First drive: 2016 Chevrolet Volt adds range, features

SAN FRANCISCO — The all-new 2016 Chevrolet Volt electric car delivered improved range, quiet operation, responsive handling and comfort in a test drive over the hills and highways of Marin County. The first 2016 Volts just left General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck assembly for dealers.

The Volt is entirely new for the 2016 model year, less than five years after the first generation of the innovative car went on sale. Like its predecessor, the 2016 Volt uses a battery for driving under electric power and has a gasoline motor to generate more electricity for longer trips. The new Volt has an EPA range of 53 miles on a charged battery, up from 38 miles for the 2015 model. The 2016 Volt can go 420 miles with the engine generating more electricity without stopping for a fill-up or recharge.

The electric drivetrain makes the Volt eerily quiet at highway speed. Its 149 horsepower and 294 pound-feet of torque provided quick, smooth acceleration.

After the battery was drained, the new 1.5-liter engine was barely noticeable, a pleasant change from the droning generator that elicited complaints from some owners of the original Volt.

Despite its longer range and added features, the 2016 Volt is 200 pounds lighter than the previous model.

The 2016 Volt is the first car to use GM’s new Delta II architecture, which will also underpin the 2016 Chevrolet Cruze compact, Opel Astra in Europe and the next generation of the Buick Verano.

The Volt felt smooth and composed on the seaside curves of California Highway 1. Its steering was responsive and the car felt very balanced,

thanks to a low center of gravity because its lithium-ion batteries are packaged low, along the center line of the car. A button on the steering wheel allows the driver to maximize regenerative braking, a feature borrowed from the Cadillac ELR, which shares the first-gen Volt’s powertrain.

The Volt had little difficulty hitting the EPA certified range of 53 miles on a charge, and consciously frugal testers went farther in all-electric mode.

The interior is significantly upgraded, with room for five passengers, one more than the first Volt. The rear seat is still snug, though, and the car’s sweeping roofline creates small rear door openings that are likely to bang lots of heads on entry and exit. The hatchback offers plenty of cargo space.

The Interior materials look more upscale than the futuristic first-gen Volt. Attractive leather upholstery is new, and easy to use buttons and dials replace the first Volt’s flat-panel controls. There’s also an 8-inch touch screen and Apple CarPlay to make the car fully compatible with Apple’s Siri and apps like Pandora and mapping.

The exterior styling is intentionally sporty, with a forward-leaning stance, crisp body lines and a grille and headlights intentionally similar to other new Chevrolet sedans like the Impala and upcoming 2016 Malibu and Cruze

Prices for the 2016 Volt start at $33,170. I tested a loaded Volt Premium with navigation, heated front and rear seats, blind-spot alert, lane-departure alert and assist, and automatic braking to avoid low-speed front collisions. It stickered at $39,400, excluding destination charges.

Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan.