Chevrolet Volt 5dr Car Review - July 2012

The Volt's electric motor produces 148bhp and 273lb-ft of torque. The great thing about electric motors is that, unlike with a petrol engine, all of the engine's torque is available right from the word go. This means that the Volt is surprisingly nippy and much more fun to drive than a liquid-fuelled car at low speeds.

As you'd expect, the Volt is eerily quiet most of the time and even when the petrol engine starts up, there is precious little noise in the cabin. Combine this with a comfortable ride and competent, if unspectacular handling, and the Volt becomes a very capable and cosseting long distance cruiser.

It's not exactly an Aston Martin DB9, but the Volt is a fairly handsome car and, unlike other electric cars on the market, it doesn't shout itself from the rooftops -- to the uninitiated, the Volt looks exactly the same as every other family hatchback on the road.

You get far more equipment in the Volt than you do in the mechanically identical Vauxhall Ampera. Air-con, Bluetooth, a reversing camera, DAB radio, leather heated seats, alloy wheels and cruise control all come as standard, and the Volt feels very futuristic inside with its touch-screen readouts and modern, if slightly low-rent, trim.

The Volt is far from the most practical car in its class. For one, you only get two rear seats (why manufacturers think that ditching the centre rear seat is a good idea is beyond me). Having said that, there is plenty of space in the cabin, even for taller passengers, and there's a decent 310-litres of boot space with the rear seats up and 1005-litres with the rear seats folded flat.

The Volt is fitted with a host of airbags and, although it has yet to be tested by Euro NCAP, should prove to be very safe. Reliability is a major concern with hybrid technology, but Chevrolet offers an eight-year/100,000 mile drivetrain warranty and a five-year/100,000 mile warranty on the rest of the car.

Chevrolet claims that the Volt manages 235mpg but this is rubbish. For the first 35-miles or so (when the car is running off the battery, you will get infinite mpg; however, when the petrol generator kicks in, this will inevitably drop.

On the up-side, the Volt is both road tax and congestion charge exempt. This really isn't that much of a big deal if you live in, say, Macclesfield, but if you drive into the capital regularly this could save you thousands of pounds a year.

However, the Volt is simply too expensive for what it is at £29,995 (inc. the government's electric car grant). Are you going to choose a Volt over a top-of-the-range BMW 3 Series? We thought not.