Chevrolet Bolt EV Interior Updates Incoming: Exclusive
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The big news about the Chevrolet Bolt EV last week is that it’s getting more range for the 2020 model year. The improvements allow Chevy’s small EV, which also happens to be GM’s only EV in North America, to better compete against newfound rivals – the Hyundai Kona Electric and the Kia Niro EV. But that’s not all the good news for the Bolt, since new information tells us that Chevrolet is planning to update the interior of its electric sub-compact.
The Chevrolet Bolt EV has been around since 2016 relatively unchanged, if not for the increased range and a few new exterior colors. Even so, the Bolt EV is still competitive both in terms of price, technology, and various other elements (like cargo space) when pitted against its primary competitors. Meanwhile, the 259-mile range allows it to remain one of the best electric cars currently on sale from a value standpoint.
But one area where the Bolt EV could improve is the interior. While stylish, with a clean and modern interior design and infotainment interface dominating the dashboard, the Bolt EV’s cabin has often been cited for having low-quality materials, sub-par build quality and hard, uncomfortable seats. Luckily, that will soon change.
According to GM Authority sources, the Bolt EV will finally get better seats, along with a few other updates. The changes will likely be made for the 2021 model year – the same time that the Bolt EV is up for a midcycle enhancement, otherwise known as a refresh or facelift. What’s more, 2021 is also the same time that the Chevrolet Bolt EUV will launch in North America. Since both vehicles share the same architecture, battery pack and drivetrain, it makes sense for the Bolt EV to inherit a significant amount of updates from its larger crossover variant.
So if you’re in the market for a Chevrolet Bolt EV but are not a fan of the cabin or their seats, you might be better off waiting to buy yours. The 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV hits dealers this fall with a starting MSRP of $37,495 including destination and freight charges, while the 2021 model – the one with the incoming interior upgrades – should arrive around the fall of the 2020 calendar year.
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Why is it so hard for GM to realize they need a quality interior. The Bolt, Camaro, Silverado, etc all get criticized for underwhelming interior. Maybe the head of that department should dust off the resume…
GM has ALWAYS been known for having crappy, low quality interiors. Honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if they were doing it deliberately at this point.
Oh really? Always crappy interiors, eh? Corvette? Cadillac CT6? Cadillac XT5? ATS? CTS? Cruze? Impala? Can you really apply that description to those models?
The problem is that more often than not, GM is not known for having a great interior. I thought they turned a corner a few years ago, but, they still seem to cut corners on some models for whatever the reason.
ATS and CTS? Yes. They have great seats but the slab of black plastic around the CUE system was never quality enough, same can be said for SRX. XT4 and XT5 are far better, XT6 even better so. The Cruze, yes, for sure. The Elantra and Civic blew it out of the water, and they are still on sale.
The Equinox is the worst of the current crop. The 7-inch screen and centre console are far too plastic-y, and they don’t feel quality enough. The Tiguan, for example, also uses black plastic on the inside but it’s nicely finished and feels a lot more quality. Interiors on some models need work!
Good to see the company does something about it’s existing EV.
I’m assuming this particular car has had weight saving prioritized over luxury items. That being said why they chose to use such a hidious rear end design is beyond me. Then again, I haven’t loved a GM design in years now.
Nobody drives looking at their rear. Do you?
I wonder if I can replace the seats in my 2017 model for the new seats – love the car, hate the seats.
@Whalos:
Question. Although I’m probably going to stay with my Buick Encore or go with a new Cadillac XT4 or Lincoln Corsair, I have been thinking how nice it would be to go back to an all electric car that sits up higher than a normal car. I kind of like the quirky looks of the Bolt, but not a fan of the interior. However, I could live with the interior design, but seats that are not comfortable is a deal breaker. For those who have read other posts from me, one of my complaints is seats that are too firm with a ride that is too firm. I like softer/comfy seats with an isolated ride. So my question is about the seats and why do you hate them? Are they that hard or poorly positioned? Thanks.
The seat bottom is firm but acceptable. The back feels like a 1960’s molded plastic patio chair. The padding is thin and the sharp side bolsters dig into one’s torso.
Yikes. Due to the limited range of about 230 miles, I’m assuming this happens on shorter drives?
I’m thinking I’ll stick with my Buick or go Caddy/Lincoln next. I absolutely hate seats that are not comfy.
Don’t just accept that as gospel. Early models had some missing seat padding. My 2019 is fine although it could use better lumbar support. I use a small back cushion and have no problems with seat comfort.
I don’t find the seats in my ’18 uncomfortable at all. I’ve taken it on a couple of road trips over 600 miles too. My passengers report no discomfort either. I think the complaints about the interior are a little overblown. The only thing I don’t love about mine is the cupholders (they work, but they could be better).
The other main issue I see for the Bolt is DC charging speed… The 55kw charging seems pretty ridiculous to me, especially compared to the cars it’s competing with (Kona and Niro at 75kw, & SR+ Model 3 100kw).
In the real world, I’d call you wrong. Having taken my Bolt on road trips, you stop for dinner, plug into a DC charger, and you’re good to go by the time you’re done eating. In practice, I’ve never found the speed to be insufficient or inconvenient. That being said, I have a toddler, and going to a sit-down restaurant for a bit to eat is the norm for us so he can get out of the car for a bit more than would be required for a quick grab-and-go.
In other words, my use-case might be slightly different than yours.
Would be great if Chevrolet spent some money and doing some work on the exterior of the Bolt.. it’s a shame that it’s not possible to do a body transplant with the Chevy Cruze Hatchback or Equinox CUV.
The Bolt target market was to appeal to the tree huggers type so Chevrolet had to make it look ugly looking and smallish.
I thought 2021 was going to be a new Bolt?
It is turning comical with every news tidbit that comes out about GM EV’s. Why do they even bother talking about them when they are obviously full of it.
So instead of an All New Bolt we will get a slightly revamped one?
Nobody ever promised a new Bolt. Nobody. Ever.
All that was promised was another electric vehicle, which will be the Bolt EUV:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/gm/chevrolet/bolt-euv/
But it will be in addition to the Bolt EV, not a replacement.
Alex, the only reason to keep the Bolt around in its current Form and not replace it with the upcoming EV is if GM Drops the Price to VW Golf levels which will maybe bring in Price conscious adopters to try EV’s. Would be a smart move if they can pull it off. But we all know that will not happen.
What is the point of having the Bolt and the Slightly bigger Bolt EUV? We have all seen the Spy videos and we see just how slightly bigger it will be.
GM will fall behind VW in the EV market and that is so sad. Especially when we all here know how much of a longer head start GM had. VW basically just started and they will run circles around GM.
So much for the Zero -Zero -Zero we keep hearing from every GM Exec.
For the record I am not upset b/c I am a Pure EV lover. I am upset b/c I am sick and tired of GM Dropping the Ball with almost everything due to the Beancounters running the Show.
Just my two cents.
It was my understanding the first Gen of the Bolt would remain pretty much as is to or through 2023. Regarding the much customer commented seat issue. There have been at least two You Tube videos on how to redo the seat base padding to improve them, provided by customers. Some dealers have made the customer service move to have customer seats redone by upholstery shops to satisfy their customers. One has to wonder how GM feels justified in waiting to redo the seating since the Bolt release.
I love my Volt so I expected to like the Bolt even more when I test drove it. Instead I experienced one of the worst GM cars I’ve ever driven. The ride was choppy and while nimble with excellent steering precision and feel, the handling seemed busy and the chassis never quite felt planted. It actually felt “tipsy,” which is pretty remarkable for a car with such a low center of gravity. As for the interior, the seats were insultingly horrific and road noise was so bad it seemed that they left out the sound deadener to save a few pennies or ounces.
My Volt feels like a nice $35K car. The Bolt feels like a $14K 5h!tbox with a $20K powertrain. I know the engineering team was top notch but they were hobbled by bad product planning by management.
That’s crazy. I own both a Volt and a Bolt EV, and my opinion is literally the opposite of yours. And I have a Premier Volt and an LT Bolt EV. Go figure.