items from the home improvement store. There is also a segment of the population that says, “that’s great but I want a hybrid.” Guess what? The Volt is a hybrid.Īerodynamics dictate the shape of modern high-efficiency cars, and as a result, the Volt has a profile very similar to the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius. By calling the Volt an “Electric Vehicle (EV) with a range extender,” a huge segment of the population can’t get past “Electric” and immediately cross the Volt off their list. After a week of strange questions and bipolar reactions to GM’s plug-in hybrid, I came to a conclusion. The Chevrolet Volt may be the most maligned and least understood car on the market.

2013 chevy volt