What to expect from the 'Green Car of the Year' 2016 Chevrolet Volt? Check out these 5 significant improvements! [price, release date, review, features]

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Green Car journal, a magazine recognized for its commitment on the intersection of automobiles, energy and the environment since its launch in 1992, has once again handed out its eponymic award and named the 2016 Chevrolet Volt the "Green Car of the Year," at a press conference at the LA Auto Show on Nov. 19.

This was the tenth time Green Journal has given out what was deemed by many as the auto industry's most important environmental award and the second time the 2016 Volt has won it in five years. The other finalists which competed for the 2016 Green Car of the Year award included the Audi A3 e-tron, Honda Civic, Hyundai Sonata and Toyota Prius, according to a news release.

"Chevrolet is bringing fun-to-drive, technology-loaded, and affordable electric solutions for our customers, and the 2016 Volt delivers on all fronts," said Steve Majoros, marketing manager for Chevrolet. "For the Volt to stand out as Green Car Journal's Green Car of the Year® reaffirms Chevrolet's commitment to delivering electric solutions to our customers that exceed their expectations."

The editors from the magazine noted that the Chevy team has made advancements in almost all aspect and also cited its sleek and sporty design, more energy-dense batteries, new electric motors and quicker acceleration. So, here are 5 significant improvements potential buyers can expect from the 2016 Chevrolet Volt.

1. The new Volt comes with a 1.5-lityer direct fuel injected engine apart from the main electric motor. And, to give you peace of mind and security on the road, the vehicle is also equipped with a gas-powered generator as a backup for the battery.

The Volt has two electric motors that operate consecutively to deliver the best performance and efficiency. The electric motors give the car a power boost from 101 BHP to 149 BHP, wrote Day Herald.

2. The Volt also made improvements on the battery department increasing the capacity size from 17.1 kWh, which was originally at 16.5 kWh, to 18.4 kWh. Because of this, the electric range of the car was increased from 35 miles to an impressive 53 miles, Consumer Reports noted. It also recharges itself from zero to full-charging in 4.5 hours from a 450-volt charging point.

3. PC World also cited the exterior of the Volt, which is designed to make people comfortable in using the hybrid car for everyday use. This is in comparison to the chunky design of the predecessor, the quirky-looking Toyota Prius and Nissan Leaf and the geeky Tesla Model S.

4. The new Chevy will also be quieter with its reduced overall engine noise. This is brought about by the lower RPM levels of the direct-injection engine, combined with higher compression ratio.

5. For the pricing, the Volt will start at a little over $30,000 for the entry-level and up to around $37,500 for the upscale version, which is about $6,000 cheaper compared to the original Volt.