2018 Chevrolet Volt Reviews, Pricing & Specs
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The second generation Chevy Volt has been available in all 50 states since the beginning of 2016, and its main appeal is that it has all the appeal of a full EV but also has the option of internal combustion power, which solves the problem that puts people off most fully electric cars. The Volt goes into 2018 with few changes, although a few colors have been dropped with three new ones added, plus a light shuffling of available convenience features. Trims include LT and Premier models, and while a loaded Chevrolet Volt can creep past the $40,000 mark, it’s important to remember with cars like this that significant tax credits come with the purchase.
Under the fairly conventional-looking hood of the Volt is a 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine that is largely there for the purpose of range. The Volt can do most normal trips on electric power alone, but in order to solve the limited range issue that keeps electric cars from having a wider appeal, the Volt’s gas engine can step in to keep the car going for longer distances without having to stop for a lengthy electric recharge.
The electric powertrain is made up of an 18.4 kWh lithium-ion battery that is located between the front seats and extends to under the rear seat. The electric powertrain makes 149hp and 294 pound-feet of torque, and will aid the gasoline engine in returning 42 mpg. Both electric and gasoline motors drive the front wheels. They can work to drive the Volt in unison, or one can be used to recharge the battery. Out and out performance is not the reason people buy a car like this, but the Volt delivers the instant torque that characterizes an electric vehicle, which is usable in traffic situations. Once the battery is depleted, a 240-volt charging station will get the Volt back to full in about four and a half hours, while a 120-volt outlet will only do the job in about half a day. On electric power alone, the Volt will do 53 miles before running out of juice. That’s enough for most commutes.
The Volt has a fairly conventional interior as far as these types of vehicles go, and the base LT model comes standard with automatic climate control, pushbutton start, and an 8.0-inch dash-mounted infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. The Premier model adds heated leather seats, heated steering wheel, wireless device charging and a Bose stereo. A navigation is optional on both models. One change for 2018 is that the leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob are now urethane as standard, although leather is still available. The Volt is a proper four-door with ample room front and back, although the middle passenger in the rear may find things a bit tight. The Volt has been praised for being remarkably quiet on the road, and not just by virtue of being able to travel on electric power alone. Even the 1.5-liter four is reportedly very quiet.
Standard safety equipment on all 2018 Chevy Volts includes a reversing camera and 10 airbags, while numerous other active safety features are available. A Driver Confidence Package includes rear parking assist, rear cross-traffic alert and side blind zone alert. Adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure warning and forward collision warning with automatic braking are also available. The NHTSA has given the current Volt five out of five stars in its series of crash tests, while the IIHS has given it the Top Safety Pick+ status, so the Volt seems to be as safe as it is efficient.
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2018 Chevrolet Volt Pricing
Trims & specs
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning · Single front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Dual front knee airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Front side airbags · Front side curtain airbags
Audio System
Antenna Type: diversity · Voice recognition audio system · Bluetooth auxiliary audio input · Touch screen display radio · Satellite Radio: SiriusXM · Total Number of Speakers: 6
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel · Front brake diameter: 11.0 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 10.0 · Rear brakes: disc
Comfort Features
Floor Mat Material: carpet · Floor Material: carpet · Floor Mats: front · Steering wheel trim: vinyl
Convenience Features
Assist handle: rear · Center console: front console with armrest and storage · Cupholders: front · Multi-function remote: keyless entry with panic alarm · One-touch windows: 4 · Power outlet(s): 12V front · Power steering: speed-proportional · Power windows: lockout button · Reading lights: front · Rear power outlet: 12V · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic · Steering wheel mounted controls: cruise controls · Storage: front seatback · Vanity mirrors: dual
Driver Seat
Manual adjustments: 6
Drivetrain
Axle ratio: 2.64
Engine
EV battery capacity: 18 kWh · EV on-board charger rating: 3.6 kW · Electric Charge Cord: 120 volt · Electric Motor Battery Type: lithium ion · Electric Motor HP: 149 · Electric Motor Power Output (Kilowatts): 111 · Electric Motor Torque: 294 · Electric Vehicle Extended Range Generator Displacement: 1.5 · Electric Vehicle Extended Range Generator HP: 101 · Electric Vehicle Extended Range Generator Number of Cylinders: 4 · Electric motor charger connector: SAE J1772 · Electric motor charging time (120V): 13 hours · Electric motor charging time (240V): 4.5 hours · Electric motor miles per charge: 50
Exterior Features
Door handle color: body-color · Front bumper color: body-color · Grille color: chrome · Mirror color: body-color · Rear bumper color: body-color · Rear spoiler: lip · Rear spoiler color: body-color · Rear trunk/liftgate: liftgate · Window trim: chrome
Headrests
Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2 · Number of rear headrests: 2
In Car Entertainment
Connected in-car apps: driving performance · Infotainment: MyLink · Infotainment screen size: 8 in.
Instrumentation
Fuel economy display: range · Instrument cluster screen size: 8 in. · Warnings and reminders: low fuel level
Lights
Daytime running lights: LED · Headlights: LED
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: power · Inside rearview mirror: manual day/night
Passenger Seat
Manual Adjustments: 6
Rear Seats
Type: 60-40 split bench
Safety
Camera system: rearview · Child seat anchors: LATCH system · Crumple zones: rear · Programmable safety key: MyKey · Rearview monitor: in dash
Seatbelts
Emergency locking retractors: front and rear · Front seatbelts: 3-point · Seatbelt pretensioners: front · Seatbelt warning sensor: driver and passenger · Second row seatbelts: 3-point
Seats
Driver seat manual adjustments: reclining · Front seat type: bucket · Passenger seat manual adjustments: reclining · Rear headrests: adjustable · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: cloth
Security
Power door locks: anti-lockout
Spare Tire
Kit: inflator kit
Steering
Steering ratio: 15.7 · Turns lock-to-lock: 3.0
Suspension
Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Suspension Classification: semi-independent · Rear Suspension Type: torsion bar · Stabilizer bar(s): front
Telematics
Driver assistance app: roadside assistance · Electronic messaging assistance: with voice recognition · Phone: voice activated · Phone wireless data link: Bluetooth · Satellite communications: OnStar · Smart device app function: engine start · Wifi: hotspot
Tires
Type: all season
Tires and Rims
Wheels: painted aluminum
Windows
Front wipers: variable intermittent · Liftgate window: fixed · Power windows: with safety reverse
Air Conditioning
Automatic climate control front air conditioning · Single front air conditioning zones
Airbags
Dual front airbags · Dual front knee airbags · Passenger airbag deactivation: occupant sensing deactivation · Rear side airbags · Front side curtain airbags
Audio System
Antenna Type: mast · Voice recognition audio system · Bluetooth auxiliary audio input · Premium Brand: Bose · AM/FM radio · Satellite Radio: SiriusXM · 1 subwoofer · Total Number of Speakers: 7
Brakes
ABS: 4-wheel · Front brake diameter: 11.0 · Front brakes: ventilated disc · Rear brake diameter: 10.0 · Rear brakes: disc
Comfort Features
Floor Mat Material: carpet · Floor Material: carpet · Floor Mats: front · Shift knob trim: leather · Steering wheel trim: leather
Convenience Features
Active parking system: driver controlled brake, gas and gear selection · Assist handle: rear · Center console: front console with armrest and storage · Cupholders: rear · Dimming rearview mirror: auto-dimming · Multi-function remote: proximity entry system · One-touch windows: 4 · Power outlet(s): 12V front · Power steering: speed-proportional · Power windows: lockout button · Reading lights: rear · Rear power outlet: 12V · Steering wheel: tilt and telescopic · Steering wheel mounted controls: voice recognition controls · Storage: accessory hook · Vanity mirrors: dual illuminating
Driver Seat
Manual adjustments: 6
Drivetrain
Axle ratio: 2.64
Engine
EV battery capacity: 18 kWh · EV on-board charger rating: 3.6 kW · Electric Charge Cord: 120 volt · Electric Motor Battery Type: lithium ion · Electric Motor HP: 149 · Electric Motor Power Output (Kilowatts): 111 · Electric Motor Torque: 294 · Electric Vehicle Extended Range Generator Displacement: 1.5 · Electric Vehicle Extended Range Generator HP: 101 · Electric Vehicle Extended Range Generator Number of Cylinders: 4 · Electric motor charger connector: SAE J1772 · Electric motor charging time (120V): 13 hours · Electric motor charging time (240V): 4.5 hours · Electric motor miles per charge: 50
Exterior Features
Door handle color: body-color · Front bumper color: body-color · Grille color: chrome · Mirror color: body-color · Rear bumper color: body-color · Rear spoiler: lip · Rear spoiler color: body-color · Rear trunk/liftgate: liftgate · Window trim: chrome
Headrests
Front headrests: adjustable · Number of front headrests: 2 · Number of rear headrests: 2
In Car Entertainment
Connected in-car apps: Google POIs · Infotainment: MyLink · Infotainment screen size: 8 in.
Instrumentation
Fuel economy display: MPG · Instrument cluster screen size: 8 in. · Warnings and reminders: low fuel level
Lights
Daytime running lights: LED · Headlights: LED
Mirrors
Exterior mirrors: heated
Passenger Seat
Manual Adjustments: 6
Rear Seats
Type: 60-40 split bench
Safety
Camera system: rearview · Child seat anchors: LATCH system · Crumple zones: front · Parking sensors: rear · Programmable safety key: MyKey · Rearview monitor: in dash
Seatbelts
Emergency locking retractors: front · Front seatbelts: 3-point · Seatbelt pretensioners: front · Seatbelt warning sensor: driver and passenger · Second row seatbelts: 3-point
Seats
Driver seat manual adjustments: reclining · Front seat type: bucket · Passenger seat manual adjustments: reclining · Rear headrests: adjustable · Rear seat folding: split · Upholstery: leather-trimmed
Security
Power door locks: anti-lockout
Spare Tire
Kit: inflator kit
Steering
Steering ratio: 15.7 · Turns lock-to-lock: 3.0
Suspension
Front Arm Type: lower control arms · Front Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Front Spring Type: coil springs · Front Suspension Classification: independent · Front Suspension Type: MacPherson struts · Rear Shock Type: gas shock absorbers · Rear Spring Type: coil springs · Rear Suspension Classification: semi-independent · Rear Suspension Type: torsion bar · Stabilizer bar(s): front
Telematics
Driver assistance app: roadside assistance · Electronic messaging assistance: with read function · Phone: voice activated · Phone wireless data link: Bluetooth · Satellite communications: OnStar · Smart device app function: engine start · Wifi: hotspot
Tires
Type: all season
Tires and Rims
Wheel type: aluminum alloy
Windows
Front wipers: variable intermittent · Liftgate window: fixed · Power windows: with safety reverse