The 2015 North American International Auto Show is less than 10 days away, but despite that, there’s another show in Las Vegas starting up right now that has automakers previewing technology as if it was NAIAS. That show is the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, and it’s where Chevrolet has chosen to briefly display the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Volt.
The photo, released on Twitter, gives us a better look at the angular and futuristic front fascia than what we’ve seen previously when the 2016 Chevrolet Volt was originally teased at a private event in Los Angeles. The symmetrical dual-port “grille” (it’s for aesthetics and aerodynamics rather than airflow) is ditched in for more bias to the lower fascia, while the upper shrinks and sharpens, mimicking the new headlight design. LED daylamps on the lower fascia are also a new addition.
The big 2016 Volt design mystery is the rear fascia, as Chevrolet sneakily kept it away from any decent point of view when the curtain lifted. Though we do expect the plug-in vehicle to retain its lift-back layout.
Powertrain-wise, the battery range is expected to improve anywhere from 5-12 percent (2-4.5 miles), depending on a myriad of factors such as temperature and driving habits. That’s not a huge jump overall, but if the price of the all-new Volt cuts below the $30,000 range, we doubt there will be much complaining.
At this time, there are no other official details. So stay tuned to GM Authority this week, next week and beyond to learn more about the 2016 Volt.
Comments
Kind of Disappointing, Looks alot like a 2012 Civic…
Dream On.
Yeah, I’m not all that impressed either with the looks, plus the minor increase in electric range is rather disappointing. I’d still like to see more details about it before I make my final judgement….
The styling Is limited by the wind tunnel. The little things count here for added range.
Adding range is not easy here also till be get better batteries so small gains will be the norm in this segment till we get better ones or larger ones.
The real key here will be cost and profit. How much cheaper will this one be and will they make any money on it are the first two things that needed addressed.
At this point to make a car like this cheap is a monumental task while remaining profitable.
Pretty tough to keep it under 30k unless they cheapen/decontent the basic car to Cruze levels. And then they will be even less profitable because the Cruze is not exactly a highly profitable vehicle in lower contented versions. To make money on this vehicle they need to have more profitable features.
Still have to pay for the extra batteries/generator/electronics.
Then again they could put out a very base version at $29,900 just to say they got it under $30 for marketing reasons and then add packages that virtually all would buy.
We’ll see. when do we expect decent pictures of the whole car. But I also have doubts about this part of the machine. This is bad and wrong to talk when the machine is cheap then it must also be ugly.
Previous Ampera likes me pretty well. Ampera liked more on design than the Volt.
The Ampera be the new I do not understand
today, it must be inexpensive and very high quality and super design. otherwise, the competitors will eat you.
than nowadays the way of cheap, ugly and un-quality things. if someone does not want to see or buy.
car market is very tough. only the strong survive and earn a profit
One funny thing is that in the year 2015, the journalists and photographers so bad technique that images are so poor and so little and so poorly captured images. certainly like to have these pictures poorly made, and they have so little.
True, all that chrome on the front added to the house lighting and display lighting make for a bad shot with the glare and reflections involved. We do get a good sense of it’s looks though and I think it is good.
I think it looks alright. It would be nice to have links to the site(s) that actually did these photos, not all of your own stories scattered throughout the thing.
I think it looks good! This angle does have the Impala-esque look. But in other looks, it kinda looks like a Civic SI coupe
I looked at all the inernet new pictures and all pictures are bad. ok one side, the picture was more and better quality, however.
 The Volt will not have to feel bad and evil, however, seems to be that happy and lucky, I also do not have the time to see the machine.
Opel Ampera I quite liked it as well as the things that are done badly, however, looks better than the old one volt. Tastes differ, and certainly one of love, and not to others.
I am interested in whether the new Ampera also be on sale.
today should already have an electric car, all LED lights as well as economical
Looks very Japanese. Chevy continues to.follow, instead of lead. I am thrilled that the silly duel port look is gone.
It appears that every GM division shares a similar lower deck. I’m guessing that this pertains to aerodynamic reasons?
Whom you think the Volt follows?
Nice Civic / Kia Forte / Hyundai Elantra thing. It is better to copy well than to think on your own feet and mess it up. GM would know.
Am I seeing things, or is that a different bow tie? Looks like brushed-chrome has replaced the gold in the center. I also like that the bow tie is “floated” on the frint facia like the Impala rather than plastered on top of a band like most models.
This is what I am seeing here. People are saying it looks like a Honda, Acura or some other car on the market. You know what you have just proven they did what they needed to do.
What has been GM’s goal with this car from the start? They wanted a EV car that was not like a EV car. They wanted the ability to go non stop if needed and not have to sit and wait for a charge and they wanted a car that drove and looked like a normal car and not some science fair project.
Styling a car like this is a pain in the butt. The air directs them on what they can and can’t do. It dictates many of the part of the car to the point there is little room to work for true styling. Just look at the leaf and Prius and understand that these cars were designed scientifically and not artistically.
To make this car appear as a Acura is a good thing here. I think once many of you see this in real life other than a bad video thing will appeal much clearer.
Just when you view this car you have to consider the many others with limited batteries and what all they have to do aerodynamically to gain just a few miles.
Example the sharp edge to the rear bumper corner on present car may have gone un noticed by many of you. But yet that single sharp edge is worth several miles of battery range.
Again this is just another example where you have to take in the big picture to really comprehend what is all in play and how it has to be.
If it were easy everyone would have nice looking electric cars and yet so few are. If it were not for the much larger battery the Tesla would not appear as it is .
Its not as hard as you think, to give a car its own identity. You can have a basic aerodynamic form, its all in how you create the simple things like how the headlights appear, which doesn’t change the actual form or way the air flows. This very very civic looking Volt is a let down, and very lazy.
No but the shape of the body has a lot to do with the size an shape of the lights.
Also perception is also how it is taken. You see a Honda and I see a Impala.
With the number of hours spent for aerodynamics and the fact it looks like a normal car I would give them credit for accomplishing what they set out to do.
With the number of Civics sold I would not say someone perceiving one here is all that bad anyway.
They could have one the other way and just went functional and gave you a Leaf or Prius look if they wanted too.
Even the front of this car looks a little like a old Cobalt with a little SEMA flash.
Dear GM:
Less chrome, less weight, less electronics, less plastic trim. More balance, better handling, and superior dynamic performance to go with superior economy please.
This is where GM’s tease antics fall short. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are full of these awful shots
of 2016 v.2 Volt. The shots were taken from a low perspective, with cameras basically at the level
of the car’s axle. This is not how we view cars. After the opening of NAIAS in Detroit in a few days,
many here will be greatly and pleasantly surprised. The car was shown to a small number of present
Volt owners in LA, and all gave big thumbs up. GM showed this Ashen Gray Volt for 30 seconds at
2015 CES in Las Vegas. The only photo GM released on it’s FB and Twitter pages was high res but
again from the low angle and just the front view.
I don’t agree with Scott a lot on here, but today I absolutely agree. Aerodynamics play into
every single design decision on cars who are directed to the efficiency market. I thought
Volt v.2 and Ampera were attractive cars – note to opc – there will be no Opel/Vauxhall
Ampera version of the Volt this time. Another point – Europeans didn’t accept Chevrolet.
In fact, the only Chevrolet dealership in the UK just closed it’s doors a couple days ago.
Europe isn’t as progressive as many would think when in regards to sustainable
transportation. The love of mechanical engineering will be a hard addiction for many
of our Euro brethren to beat. In fact, some European aftermarket outfitters have tried
to add “vroom vroom” sound synthesizers to push sound through vehicle sound
systems to “enhance” the vehicle experience! For me, silence is golden – and a true
attribute of luxury. Smoothness and instant torque without shifts are other
great attributes only electric or E-assist cars can offer. One inroad to electric
cars for Europe is using F1-type E-boost, or E-assist for added performance. If a
car can exhibit enhanced performance, they listen. Thus, the beauty of the brand-new
Formula E racing series. Opening eyes that electric doesn’t mean boring or slow.
This article is not accurate in many ways. For a few – GM has hinted that Volt v.2’s
EV-capability will increase substantially. Think 50+ miles all electric. Also, Volt will s
seat 5 ( or perhaps 4 1/2, as in a center child seat ) vs. v.1’s 4. This may not seem
like a big deal, but it is for many families.
Once you see Volt from human angles, it will grow on you substantially. Beauty
is in the eye of the beholder, to be sure, and there are only so many shapes one
can use while including factors like air-cooling and headlights. Focus groups
told GM that people want cars to have a “face”. This what we’re used to, and
this is why cars like Volt v.2 which needs far less openings for cooling, and
Tesla Model S, which only needs cooling for heat exchangers/cabin cooling,
still have faux “grilles”. Personally, I’d welcome a more clean – near grille-less
approach like a Porsche 911 or Corvette – but Volt’s market demographic is
not like us, they want the “face” on the family car.
Hey, I agree with Scott again!
First off, you have to websearch like crazy to find places where shots of 2016 Volt v.2
were posted. Since CES is a gadget, electronics show, it’s those types of
websites that posted the most photos of v.2 Volt. Sift through those and you can
see a couple side shots. You can even see the sides of the taillights. Stitch together
the GM tease photo of a couple months back of Volts back end, with those of the
side and you’ll see that side is very attractive, the slit-taillights are gone, replaced by
rather large ones that form the body’s corners and wrap around, somewhat like a
Camry. Again to appeal to the mainstream while still appearing sporty. They did good.
GM spent big bucks in the wind tunnel. Thus the sharper front fender edge and rear
cutoff of the bumper. This sheers off the wind more than a rounded surface, which
creates turbulence behind a vehicle. Turbulence equals suction or drag – thus, it’s a
big no-no. Big benefit for the rest of GM’s products as they incorporate these
lessons learned throughout the product line for better MPG.
When you see the side profile of the new nose, think SHARK. The nose is really low.
It’s as low as you can go and still have pedestrian impact safety. While many see the
straight-on front view and think “ugly Acura Transformer grille”, it’s not. It’s much
steeper and raked. From the side, just above the top “grille” they used that Impala
edge, then a sharp crease to a more steeply raked hood and windscreen than Volt/
Ampera v.1. The result is a racier look, IMO, and better aero coefficient of drag.
Just those changes alone account for 2-3 MPG!
Now add the better, more efficient
1.5L range extender which has an aluminum block vs. the Ecotec 1.4 of v.1 Volt and
Cruze with caste iron. Then there is better performance as you asked. Read of
Volt’s EREV Voltec v.2 powertrain – it is totally redesigned. Now there are two
motors side-by-side attached to the ICE which will act together in new available
modes. Now both motors kick in for an over 2 second improvement 0–60. Add
to this improved battery chemistry and a new pack cooling configuration which
makes less individual cells necessary in the pack. This makes new Volt’s pack
less expensive AND more efficient! A win-win! Less weight, less complexity.
I see a resemblance up front of the aforementioned 2010-2013 Civic Coupe.
As Scott said, that’s a good thing! That particular Civic was the darling of
car magazines everywhere. That’s why it’s shape is so familiar to you. That
iteration of Civic vaulted past Corolla in sales and most said this was due
to the Toyota’s vanilla looks and the sporty appearance Honda achieved.
In the auto business, it’s like pro football: Everybody copies each other.
If you cannot get over this – applaud the side view of Volt 2. It has an
Accord Coupe feel. Today, the whole ” 4 door coupe” theme is taking off.
It’s the new black, if you will. While Volt v.1 was a bit controversial and
divisive, Volt 2 is a design that is sporty and conveys that vs. looking dorky
for efficiency’s sake. Now all GM has to do is learn how to market the
car – and dump the goofey/funny/humor garbage that they tried for
years to introduce it.
Many online ask: “How will GM try to sell the car, since it literally
abandoned v.1 Volt as far as advertising campaigns nearly two years ago?
Answer: They still don’t have a clue. They have stated that they will go
to the current Volt owner ( early adopter ) and get customer testimonials.
This was literally the only affective ploy they used before, with some hastily-
made ads with owners in front of green screens touting their cars. Today,
GM needs to just recognize their conquest market – namely current Prius and
hybrid drivers and go there. Compare Prius with Volt and don’t be shy.
The current Volt is so much better than Prius in nearly every way. Say that!
Show that. Volt v.2 will advance further in dynamic ways and surely they
could sell through the roof even if gas prices remain low for longer.