2016 Chevrolet Volt review, price, specs, release date & features: energy-efficient, parks itself & Apple CarPlay ready [VIDEO]

It seems like Volt designer John Cafaro and engineer Pam Fletcher have really worked on the visual and aerodynamics enhancements of the new 2016 Chevrolet Volt. The more sculpted look of the vehicle signifies its evolutionary step from its first-generation counterpart not just with the aesthetic design but in its features.

The automation capability installed into the 2016 Volt has made it a cross between a regular car and a self-driving car, ArsTechnica noted. Based on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's levels of autonomous driving, it falls under level two because of some features like the Lane Keep Assist to keep you on your lane, automatic braking to maintain safe distance and semi-automatic parallel parking.

Specs and Features

The new model of the Chevrolet Volt can cover a distance of more than 50 miles on an all-electric mode. This is quite impressive and could really go that far in terms of its practical use in everyday living. After using up all its power, the car will use its gasoline engine to recharge the battery. This process allows the Volt to cover a total driving range of 420 miles on a fully-charged battery and full tank gas, according to Gospel Herald.

The specifications for the 2016 Chevrolet Volt also include an EPA 35/40 miles per gallon (mpg), an initial acceleration of 0-60 mph in 9.1 seconds, 84 horsepower, and a maximum speed of 101 mph. it also features a range extender engine, which is a 1.5 four-cylinder engine that can provide 101 horsepower at 5600 rpm.

"There was speculation that the engine would be smaller, have fewer cylinders, or be turbocharged," said Volt chief engineer Andrew Farah, according to Car and Driver. "What this really comes down to, with the new higher-compression, direct-injection, larger-displacement engine, is that we can get the same amount of power at any point we want with lower rpm. And lower rpm translates into lower noise."

One of the most noticeable addition in the interiors of the Volt is the third seat at the back squeezed in the middle of two seats, which makes it a true 5-seater vehicle. It also has some tech features such as an 8-inch diagonal color instrumental panel, a center display, and available 4G LTE Wi-Fi. Moreover, it is Apple Cardplay-ready.

Pricing and Release Date

For its pricing, the 2016 Chevrolet Volt 5-door HB LT has an invoice price of $31,843 with an MSRP of $33,170, according to The Car Connection. While, the 5-Door HB Premier has an invoice price of $36,019 with MSRP of $37,250. The release date should be at the end of 2016, as per Gospel Herald.