Today GM released the first teaser image of the 2016 Chevy Volt, which will bring a litany of changes to the popular plug-in hybrid. GM also set the debut date for the Detroit Auto Show in January, with the new Volt to go on sale sometime in 2015.
Since it went on sale at the end of 2010, GM says it has sold more than 65,000 Chevy Volts in the US alone…though its European cousin, the Opel Ampera, has seen sales plummet, and will soon be discontinued. As for the teaser shot itself, it doesn’t reveal much about the new Volt, except that it will have a more-rounded rear decklid.
But the Volt will live on, and rumor has it that it will bring with it many improvements and asked-for features. Among the most-requested features among Volt owners was more range, more room, (five seats instead of the current four), and a lower price. GM could offer a Volt with as much as 200 miles of electric range if certain rumors are true, though more likely GM will offer different battery pack sizes to placate the masses who want to either pay less, or go farther between charges.
Not that the current Volt is all that bad, as 92% of current owners say they’d buy another one given the chance. It’s also one of the highest-scoring cars on the Consumer Reports customer satisfaction survey. Another key point GM likes to drive home is that more than 70% of Volt buyers are new to the Chevy brand, making it a powerful “conquest” car. Hopefully the 2016 model proves just as successful for GM, a company plagued by recall woes and questions about its corporate structure the past few months.
Perhaps the 2016 Chevy VOlt can change the conversation towards more positive vibes.
Source: GM
