2018 Chevrolet Volt Electric

Chevrolet makes a big deal of marketing its Volt as an electric car, but we're more inclined to think of it as a hybrid. While you can plug it in to charge the battery and then travel a promised 85 km on that electricity alone, the Volt otherwise gets its motivation from a generator run by a 1.5L gasoline engine, making the car closer to a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) than a true EV.

With that semantic disagreement out of the way, what remains is a well-executed small car that is pleasant to drive and for many drivers will rarely burn gasoline. Chevrolet's energy consumption estimates are 2.2 Le/200 km when running on electricity solo, and 5.5/5.6 L/100 km (city/highway) after the gasoline engine lights up.

New for 2018 is a driver confidence package for the LT trim level that brings rear park assist and rear cross-traffic alert with blind spot warning, plus a trio of new paint colours.

This second-generation Volt came long in 2016 as a more conventionally styled replacement for a car that put Chevrolet on the leading edge of the plug-in car segment. While Chevy has since added the all-electric Bolt, the Volt remains an easier choice for many drivers to wrap their heads around: it will go anywhere you can refill the gas tank and thus is a better car for single-vehicle households.

Competitors include the Toyota Prius Prime, Hyundai's Ioniq and plug-in versions of the Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima (all of which are mid-sizers to the Volt's compact classification).

The Volt range starts with the LT trim, which can be upgraded to a Premier variant. Standard equipment includes single-zone automatic climate control, six-speaker stereo, LED headlights, 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, passive keyless entry, backup camera, six-way manual front seats and 17-inch alloy wheels.

LT options include a comfort package of heated seats, steering wheel and side mirrors, and an eight-speaker sound system.

The Premier model gets niceties like an auto-dimming rearview mirror, heated rear seats and wireless smartphone charging. Here, an enhanced driver confidence pack brings active safety items like forward collision warning and automatic braking, lane keep assist and automatic high beams.