BAY CITY, FREELAND -- For the last few days, the black and silver Chevy Volt loaned to NBC25 for a series of reports has been a sight for curious eyes from my co-workers here at NBC25, to fellow drivers across mid-Michigan.  Heads turned pretty much every times.

I’ve had the chance to closely look at the vehicle’s close performance and specs, while studying the internal dynamics of the vehicle’s batteries and gas engine relationship. 

Here’s a snapshot of the vehicle:

-Electric drive unit with 150 hp, 273 lb-ft of torque

-Quiet on-board generator/engine, 1.4L Internal Combustion Engine (80 hp), requires premium fuel

-17” 5-spoke forged painted aluminum wheels

-Two plasma information display centers (one of which is touch sensitive)

-It’s also complete with XM NavTraffic 4 with three trial months, as well as Bluetooth wireless technology and OnStar emergency assistance.   

GM originally set out to produce about 10,000 Volts but high demand sent that number up to 25,000.  The staff over at Burt Watson Chevrolet in Freeland already have cash deposits on hand for about 5 Volts, pre-ordered and ready to be custom designed for the owners. 

Dealership General Manager John Spreeman expects that number to grow in time. 

“I think GM is on the right track with the technology and as the battery life gets longer and the technology gets more defined, it’s going to be fabulous,” he said.

My take

After driving the Volt for the past three days, I’d say it’s quite peppy both on the battery and on the gasoline engine.  You can get from zero to 60 in about 8.3 seconds.  It handles well on the highways and on local roads, though the braking system took a little getting used to at first. 

I like the various drive modes which allow you to maximize battery recharging when operating the gasoline engine on long drives.  I also found the two plasma monitors to be very detailed with information, yet a little busy at the same time. 

The touch screen plasma which allows you to control everything from navigation to climate settings require a little too much “button pushing” to get things done.  Perhaps the amount of steps to change a setting could be reduced as future improvements are made. 

The sticker price will give a lot of people a shock, priced around $41,000 before tax credits which can get that price down to around $32,500.  I’m not quite sure that will inspire a lot of folks who enjoy luxury vehicles in the Cadillac and Buick lines for example to switch over to the Volt, but those buyers especially environmentally conscious or simply sick of the rising gas prices may consider the Volt to be an option. 

Some even describe it as a futuristic sports car.  NBC25 Sports Director Dillon Collier checked it out and said it reminded him of a Porsche.  Station photojournalist Chad Britton said it reminded him of sitting in a Pontiac Fiero.  It reminded me of the days I sat in my dad’s old Corvette; very close to the ground. The pick-up is there to give it that sporty feel, however I felt it was a bit too bulky on the outside design to match some of the traditional elements of a sports car.    

But that’s my take.  Feel free to stop into any GM dealership with a Volt and arrange a test drive on your own!