2017 Chevrolet Volt Premier vs. 2017 Toyota Prius Prime Advanced The first Chevrolet Volt came to outrun the Toyota Prius.
The new one hopes to kill it. A tale of two plug-in hybrids. Road and Track
By Tony Quiroga
January 2017
Electric vehicles are maturing through their adolescence, and just like in middle school, some members of the class are developing faster. Tesla and Chevrolet now have electric cars that will travel more than 200 miles per charge, but the vast majority of battery-powered cars are still limited to a 60-to-90-mile range. In the next decade, the electric car promises to blossom into something that doesn’t require sacrifices in practicality or price when compared with a gas-fueled car, but until the EV’s pimples clear up, we have plug-in hybrids.
Chevy’s and Toyota’s plug-ins are now entering their second generation, and both offer greater electric-only range and improved performance. Chevrolet’s Volt now has a larger, 18.4-kWh battery that weighs 21 pounds less than its predecessor’s, uses fewer cells, and delivers more than 40 miles of EV range. Inside the transaxle are two motor/generators. While the combined gas and electric power output is unchanged from the previous Volt, GM’s redesign of the motors and the gearbox increases efficiency and helps the new car shed 100 pounds.
Let’s get something out of the way right up front: The Prius Prime is unattractive. How something so graceless, gawky, and odd emerged from a company as conservative as Toyota is shocking. Its design is so off-putting, it’s almost an anti-car statement.
A resounding win for the Volt, yet the Toyota will still outsell it even being hobbled by really bad styling and being an inferior car. All it has is the Toyota name and a cheaper price (though the price is a big factor).
Let’s get something out of the way right up front: The Prius Prime is unattractive. How something so graceless, gawky, and odd emerged from a company as conservative as Toyota is shocking. Its design is so off-putting, it’s almost an anti-car statement.
I live in Seattle so I see 3-6 of these at every stop light.
In fairness, EVERY GENERATION OF PRIUS HAS BEEN BLOODY-UGLY. This is no mistake on Toyota's part. It's brilliant marketing, in fact.
"What's the use in saving the world if no one can see you doing it?"
Most vehicles on the road are designed to be attractive in some way. How does a car stand out in a Sea of varying good taste? By being DELIBERATELY UGLY.
At the Detroit Auto show people were all over the Bolt and Volt. The Prius it was not being look at much at all. GM has a hit on its hand. Just need to make sure people are willing to compare the two.
The Prius has always been unattractive and I'm not sure it isn't intentional. Prius owners want people to know they are green and the Prius stands out.
The Volt should be much better than the Prius since is costs considerably more. The new Volt is a vast improvement over the original but the Prius is just different from the original.
Toyota's Band-Aid on a Dinosaur approach will never beat a Volt except on price.
And the price difference isn't even that great... just $3K after the Fed spiffs.
I'm not at all surprised that the Prius got it's ass handed to it. Easy win for the Volt.
The Volt is a great looking car, they fixed some of the "odd-ness" of the previous gen. If I needed a commuter, I'd buy it. But looking at the comments, Toyota fanboyism runs deep, I don't think there's going to be much Prius business lost. Unfortunately people look past the offensively hideous styling that Toyota has now because... well, Toyota.
Agreed. General Motors (Chevrolet) has a major hit on its hands. The new Volt is a great looking car.
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