Since we hypermiled on the way in yesterday, we figured that today we should drive the Volt like any normal person would do with a normal car. The main electric motor produces 149 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, which makes the Volt pretty swift; GM claims a 0-96 km/h time of 9.0 seconds, which actually sounds a little conservative.
In electric mode, the trip computer displays a fuel economy average of 250+ mpg. When the gas fires up though, the average mpg starts dropping at a worrisome rate, but that’s normal. We ended up with a 40-mpg average, or 5.9 L/100 km. Factor in another 40 miles of electric-only driving, and the average is about 44 mpg or 5.3 L/100 km.
Subcompact-car fuel economy may not sound revolutionary, but remember, this is when you do need the gasoline engine. When you don’t, you can go to work and back within 64 km, plug the car in for the night, and start the same routine all over again without ever putting gas in the car.
And while the combustion engine is running, its revs can climb while your throttle input hasn’t changed, which is a little confusing at first. The 1.4-litre mill is tuned for Volt duty and maxes out at just 4,800 rpm while producing 84 horsepower, so it’s pretty quiet on the road.
GM claims the car has a sport sedan appearance, but it doesn’t really drive like a sport sedan. The Volt can be hustled, but its 3,781-lb mass is noticeable when you dive into twisty roads. Oh, and we heard the chin spoiler scrape the pavement a few times during our drive.
Three driving modes are available in the Volt. Normal mode is the default setting, and the one that provides the most efficiency. Sport mode improves throttle response and provides more sensitive feedback to driver inputs. Finally, Mountain mode adjusts the system for extra power in mountainous environments and will prepare the car for it; you should use it 10 to 15 minutes before getting to the mountainous terrain. The third mode will rarely be used.
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| We ended up with a 40-mpg average, or 5.9 L/100 km. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers/Auto123.com) |
In electric mode, the trip computer displays a fuel economy average of 250+ mpg. When the gas fires up though, the average mpg starts dropping at a worrisome rate, but that’s normal. We ended up with a 40-mpg average, or 5.9 L/100 km. Factor in another 40 miles of electric-only driving, and the average is about 44 mpg or 5.3 L/100 km.
Subcompact-car fuel economy may not sound revolutionary, but remember, this is when you do need the gasoline engine. When you don’t, you can go to work and back within 64 km, plug the car in for the night, and start the same routine all over again without ever putting gas in the car.
And while the combustion engine is running, its revs can climb while your throttle input hasn’t changed, which is a little confusing at first. The 1.4-litre mill is tuned for Volt duty and maxes out at just 4,800 rpm while producing 84 horsepower, so it’s pretty quiet on the road.
GM claims the car has a sport sedan appearance, but it doesn’t really drive like a sport sedan. The Volt can be hustled, but its 3,781-lb mass is noticeable when you dive into twisty roads. Oh, and we heard the chin spoiler scrape the pavement a few times during our drive.
Three driving modes are available in the Volt. Normal mode is the default setting, and the one that provides the most efficiency. Sport mode improves throttle response and provides more sensitive feedback to driver inputs. Finally, Mountain mode adjusts the system for extra power in mountainous environments and will prepare the car for it; you should use it 10 to 15 minutes before getting to the mountainous terrain. The third mode will rarely be used.
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| The centre stack is filled with buttonless buttons, which takes a little getting used to, but its layout is well designed. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers/Auto123.com) |