Chevrolet Volt Review: TRON Becomes Truth

Under the hood

With its not-so-subtle "scream and shout" stickers emblazoned on the side of this saloon, Mr Joe Patel from Bradford would probably be correct in assuming this to be a Britney Spears daily runaround. A big, fake grille, shiny steel alloys and a 101-year-old GM brand stuck to the front - Chevrolet - suits the image of 'Deep South' Hollywood-wannabe in the same way Justin Bieber suits a chrome Fisker Karma.

But this car (along with its 'brother from another mother' Vauxhall Ampera) is fronting an important innovation to our nation in the same way that Will.I.Am seems to be 'modernising' standard naming conventions.

The Volt is an electric car with extended range and manages to squeeze an advanced lithium-ion battery and 1.4-litre petrol engine within its bulky 1732kg frame. The result? 148 electronic horses and 0-60mph popped off in 8.7 seconds.

Behind the wheel

Prod the centre console-mounted start button and the beast awakens. The only indication you'll have that the car is actually running is a TRON-like sound effect followed by a continuous, faint, electric hum. As with all electric cars, acceleration happens in a tsunami-style surge. It's this neck-snapping, rollercoaster-riding speed sensation that even reduced some of my passengers to a giggly, buttock-clenching mess. Whether this was solely due to my unrelenting wit and charming good looks remains unlikely.

Most electric vehicles (without meaning to slight Fisker's glorious Karma), focus on powertrain first and interior quality last. I'm pleased to report that the Volt is undeniably reem-tastic: comfortable leather seats (heated, naturally), a supple ride quality that will glide the Volt over most of our pimply B-roads and enough tech to embarrass Michael Dell.

But it was the strange homage to the iPod that really caused me immense irritation. Touch activated buttons made me realise how bloody crap the original "Mark 1" iPod really was. They're tacky, unresponsive, and impossible to control with both eyes on the road and one finger fumbling around. I know touchscreens are to car manufacturers what Kim Kardashian is to the Daily Mail, but give me a break and give me tactile, depressable buttons any day of the week.

Your Chevy Volt will be capable of sucking up 30 miles on pure electric power only (that's infinite mpg's don't forget y'all!) before the 1.4-litre petrol 'generator' kicks in with a showbiz clamour. The noise can be quite disturbing and will make you yearn for German engine sound insulation. The real kicker is this - if you attempt to drive like a madman, your punishment will be sloppy body roll through corners and awful economy of around 45mpg. The Volt is best driven gently; light acceleration, get up to speed and use regenerative braking (improved if you slot the gearbox down into 'L-mode') to slow you down and charge up the old Duracells.

Splash the cash?

When all's said and done, and people have stopped walking into the road unaware that you're driving a silent weapon, the range-extending unit will allow you to tackle over 300 miles without having to plug 'er in. And when you've reached your destination, simply open the flap, reach into the boot, pull out the electric gun nozzle, and plug the Volt into its lifeline, after which you'll be acknowledged with a green 'thankyou' light on the dash.

But the real kick-in-the-balls is the Volt's price: £34,995 or £29,995 with the UK government's £5k green discount. That's a lotta green for this green saloon, which spits out less CO2 but may also get phlegm on its face from the super-diesels that litter our British roads.

The same money, don't forget, gets you a BMW Efficient Dynamics 3-Series, a brilliant vehicle with the same amount of space, an extra seat in the back and potentially higher economy over lengthier journeys.

But that's not the point, is it? In order to embrace the future, we need to support ambitious vehicles like this and the Ampera, so that TRON finally becomes reality. To infinity... and beyond!