2011 Chevrolet Volt

It's not that the Volt is bad-looking—and it certainly gets its share of stares on the road. We just wish it weren't quite so slit-windowed and heavy below the beltline.

Up close, however, it's clear that it's a Chevy of a different kind, from the blanked-out simulated twin-bar grille to the high, almost horizontal tailgate with a vertical glass panel for visibility.

Inside, the news is better. The Volt's cabin blends the traditional Chevy twin-cockpit appearance with some new touches, including a vehicle information display screen that's head and shoulders above any other Chevy.

In a way, that's a shame. We're all for predictability and not scaring consumers who may be daunted by the idea of new technology. But we wonder a bit whether Chevy may have erred on the side of conservatism.

But you don't need to be an entirely conservative driver to enjoy the Volt. It accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in roughly nine seconds, with its punchiest performance from 0 to 40. Top speed is limited to 100 miles per hour.

So what's the 2011 Volt like in mixed usage—which is to say, driving on electricity from both the 16-kilowatt-hour battery pack and that provided to the 111-kilowatt motor from the 80-horsepower 1.4-liter gasoline engine powering a 55-kW generator? After 40-or-so miles, when the engine switches on—imperceptibly to the driver but, oddly, just barely noticeable to the front passenger—performance doesn't change. While the Volt might have two very distinct modes of operation, its responsiveness or driving feel isn't any different once it starts burning gasoline.

Acceleration from a stop is brisk—we were somehow reassured to see we were still able to spin an inside front wheel when accelerating hard out of a turn—and the steering, handling, and braking aren't as disconnected as you might expect.

The interior is well put together, without a single rattle or squeak, and body quality and interior trim appeared to be good on the pre-production but saleable vehicles we drove.

A shiny white plastic finish for the console remains an option, one we fear may date quickly. Our car's console came in a handsome glossy charcoal, which also avoided the soon-to-be-cliche shiny piano black motif.

Put your mother in the 2011 Chevrolet Volt and—except for the neat humming tone as the car boots up and the lack of engine noise—she might never know it had anything different under the hood.

Electric cars pose an interesting new challenge to automotive engineers. Minus the noises of a piston engine and its transmission, other sounds—tire roar, wind whistle, even ventilation fans—appear much louder.

And the Volt engineers have done a remarkable job in rising to this challenge. Despite their low rolling resistance, tire noise is tolerable (and sometimes the loudest thing you'll hear).

As the car accelerates and brakes, the varying power demands are buffered by the battery pack, so the engine can run at a reduced range of speeds, making it quieter. Only occasionally, under high power demand, did the engine rev up and make itself noticeable.

The Volt is fitted with eight airbags for its four passengers: Front-seat occupants have front and side bags, plus knee bolsters, while side air curtains stretch the length of the front and rear doors to protect rear-seat riders as well.

Traction control, anti-lock brakes, and other electronic control systems keep the car well behaved. Every Volt is fitted as standard with GM's OnStar telecommunications system, including five years of service.

The standard Bose sound system includes AM, FM, DVD-ROM, and MP3 playback, voice recognition, Bluetooth connectivity, and pause-and-play capabilities. A 60-GB hard drive is standard, 30 GB of which can be used for personal music storage. XM Satellite Radio with traffic and weather information is also standard.

The Volt is offered in six colors, including silver, black, and grey, along with Viridian Joule, a pale green. Crystal Red Metallic Tintcoat and White Diamond Tricoat are extra-cost options.

The Volt's lithium-ion battery pack is warrantied for eight years or 100,000 miles, which should reassure owners who choose to buy the car rather than lease it. Other warranties include bumper-to-bumper coverage for 3 years/36,000 miles; roadside assistance for 5 years/100,000 miles; and on the gasoline engine, limited 5-year/100,000-mile coverage as well.

The Volt's battery takes about 10 to 12 hours to charge with a 120-volt household-style outlet, or just four hours with a 240-volt charger, such as those at charging stations or possible around heavy-duty appliance outlets.