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Chevy Volt Design: Electrifyingly Bland
DETROIT — If you're breathing, you like cars and you have a mouse in your hand, you've probably seen the "leaked" images that hit the Web this week purporting to be the production-ready Chevrolet Volt "extended-range" electric vehicle. But whether those photos were mistakenly released or were a deliberate attempt by General Motors to hike the hype in anticipation of next week's "official" unveiling of the Volt, GM probably isn't crazy about the result: Reaction has been heavily critical, reports Edmunds.com's industry-watching blog, Edmunds AutoObserver.
Automotive Web sites buzzed about the leaked images of the Volt. In comparing it to the chiseled and aggressive Volt concept car, some are mildly complimentary, but critics seem to outnumber approvers by at least four to one.
"Derivative" is a response that resonates on many Web sites, as the viral-reaction party line immediately settled on the Volt appearing to pay combined homage to Chevy's successful — but not necessarily sexy — Malibu sedan and Toyota's almighty (but absolutely not sexy) Prius hybrid.
"It's a huge disappointment," said Jane Nakagawa, a freelance automotive writer, frequent contributor at AutoObserver — and a former director of advanced planning for Nissan North America Inc.
Nakagawa bluntly calls the Volt's final styling — if that's what the images we've seen indeed portray — "completely unacceptable. They made a big, fat promise," and didn't follow up, she said.
The slabby, conservative Volt "looks like Grandma's electric vehicle," she added.
"The production version looks like the unlikely love child of a one-nighter involving GM's concept and the Prius," another longstanding automotive journalist reported to AutoObserver.
"I think this design will seem ancient in 27 months when it finally hits the streets. By then, we'll have a third-generation Prius, a couple of Honda hybrids, and other green machines to choose from."
Some think GM's aged brain trust quashed any attempt at a revolutionary shape for the Volt — in turn losing the potential to attract younger buyers attuned to new-age designs.
"The number-one lost opportunity (with the Volt's derivative styling)," Nakagawa said, "was getting young people to come and buy this car. It's a sad, sad moment for GM," she said. "The Volt (concept) was a glimmer of hope the Big 3 isn't as stupid as you thought."
GM took pains in recent months to temper anticipation of the Volt's design in light of what it described as the engineering realities of meeting the Volt's performance objectives — particularly the crucial 40-mile battery-only driving range. Meeting performance objectives — particularly in the area of aerodynamics — played a major role in determining the Volt's exterior design, GM claimed.
What this means to you: Is the Volt's shape revolutionary enough? It's all a matter of perspective. — Bill Visnic, Senior Editor, Edmunds AutoObserver
Automotive Web sites buzzed about the leaked images of the Volt. In comparing it to the chiseled and aggressive Volt concept car, some are mildly complimentary, but critics seem to outnumber approvers by at least four to one.
"Derivative" is a response that resonates on many Web sites, as the viral-reaction party line immediately settled on the Volt appearing to pay combined homage to Chevy's successful — but not necessarily sexy — Malibu sedan and Toyota's almighty (but absolutely not sexy) Prius hybrid.
"It's a huge disappointment," said Jane Nakagawa, a freelance automotive writer, frequent contributor at AutoObserver — and a former director of advanced planning for Nissan North America Inc.
Nakagawa bluntly calls the Volt's final styling — if that's what the images we've seen indeed portray — "completely unacceptable. They made a big, fat promise," and didn't follow up, she said.
The slabby, conservative Volt "looks like Grandma's electric vehicle," she added.
"The production version looks like the unlikely love child of a one-nighter involving GM's concept and the Prius," another longstanding automotive journalist reported to AutoObserver.
"I think this design will seem ancient in 27 months when it finally hits the streets. By then, we'll have a third-generation Prius, a couple of Honda hybrids, and other green machines to choose from."
Some think GM's aged brain trust quashed any attempt at a revolutionary shape for the Volt — in turn losing the potential to attract younger buyers attuned to new-age designs.
"The number-one lost opportunity (with the Volt's derivative styling)," Nakagawa said, "was getting young people to come and buy this car. It's a sad, sad moment for GM," she said. "The Volt (concept) was a glimmer of hope the Big 3 isn't as stupid as you thought."
GM took pains in recent months to temper anticipation of the Volt's design in light of what it described as the engineering realities of meeting the Volt's performance objectives — particularly the crucial 40-mile battery-only driving range. Meeting performance objectives — particularly in the area of aerodynamics — played a major role in determining the Volt's exterior design, GM claimed.
What this means to you: Is the Volt's shape revolutionary enough? It's all a matter of perspective. — Bill Visnic, Senior Editor, Edmunds AutoObserver
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