pow

I'm also skeptical. Lutz is saying this because he has a stake in VIA. Either that, or he's completely delusional.

Starting off with an E-REV Escalade? An Escalade is $70K. Adding plug-in tech would push it past $100K, since the size and weight of that thing would necessitate beefier components than what's on the Volt. The market for $100K trucks is already slim, and for a major manufacturer to electrify a vehicle with such low sales potential for their very first PHEV would be an absolute joke. (Volt outsold Escalade, Escalade EXT, Escalade ESV, and Escalade Hybrid combined in 2012). People with that much money to spend don't care much about fuel costs, and if they are rich but care about the environment, they wouldn't drive around in something as conspicuously wasteful as an Escalade. As a GM stockholder, I'd seriously question their commitment to the technology, let alone their ability to plan products.

Lutz is right in that going after high-volume gas guzzlers has the greatest impact on fuel use. But there are multiple ways of doing so. An automaker could spend millions hybridizing an existing oversized truck to be less of a guzzler, or a consumer could altogether buy something else. GM assumed that the demand for body-on-frame full-size SUVs is elastic, that people really needed Tahoes no matter what, when in truth, consumers were flexible and open to substitutes like a conventionally-powered Lambda crossover, which has the same fuel economy and space as a hybrid GMT-900 but costs $30K less and sells in much higher quantities. The E-REV Volt makes sense because it's built on an efficient platform to begin with, whereas with large SUVs, there was low-hanging fruit with a greater return on investment that should have been picked first.

As for VIA Motors, it's the same hyperbolic crap that Lutz is known for spewing but not delivering. A Nissan LEAF gets 99 MPGe; the only way a VIA E-REV to get 100 MPG is if you don't count the electricity consumed and drive a few miles in range-extended mode. It's a pretty meaningless metric that's just a matter of how far one travels with the gasoline engine on. Judging by the specs, in all likelihood an E-REV Silverado will get 45 MPGe (EPA) on electricity, have a 30 mile EV range, and get 18 MPG in range-extended mode. Depending on whether or not you count electricity consumption, here's the likely range of MPGs:

DOES NOT INCLUDE ELECTRICITY

30 miles EV, 0 miles gas = infinite MPG

30 miles EV, 5 miles gas = 126 MPG

30 miles EV, 10 miles gas = 63 MPG

30 miles EV, 20 miles gas = 45 MPG

30 miles EV, 30 miles gas = 36 MPG

INCLUDING ELECTRICITY

30 miles EV, 0 miles gas = 45 MPGe

30 miles EV, 5 miles gas = 37 MPGe

30 miles EV, 10 miles gas = 33 MPGe

30 miles EV, 20 miles gas = 28 MPGe

30 miles EV, 30 miles gas = 26 MPGe

These estimates are reasonable given a 6,000 lb truck and 24-kWh battery. A more aerodynamic 5,300 lb Fisker Karma with a 20-kWh battery gets 56 MPGe on electricity, has a 32 mile EV range, and gets 20 MPG in range-extended mode.

Weird. I know the Cruze LS with the 1.8 motor has a six-speed.

This is basically the sedan version of the A-Class, a FWD car that's been around since the nineties. It's not a replacement for the C-Class, or a competitor to the ATS, for that matter. I'd prefer the A-Class myself, but sedans tend to sell better than hatchbacks in the US.

Whether I can afford it or not -- I can't -- it's certainly aspirational. And that's a good thing.

I see this car in the same vein as the Range Rover Evoque: both are low-volume but global "boutique" cars that are more about style and design than anything else. Both are contemporary interpretations of traditional brands, and both make a bold statement. ELR will probably cost about the same, too. I figure around $60K fully-loaded.

Considering the majority of the world now lives in cities, I think many--me included--will find this more appealing than a CTS-V coupe because it's more stylish, more compact, quieter and more refined, and less polluting. Luxury and prestige can be quantified in many ways; there are traditional metrics like horsepower and handling, but there are also values like technology and efficiency, which the ELR appears to excel at.

The Voltec powertrain is much more fitting for such a car than something as coarse and ordinary as a turbocharged Ecotec.

Probably makes 180 hp at the wheels, so more like 210 hp. BMW has a habit of underrating their engines.

Looks good in grey. It's like a supercar for the price of a Boxster.

Nice write up Mud!

I will have to say when a person mentions hybrid the following comes to mind.

Sardines, Coffin, Cramped, Sterile.

Based on the pictures above, it would seem Toyota has done nothing to change my sentiment.

I would love you guys to get a Volt and do a review on it and then comparison to the Prius.

Volt is way more sardine and coffin-like than Prius. One of the reasons why Prius sells so well -- and why vehicles like the Insight do not -- is that it functions as a perfectly useful midsized family hatchback AND gets 50 mpg combined. Ford is seeing similar sales success with the launch of C-MAX, which is also very functional.

Having driven both, I would say that Volt is smoother and more rewarding, simply because you get seamless, linear, and immediate power delivery. But Prius makes a better family car; it's arguably one of the best out there.

“It’s more of an internal mantra as well as our external tagline. A lot of work is going on with our dealerships, a lot of work with our employees. This is just a continuation of that work and really bringing everything under one global vision,” said GM spokeswoman Cristi Vazquez to the Detroit Free Press.

Hm, where'd we see this before? Oh right, Ford: http://www.forbes.com/sites/dalebuss/2012/06/14/go-further-brand-message-is-aimed-at-fords-employees-too/

The difference is that "Go Further" sends a clear and direct message to strive for the very best, whereas "Find New Roads" implies a company wandering around, dabbling in a bit of everything, without any direction or focus.

Also, as Chevrolet is more of a brand than an organization, it will be difficult to implement this mantra at every level. It might work on the sales and marketing side, but I can't see it being used to motivate the engineering team, since they do work on multiple brands. If they're serious, it should have been a corporation-wide mantra. With Ford, the brand and the organization are one.

Going back to tag lines, GM branding in general is horrible. The Cadillac and Buick websites, in particular, are the worst. The brands always try to reinvent themselves ("we promise, it's different this time!") yet the effort is never sustained.

Thanks for the review. I helped my folks pick up an E350 BlueTEC two weeks ago; I should write a review for that soon. Diesel power!

Well duh. Residuals are based on the MSRP, but if you look at the "effective" residual (i.e., price after tax credits), you'll see that the Volt has extremely high residuals for an American car. This translates into low lease payments. For someone spending $250-$300 a month on gasoline, the Volt is a no-brainer, IMO.

It's less gaudy than the Equinox and its interior materials are nicer... other than that, nothing really special about it.

Hertz is selling them here for $17,450 with 28K miles on the clock: http://www.hertzcars...LocationId=1138

If I were in the market for a practical used former-rental family car, I'd probably get a Mazda5 for $2K less: http://www.hertzcarsales.com/Vehicle/Mazda_Mazda5_13965413?Distance=20mi&PostalCode=90056&pageNumber=1&viewType=ListView&pageSize=10&Makes=Mazda&Models=Mazda5&MinMileage=20000&MaxMileage=30000&LocationId=1138

The front end actually makes sense if it's going to continue being sold as a Citroen in Western Europe.

Yawn. Kia has proven that they can make an attractive looking car. Now we're looking for some substance and driving dynamics behind the pretty wrapper.

Honda studied their customers and the market and did what they needed to do. The standard rear view camera, Bluetooth, and Pandora interface are the new Civic's selling points.

And at the end of the day, they made safety changes as well, which is in line with Honda's values. They improved the structure to excel in the new small-overlap IIHS crash test.

Looking forward to the plug-in version.

Apart from that, there's really nothing distinctive about this that would compel me to choose one over the more established Escape, RAV4, etc.

Wow, it has absolutely no style to it. The technology might be great, but how about some panache?

A completely independently powered set of wheels in a car.... has this ever been done before?

Yup, the RX hybrid since 2005.

Why not ZF? The 8-speed Sport Automatic in the current 328i I sampled is amazing. It shifts as quickly as a dual-clutch automated manual but without the occasional clunkiness at low speeds.

Gotta admire Honda's devotion to ruched leather. Some things never change.

The Optima Hybrid is one of the worst driving new cars I've ever driven. Completely nonlinear acceleration and brakes. Shame it doesn't drive like it looks. Hell, I even like the aero wheels.

Nice numbers. Though ultimately I think I'm more of a smaller displacement, higher rev V8 sort of guy. I hope they also offer a 5.3L version with the same power, less torque, and a redline that exceeds 7,000 RPM.

I had a Mustang GT 5.0 loaner two weeks ago, and man was that motor addictive. Had the grumble of an American V8 at low revs and the zing of an M3 or RS4 near redline.

I'm fine with paying MSRP if everyone else is paying MSRP too. It keeps residuals up.

The fact Apple never slashes prices and only sells desirable goods means that I'm able to enjoy a product that retails for 50% more at the same cost over the long run.

For a premium car's quality interior and perfect sheet metal fits - Ha, you are better off buying a ford Fiesta, Focus, Matrix, Carolla, Camry, Accord, Altima. Pay close attention, you will see what I am talking about.

I've got a Focus. Sheet metal fits are by no means perfect. The 12-year-old 5-series also sitting in our driveway is much better in that regard.

A Nissan designer must have went on vacation in Barcelona, saw Antoni Gaudi's Casa Batllo, and thought, "I know, let's make a car like that!"