We got our first live look at the Volt today. What a nice car.

I had worried about the size of the car as I am 6ft 3inches, 220lbs but there is more then enough room in it for me and lots of head room. Although the seats are manually adjustable they have a nice range of adjustments as does the tilt and telescoping steering wheel. The seats are very comfortable. I like them much better then my G37 Coupe.

While admiring the car we were approached by Jeff who is a Quality Engineer on the Volt assembly line. This was his first road trip with the Volt and we were the first owners he had met for one of "his" Volt's. Jeff has the responsibility of overseeing the quality of the dash, headliner and another part that doesn't come to mind. I didn't ask how many Quality Engineers there are on the assembly line but there must be a bunch as they only have two or three areas of responsibility each.

Jeff said that the dash on the production vehicles will be much nicer then the the dash of the Volt's on tour. The production dash has a very nice texture and finish to it where the one we saw was just a slick finish. He says we will really like the appearance of the production dash.

He also commented on the center stack. He said that pictures don't do the dark center stack justice. He said the granite finish of the dark center stack is very nice and very classy. The car we saw today had the interior we have on order which is the dark leather with light accents. Although it was not my first choice it too looks much nicer in person. I have no regrets on the choice.

Jeff said that they had another run of 40 Volt's in production now. Once customer production starts they will be shipping 50 Volts per day and that will probably run for a little over a year. It takes a week to build a Volt. It takes a little longer then a standard type vehicle because they actually run the Volt through the paint once for the base car and then they tape that off and send the body completely through the entire process again just to do the black top.

We had been looking at the Cruze and were about to leave when Jeff came over to us and handed me his card. He said that if I would email him my production number he would email me live from the assembly line as my Volt went through each build station. I thought that was great of him to offer.

Folks if the rest of the Volt build team is as excited about "their" vehicles as this young man is we are going to see some very high quality cars come off that assembly line.

In less then two weeks we get to drive the Volt at the Texas State Fair Media Event. We are even more excited now then we were before about this event and we hope to get to meet some more people from the Volt Team.

Stay Tuned.

Jerry

Jerry, thanks for the detailed report of your Volt encounter. Your impressions are encouraging. I am hoping to get a chance to see one in the Washington, DC area on September 25 if I can find out where in the DC area the event is happening. I'm a little larger than you (girth not height) so I'd really like so see how a Volt fits. Glad you liked what you saw.

Great report, thanks Jerry! I'm 6'2" so glad to hear there's no headroom issue.

I still can't go to the Sept 25th event in DC, due to a conflict, so right now it appears that Orlando will be my own look. Maybe I'll get my own personal Volt engineer too :)

I am tall also. Great report thanks!! Funny, I never looked at the numbers but 10k volts in a year is just about 48 a day. More than I thought. dah

I spoke to an electrician that installed a "special paper shredder" that he claimed was very high quality, very expensive, required cutting holes in the floor -- to dispose of the paper/tape used to mask the car for the second run through the painting process.

Your remarks about the dash also correspond with what was reported earlier on this site, but I just assumed that vehicles now on display were very close to the production cars. Makes me think that any preproduction units may not get used as dealer demo units. Wonder what these cars will be used for after testing is done - ship to government or utility companies? Sure do hope they don't get thrown away.

I still can't go to the Sept 25th event in DC

What Sept 25th event in DC?

See "Volt tour appearances" thread.

Great report, thanks Jerry! I'm 6'2" so glad to hear there's no headroom issue.

I still can't go to the Sept 25th event in DC, due to a conflict, so right now it appears that Orlando will be my own look. Maybe I'll get my own personal Volt engineer too :)


ChrisC,

Sorry – I can’t help you get a personal Volt engineer but if you have any other concerns about the room of the Volt – here are some dimensions for you.

Wheelbase.....................105.70 (2685)

Overall length.................177.10 (4498)

Overall width..................70.37 (1787)

Overall height.................56.64 (1439)

Head room, front..........37.80 (960)

Head room, rear...........36.02 (915)

Shoulder room, front....56.52 (1436)

Shoulder room, rear.....53.90 (1369)

Hip room, front............53.73 (1365)

Hip room, rear.............51.21 (1301)

Leg room, front...........42.05 (1068)

Leg room, rear............33.94 (862)

All dimensions in inches (mm) unless otherwise stated. Published dimensions indicated are without optional equipment or accessories. Additional accessories or equipment ordered at the customer's request can result in a minor change in these dimensions.

Hope this is helpful!
Angie – Chevrolet Volt Advisor
socialmedia@gm.com

Published dimensions indicated are without optional equipment or accessories. Additional accessories or equipment ordered at the customer's request can result in a minor change in these dimensions.

Indeed. My current car has a sunroof package, which lowered the headliner by about an inch. When I was shopping for that car, I found that if I insisted on a sunroof, I only fit into European cars! Not a single Japanese car qualified! Well, of the sports sedans I was looking at.

Thanks Angie for the info!

Indeed. My current car has a sunroof package, which lowered the headliner by about an inch. When I was shopping for that car, I found that if I insisted on a sunroof, I only fit into European cars! Not a single Japanese car qualified! Well, of the sports sedans I was looking at.

Thanks Angie for the info!

Yeah I know what you mean about Japanese cars, I had a Lexus with a roof and yeah, no headroom at all...

Head room, front..........37.80 (960)

Head room, rear...........36.02 (915)
Damn. From the seat plane to the top of my head measures just under 39 inches. :(

>>I just assumed that vehicles now on display were very close to the production cars.<<

This is what the tag on the car said:

447

Off topic, but OOOF that's a heavy car:

4536 lb GVWR
2510 lb GAWR FRT (front axle)
2026 lb GAWR RR (rear axle)

To be that heavy, yet nimble, it must be a very comfortable ride.

Gen 2 and beyond with smaller batteries and a rotary engine would be quicker / more efficient.

Off topic, but OOOF that's a heavy car:

4536 lb GVWR
2510 lb GAWR FRT (front axle)
2026 lb GAWR RR (rear axle)

That's not the weight of the car itself but rather the total weight the car can carry including passengers and luggage etc. For comparison, according to cars.com the 2011 Cruze has the following numbers:

Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) 4,321 lbs.
Front gross axle weight rating (GAWR) 2,337 lbs.
Rear gross axle weight rating (GAWR) 2,039 lbs.

Great, thanks Jeff for the clarification!

Does anyone know how many cu.ft. the cargo space behind the rear seats are? I'm trying to compare it to the trunk size of a 335i. Thanks!

Does anyone know how many cu.ft. the cargo space behind the rear seats are? I'm trying to compare it to the trunk size of a 335i. Thanks!

Motor Trend recently quoted 10.6 cuft rear storage with rear seats in normal position.

Here is what the trunk space looks like. I think it is pretty good, more then I expected. With the seats folded down you have a lot of room for what they are calling a sedan.

452

You know? I think this is the first time I've seen the trunk! Great for pet owners. Appreciate the pic.

Damn. From the seat plane to the top of my head measures just under 39 inches. :(

I believe that measurement is vertical. Most people recline the seat slightly. Also, your weight will crush the seat cushion some. Maybe an inch? So you'll have more headroom that way too. You can also develop osteoporosis earlier in life. ;)

Does anyone know how many cu.ft. the cargo space behind the rear seats are? I'm trying to compare it to the trunk size of a 335i. Thanks!


I apologize - I should have included this with the dimensions. Motor Trend is correct; the cargo volume for the Volt is 10.6 cu. ft. (300.2 liters).


Angie - Chevrolet Volt Advisor
socialmedia@gm.com

Thanks Angie!

Also, I know the seats recline but can you tell me if they run flat with the rear middle cupholders? So there will be a mostly flat surface in the back all the way to the front seats?

I believe that measurement is vertical. Most people recline the seat slightly. Also, your weight will crush the seat cushion some. Maybe an inch? So you'll have more headroom that way too. You can also develop osteoporosis earlier in life. ;)

These are among the reasons I will have to personally experience a Volt before I purchase one. If it feels cramped and uncomfortable to me, it's a definite no-go. If I have to recline the front seat to the point the rear seat is unusable, it's a no-go. I am already unhappy about the lack of the third passenger seat in the rear. . .

I apologize - I should have included this with the dimensions. Motor Trend is correct; the cargo volume for the Volt is 10.6 cu. ft. (300.2 liters).


Angie - Chevrolet Volt Advisor
socialmedia@gm.com

That seems WAAAAAAYYYY too small, let alone for a hatchback. The Prius has 22 cubic feet. I thought we were talking at least 15-16 like a Malibu trunk.

Here is what the trunk space looks like. I think it is pretty good, more then I expected. With the seats folded down you have a lot of room for what they are calling a sedan.

452

I still wish they had brought the rear entry to the trunk level with the floor of the hatch. A lot of practical benefit to a hatch is lost with that high lip.

I have personally seen one of the rear seats folded down. They fold down reasonably flat. When just one is folded down I believe that there is enough room to carry a bicycle laying down (a major plus for me). Yes, the trunk area is fairly deep, so heavy things need to be lifted over the back. Won't know how hard that is until somebody tries it with a fairly heavy package and reports on it. Personally, I don't intend to use the Volt for heavy cargo transport unless it is an occasional thing. But for me carrying a bicycle is a big plus (the bike rack on the rear is not as desirable for a really good bike).

Damn. From the seat plane to the top of my head measures just under 39 inches. :(

I just measured headroom in the Prius and it's 38 inches. I am 37" from butt to head top and I don't feel short on room in the Prius.

I have personally seen one of the rear seats folded down. They fold down reasonably flat. When just one is folded down I believe that there is enough room to carry a bicycle laying down (a major plus for me). Yes, the trunk area is fairly deep, so heavy things need to be lifted over the back. Won't know how hard that is until somebody tries it with a fairly heavy package and reports on it. Personally, I don't intend to use the Volt for heavy cargo transport unless it is an occasional thing. But for me carrying a bicycle is a big plus (the bike rack on the rear is not as desirable for a really good bike).

John, check out this bike!!

http://www.m55-bike.com/en

That seems WAAAAAAYYYY too small, let alone for a hatchback. The Prius has 22 cubic feet. I thought we were talking at least 15-16 like a Malibu trunk.

I just measured my Prius. It's a pretty crude number though. 13.5 ft3 w/ the seats up. I think the Prius may have a tad more room in the back seat area though but I don't have the data. (ie seats down cargo area better than the Volt also).

I got a nice note back from the young man we met at the open house we attended. I wanted to share it with you so you can see the build teams enthusiasm.

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It was great to meet you and your wife! I really had a great time in Dallas, for us plant folks it is a rare opportunity to be able to leave the plant for a few days. It was quite an experience to visit with customers and get a sense of the excitement people have for our product. I can tell you that there is a very strong team of people here in Detroit working on the launch of this vehicle and we are excited to be able to build it here at Detroit Hamtramck Assembly plant. We are building more and more Volts everyday now as we get closer to the start of regular production this November. Once your order is turned on, it will take about a week for it to go through our entire process.

Thank you for choosing a General Motors product!

I got a nice note back from the young man we met at the open house we attended. I wanted to share it with you so you can see the build teams enthusiasm.

Thanks for posting this VoltGuy. It is good to know that the build team is as excited about this as we are. It is a good message to read.