Chevrolet has expanded its Bolt nameplate with the addition of the Bolt EUV. The 2022 Bolt EUV is about 6 inches longer, has more rear legroom and offers an available sunroof. The two vehicles are built on the same architecture but do not share any exterior sheet metal, Chevrolet said. The Bolt EUV has an estimated battery range of 250 miles, vs. 259 miles for the current and freshened Bolt electric vehicle. Here’s a roundup of snippets of first-drive Bolt EUV impressions from the automotive media.
“We’ve yet to drive the 2022 Bolt EV, so we can’t say how differently the EUV goes down the road, if at all. Its brake pedal is pleasantly firm, the action of its steering is linear if devoid of feel, and its relatively low center of gravity lends it a secure, planted feel around corners. Motivation comes from a familiar electric motor rated for 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque that is fed electricity from a 65.0-kWh battery pack. Weighing about 150 pounds more than the standard Bolt, we estimate the 3,700-pound EUV should get to 60 mph in about 7.0 seconds. The electric motor’s low-end pull is strong, which allows it to surge away from stoplights and overtake slower traffic on the highway with more verve than its 200 horses suggest. We particularly like the EUV’s regenerative-braking setup, which allows its driver to choose between very little regen by default, an on-demand paddle on the steering wheel that can bring the car to a stop, or full one-pedal operation via a button on the center console that remains active between startup cycles.
“The Bolt EUV’s cabin is easy to see out of and fairly quiet at speed. We could feel and hear impacts from suburban Detroit’s larger frost heaves and pavement seams, but overall ride comfort is good.”
— Mike Sutton,
“The other big benefit of the longer wheelbase is that the Bolt EUV has a much nicer ride quality than the standard hatch. A little more space between the wheels reduces the bouncy-bobby feeling that a lot of short-wheelbase cars have in the city or over highway expansion joints. The EUV is genuinely more enjoyable to drive — in mid-afternoon Los Angeles traffic, anyway. I can’t imagine the light steering and narrow track will make the Bolt wildly engaging out on a twisty road, but then again, that’s not why people are buying these things in the first place.”
— Steven Ewing, Roadshow by CNET
“If you’ve driven the original version of the Chevy Bolt, the Bolt EUV will feel familiar. It shares the standard Bolt’s electric powertrain, with the same 65-kilowatt-hour battery providing 250 miles of range (nine less than the standard 2021 Bolt EV), and a single motor sending 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels. It’s a lot of twist for a little hatchback (or, as Chevy would have you believe, a crossover, which this EUV more closely resembles than the Bolt EV), and the wheels are happy to break traction and let out a joyful squeal when jetting away from a stop sign. It feels positively peppy around town, and that solid acceleration carries over to the highway on-ramp.”
— John Beltz Snyder, Autoblog
“The extra 6.3 inches and 90 pounds relative to the junior Bolt go unnoticed from the driver’s seat. Floor it, and the two front tires (Michelin Energy Saver A/S in size 215/50R17 as before) struggle for grip, especially when turning. The car zooms away at a pace that always seems quicker than the roughly 6.5-second 0-60 time suggests. A button engages one-pedal driving mode, which provides enough retardation to slow for most normal driving conditions; numbers folks will appreciate that there’s 214 percent more retardation than in Normal mode. Not enough? Pull the regen paddle on the left side of the steering wheel to increase that to 300 percent more. (Simply pulling that paddle in Normal mode gives you 243 percent more slowing.) This combination of modes and switches seems ideal for matching driver expectations with driving situations and should ensure that any Bolt’s brake pads and rotors outlast the car.
“The steering feels just as rheostatic as ever, even in Sport mode, which cuts the assist by about 20 percent, but the simple strut front/torsion-beam rear suspension reacts predictably and with reasonable verve. The mass and rigidity of the low-mounted battery undoubtedly contribute to the Bolt’s generally flat handling and taut body feel. Ride quality seems in keeping with this price class — firm, supple, never overly jarring. Would simply moving the motor to the rear improve the Bolt’s dynamics? You bet. But that’s a design tear-up that the Bolt’s razor-thin profit margins will never cover (especially now that GM’s $7,500 tax credits have run out and the price has come down).”
— Frank Markus,
“At the wheel of a Bolt EUV, I nailed the throttle out of a Downriver, Interstate 75 cloverleaf. The wee ute responded with instant torque — and minimal body roll thanks to the subfloor battery pack. Approaching a stoplight, I lifted my right foot and Bolt eased to a stop with regenerative braking. Just like Tesla.
“A size smaller than the compact Tesla Model 3/Y lineup that starts at $38,190, the subcompact Bolt EV/EUV model line begins at $31,995 and is perfectly priced to take on the Silicon Valley electric vehicle maker.
“If it were a Caddy.”
— Henry Payne,
“It’s a quick little vehicle, with the immediate accelerator-pedal response buyers will come to love about EVs.”
“The front-wheel-drive EUV’s single electric motor generates 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. Acceleration is good, at least in part because the EUV weighs 3,679 pounds. That’s about 700 pounds more than a similar-size, gasoline-powered SUV — think Honda HR-V’s overall length and passenger volume — but a whopping 986 pounds less than the VW ID4 EV that’s among the EUV’s most direct competitors.”
— Mark Phelan,
“On the road, the 2022 Bolt EUV feels much like a Bolt EV did before. You still get 200 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque, and the crossover EV feels nimble and eager. No, it’s not the fastest compact electric car out there, but the instantaneous power when you graze the accelerator makes zipping away from stop signs and traffic lights far swifter than most internal combustion cars. Press the Sport mode button and things get even perkier.
“As before, hitting the power hard can leave the steering a little squirrelly as the Bolt EUV struggles to effectively put down everything through the front wheels alone. The electric grunt isn’t just usable in urban settings, either, with highway-speed overtaking no problem. Chevy has usefully enlarged the regen paddle on the steering wheel, too: Pull that and even if you’re not in the one-pedal mode you’ll get much more electric motor braking, and it can bring the Bolt EUV to a standstill if you keep hold of it long enough.”
— Chris Davies, SlashGear