2013 Holden Volt First Drive Review
HOLDEN VOLT REVIEW
Vehicle style: Range-extender EV small hatch
Price: $59,990 plus on-roads
Engine: 1.4 litre 16-valve petrol 4cyl, two electric drive motors, 16.5kW/h battery.
Torque: 111kW/370Nm | Fuel consumption (listed): 6.3 l/100km
The Holden Volt is on sale from November.
OVERVIEW
It can take you from home to work and back without burning a drop of fuel. You can also use it to run between capital cities. The ideal commuter vehicle; and a defining car for the times? Perhaps. It's the Holden Volt.
Although many will consider it a hybrid, the Volt is actually a battery-electric car with an on-board generator.
It's designed to spend most of its life being propelled by battery power alone, but when the electrons run dry, the Volt's engine kicks in to generate power for the electric motors, enough for around 600km of travel.
The Volt is a neat antidote for 'range anxiety' - that affliction suffered by those who think the 180km-odd ranges of current electric vehicles will one day leave them 'powerless' by the side of the road.
It is also, however, expensive for a small car. Retailing at $59,990 the Volt is a pricey thing, but after our first decent drive we reckon it’s the best eco-friendly vehicle around.
The Interior
The Volt’s interior is certainly futuristic.
A seven-inch LCD panel replaces the traditional instrument cluster, nearly every button on the centre stack is capacitive (ie, you don’t need to ‘push’ each button, but merely brush your finger against it), and shiny white plastics on the centre stack and front door trims look more “high-end appliance” than “automobile”.
Build quality is generally good, with things tightly screwed together and no rattles evident on the test. Material quality could use a lift though, with some of the hard black plastics on the centre console having roughly-finished edges.
Also, the junction between the door cards and dashboard had a few misaligned lines.
2013_holden_volt_australia_07