Scott, #1:
I can only agree. Not enough range, not enough doors, and not enough seats. It will only be a niche vehicle.
I think that my wife is a pretty typical potential Volt buyer. I tried to get her to consider an Insight. No go, too small and only 2 seats. She is afraid to drive something that small in LA traffic. Gets back to Lyle's comment about the Escalade yesterday. I tried a Honda natural gas Civic. No go, she wouldn't go for the 200 mile range and limited fueling infrastructure. I tried an Aveo. Also too small. She would go for a Cobalt. That is her minimum size. I wouldn't do that because the mileage isn't enough better than what we are driving now to justify the cost of a new car, higher insurance, etc, etc. Actually, the Aveo isn't much better.
So, I think that GM has the broadest market nailed with the Volt. It will be small enough to give them a fighting chance at the mileage bragging rights, and big enough to be a viable every day car. I think that the Vue is too big, and thus too heavy. I am not about to buy a 4000 pound plus hybrid. I don't think that the Ford Escape hybrid is exactly setting the world on fire.
All credit to Mitsu for being in the game, however. I think it's pretty cute. The way the center of mass is biased toward the front puts me in the mind of the Auto Union Grand Prix cars of the '30s. Are the mechanical bits and batteries in the back?