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2011 Automobile of the Year: Chevrolet Volt

From our January, 2011 issue / By Eric Tingwall / Photos by Jim Fets
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It wasn't a shoo-in. Quite the opposite, in fact. On its way to becoming Automobile Magazine's 2011 Automobile of the Year, the Chevrolet Volt endured more scrutiny and skepticism than any of the nine other semifinalists. From the unprecedented levels of publicity, we knew the Volt as a green-as-grass image builder, but we also couldn't ignore that it's a car built by a historically inconsistent automaker around unproven technology. The foreign aura is furthered by the fact that the Volt has no obvious competition and no real predecessor. It is genuinely an all-new car, in the most simplistic sense as well as in the greater notion that the Volt is unlike any vehicle we have ever driven. No apologies if we were a bit circumspect.

In its metamorphosis from 2007 concept car to 2011 production car, the Volt has gone through a reckoning. The turbocharged three-cylinder engine and chunky, Camaro-esque styling have been traded for a normally aspirated four-cylinder and a decidedly pedestrian shape. Claims of 0 to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds, a 120-mph top speed, and a total driving range of 640 miles turned out to be the usual concept-car lore. The true numbers are 9.0 seconds, 102 mph, and 350 miles. But the Volt is far deeper than an eco-numbers car. In fact, it's more than just a car. It's an idea. And during the past three years, that idea -- blend the environmental benefits of electric driving with the convenience of gasoline -- didn't change at all.

  • Chevrolet Volt Rear End
  • Chevrolet Volt Charging
  • Chevrolet Volt Rear Three Quarters Static
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1coolguy Commented on 3/13/2011 at: 10:44 PM GREAT CHOICE!!!

The Volt is BY FAR the biggest game changer in the auto industry since, I guess, the Prius, only this is so far advanced that anyone buying a Prius from here out is simply uninformed.

GM has hit a grand slam (finally) with this car and as battery technology improves and the pricing drops (remember plasma TV's @ $6,000 when they first came out?)

I see a $25k Volt in the not-too-distant future and when that happens together with improved batteries, it's over for the competition.
etingwall Commented on 12/7/2010 at: 9:41 PM @jdmcderm: Automobile of the Year is always a new car. That means our winners have always been on sale for less than a year when announced.

@CarGuyAZ: We aren't trying to "push" cars on anybody. With unparalleled access to vehicles, engineers, and executives, we're in a unique position to evaluate products and know what automakers are planning for the future. We know automakers are working on powertrains very similar to the Volt's, and it's GM's profound first step into a new technology that merits acknowledgment.

Also, no one at Automobile Magazine has ever insinuated that the Volt will sell in high volumes; Automobile of the Year isn't about predicting the most popular car, as evidenced by past winners like the Nissan GT-R and Audi R8.
CarGuyAZ Commented on 12/6/2010 at: 2:05 PM Apparently all the automotive magazines must be owned by the same mindless individuals. All the magazines are apparently trying to push the same crap on the American consumer.  Do you really believe Americans are going to rush out now in this economy and buy a 40K piece of crap from a company that can't get it's act together?  They've already robbed the American tax payers with the auto bailout so why not bail them out with a glowing review of another worthless product that no one with buy even with a government sponsored tax break. I hope you don't consider yourselves journalists. At this point you've become a printed version of an infomercial for GM. Government needs to stay out of the car business and maybe GM too.
tmvu13 Commented on 11/21/2010 at: 7:03 PM What a joke. Automobile Mag writers really are sipping the kool-aid. I'd like to see GM survive, but this car won't save them. Goes 40 miles and then switches to gasoline. That's useless! I still have to use gasoline in one day's worth of driving--isn't the point to get away from that? I'd rather get a Leaf--perfect for a weekend of driving in and around the city (but obviously not long road trips).

Do you know which car will save an entire car company? The Jag XJ. That should've been the car of the year.
dseder Commented on 11/18/2010 at: 3:44 PM The Volt truly deserves this "Automobile of the Year" award.  Its unique powertrain makes it the only all-electric commuter car (for most U.S. workers) that can also be a family's only car, thanks to its innovative range-extending operation.  As for complaints about government tax credits, the Nissan Leaf receives the same consideration, and 60,000 Toyota Priuses have qualified for U.S. government tax credits, too.  Fair is fair!  True, GM has had serious problems in the recent past, but this car, along with the fantastic new Chevy Cruze and other great, new GM vehicles means that Chevy, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC all deserve the chance to re-establish the trust and admiration of the American public.  Thank you, Automobile Magazine, for recognizing the importance of the Volt's technology in advancing the future of the automobile as we know it.
gybognarjr Commented on 11/16/2010 at: 7:59 PM A company,which robbed its shareholders, bondholders and the taxpayers, together with the UAW, makes a sos-so car, does not even deserve mentioning.  Ten years late, five years behind and a totally wrong concept from Government Motors is garbage.  Anything that has to be sold to people by giving them money from their neighbors $7,500.00 to buy an overpriced dead end technology is a crime, only politicians can commit, without being hanged.
Jim.Kanna Commented on 11/16/2010 at: 7:45 PM Of course it's the Automobile of the Year. Ten years from now, when there are scores of other cars on the road that are just like it, all the negative naysayers in the world couldn't and wouldn't have been able to change the Volt as the best choice in 2010 for AOTY - it's that groundbreaking, that smart, that good of a design concept, making everyone elses hybrids look bad by comparison. Forget your Gov't Motors hangups and your anti-anti American made bias and recognize GM has a better idea - and they executed it very well (this time). Give them credit where deserved, they have outdone the competition. But if, in your closed minded stubborness, you should find yourself one day sitting by the side of the road, out of juice, waiting for the tow truck in your all electric Leaf (or whatever)and you spy one of these Volts pass you by, just remember, you read it here first.
2ks2k Commented on 11/16/2010 at: 7:10 PM Terrible choice. Wouldn't buy anything from Government Motors until it is returned to private ownership. It is ridiculous to think of paying $40k+ for a car that only goes 40 miles on electric and then it goes to gas. The only way it will sell is with government incentives which are taken from the rest of us taxpayers to make it cheaper for a few. If it was on a level plane, few if any would sell.
jdmcderm Commented on 11/16/2010 at: 6:59 PM You guys have officially jumped the shark.  Because the Volt was delayed, the PR wizards at GM have whipped you all into a frenzy.  Can we see if the car works as advertised and stands the test of at least a year's time on the road before we start heaping accolades on it?  I want GM to be successful also, but willing it into existence don't make it so.  Bottom line, you wouldn't have given this award to an unproven new model from any other carmaker.  However, if you turn out to be right, you'll be heralded as geniuses.

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