Chevrolet Volt; partially unveiled at CES

The Chevrolet Volt has, in all likelihood, been one of the most important vehicles of the 21st century so far.

After its launch at the end of 2010, we will still have to wait a while to see its second generation, which promises to improve on the previous model in every way.

Well, we are already getting the first clues about its second generation, which is expected in 2016. In fact, its exterior has already been practically unveiled after being seen a few days ago at an event during CES 2015 held in Las Vegas.

It seems that this second generation will debut a more attractive design, aimed more at all audiences. The original Volt could be guilty of many things, but a boring design was certainly not one of them. Perhaps even too daring, something that may have negatively affected its sales figures.

However, with the second generation we will see a much more mature Volt, with a front end that is a clear family trademark and much more recognizable lines within Chevrolet. It will feature all-new headlight units, longer in shape, with Full LED technology, as well as a visually more appealing grille.

The rear has not yet been revealed, but we can see a more pronounced drop of the roofline over the rear quarters, which gives it a more traditional silhouette. We don’t know the interior yet, although Chevrolet insists that build quality will take a big leap forward. That was precisely one of the most criticized points of the first Volt, which had a futuristic dashboard design but materials that were too cheap.

Technically, the Volt will evolve noticeably in this second generation. Let’s remember that the Chevy Volt was one of the pioneers of “plug-in” mobility. It had a theoretical range of around 50 km in electric mode. When the batteries ran out, a small 1.4 petrol engine acted as a generator, powering the batteries without driving the wheels.

The new generation will improve, among other things, the electric-mode range, as well as the handling, thanks to the use of more advanced components, with lower weight, including a battery pack developed in collaboration with LG, which will weigh around 20% less.

Via | autoblog.com