Chevrolet Volt Named Motor Trend 2011 Car of the Year

[Drew Dowdell]

Chevrolet Volt Named Motor Trend 2011 Car of the Year

DETROIT – Motor Trend magazine, one of the world's premier automotive authorities, today named the Chevrolet Volt the 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year.

"We expected a science experiment, but this is a moon shot," Motor Trend editors wrote for the January 2011 issue. "The Volt delivers on the promise of the vehicle concept as originally outlined by GM, combining the smooth, silent, efficient, low-emissions capability of an electric motor with the range and flexibility of an internal combustion engine. It is a fully functional, no-compromise compact automobile that offers consumers real benefits in terms of lower running costs."

Many of those benefits are due to the Volt's groundbreaking propulsion system. As the world's first electric vehicle with extended range capability, the Chevrolet Volt has a total driving range of about 350 miles. For the first 25 to 50 miles, the Volt drives gas- and tailpipe-emissions-free using electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the Volt's battery runs low, a gas powered engine/generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range more than 300 miles on a full tank.

The Motor Trend Car of the Year award was presented to Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman for Global Product Operations, at the General Motors wind tunnel in Warren, Mich.

Aero dynamics engineers there helped develop an equally revolutionary design: With a drag coefficient of .28, the Volt is also the most aerodynamic sedan in Chevrolet's history. Lowering the drag coefficient increases the vehicle's efficiency, as less energy is used to overcome air pressure. As an example, aerodynamics contributes up to eight miles of electric range, and 40 miles of extended range.

"Chevrolet is truly honored to receive one of the world's most coveted automotive awards," said Stephens. "The Volt team has worked under extraordinary circumstances to produce this breakthrough vehicle."

The full report from Motor Trend appears in the January issue of the magazine (on newsstands in early-December) and online at www.motortrend.com.

General Motors last received the Motor Trend Car of the Year award in 2008, for the Cadillac CTS.

[Satty]

Shouldn't the car actually be available before they bestow an award upon it?

[Drew Dowdell]

Production began today.

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

Motor Trend Car of the Year? The 2011 Chevrolet Volt [w/video]

by Jeff Glucker (RSS feed) on Nov 16th 2010 at 9:57AM

Motor Trend loves giving out awards, but its most coveted piece of hardware is undoubtedly its Car of the Year trophy. This year, the golden calipers have been bestowed upon the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

General Motors' joins a long line of Motor Trend COTY winners that date all the way back to 1949. Last year, the Ford Fusion took home the prize and prior to that, the Nissan GT-R claimed the magazines coveted spot. The Chevrolet Volt is a hard hitter in each of MT's six categories: Advancement in Design, Engineering Excellence, Efficiency, Safety, Value and Performance of Intended Function.

Motor Trend has been a strong champion of the range-extended electric sedan in recent months. The buff book looked past the is-it-just-a-hybrid hoopla and even wrote about how they achieved 127 miles per gallon while putting the car through real world driving conditions. Learn more about why the publication chose the Volt with a video narrated by MT Editor-in-Chief Angus MacKenzie that's located after the jump (warning: auto-play). When you're done checking out the video and the press release, you can learn more about MT's Car of the Year process and finalists here.

link:

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/11/16/motor-trend-car-of-the-year-the-2011-chevrolet-volt-w-v/

[daves87rs]

Cool!

[Satty]

Production began today.

So its ok for Consumer Reports to declare all new Toyotas to be super-reliable and safe the day they enter production?

[Drew Dowdell]

Given the history of MT COTY, it is not being used as an indicator of future reliability.

[A Horse With No Name]

i wish it was cheaper, I'd own one in a heartbeat....

[regfootball]

curiously the IPO is hitting about the same time as this announcement.......

[Drew Dowdell]

curiously the IPO is hitting about the same time as this announcement.......

I would say that was somewhat planned?

MT announces the COTY around the same time every year right?

[Robert Hall]

I would say that was somewhat planned?

MT announces the COTY around the same time every year right?

GM probably payed MT a premium on the advertising to get the award..isn't that how it usually works?

[Drew Dowdell]

Usually, however I don't feel that the award is undeserved for the Volt.... especially considering the list of other contenders... Only the Hyundai Sonata Turbo would have prevailed over the Volt due to it's awesomeness..... but only the Sonata as a complete lineup was offered as a contender.

I mean really.... it was up against the tC, Avalon, Sienna, MKZ Hybrid, S60, CR-Z, and Jetta, which are just laughable as COTY

The A8, XJ, and 5-series are compelling product in their own right, but not large jumps forward.

To me, the finalists are: Sonata, Fiesta, Optima, Cruze, and Volt.

The rest are just "meh"

[pow]

GM probably payed MT a premium on the advertising to get the award..isn't that how it usually works?

Yeah. There are Volt banner ads already about MTCOTY.

[Robert Hall]

To me, the finalists are: Sonata, Fiesta, Optima, Cruze, and Volt.

The rest are just "meh"

The Sonata was all new for '10, so it wouldn't have been eligible for '11. The one you missed is the most obvious besides the Volt--the Leaf!

The Volt is a worthy winner, though..it's different and potentially a big deal..

Edited November 16, 2010 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[regfootball]

honestly did anyone think the volt was NOT going to get it?

PR depts i am sure coordinated all this stuff. post election, the IPO, the COTY announcement, the mpg announcements for the Cruze Eco and LaCrosse......

There was probably a major conspiracy involved to get all that to time out. Probably something on the level of a Soros sort of operation.......

which is fine. maybe this means GM is figuring out why stupidly it matters more about spin than substance. if GM makes more $$$$$ instead of toyota because of it, i am fine with it.

Usually, however I don't feel that the award is undeserved for the Volt.... especially considering the list of other contenders... Only the Hyundai Sonata Turbo would have prevailed over the Volt due to it's awesomeness..... but only the Sonata as a complete lineup was offered as a contender.

I mean really.... it was up against the tC, Avalon, Sienna, MKZ Hybrid, S60, CR-Z, and Jetta, which are just laughable as COTY

The A8, XJ, and 5-series are compelling product in their own right, but not large jumps forward.

To me, the finalists are: Sonata, Fiesta, Optima, Cruze, and Volt.

The rest are just "meh"

I recently caught wind that somehow the Hyundai Sonata turbo and Mother Theresa were separated at birth. which explains their ability to solve the world's issues with compassion, humanity, and fuel efficiency.

The Kia Optima is said to connected to the Dali Llama (sp) somehow.....

The Sonata was all new for '10, so it wouldn't have been eligible for '11. The one you missed is the most obvious besides the Volt--the Leaf!

The Volt is a worthy winner, though..it's different and potentially a big deal..

new sonata is an 011.....

Edited November 16, 2010 by regfootball

[Drew Dowdell]

The Sonata was all new for '10, so it wouldn't have been eligible for '11. The one you missed is the most obvious besides the Volt--the Leaf!

The Volt is a worthy winner, though..it's different and potentially a big deal..

I'm just going by the list published by Motor Trend... and apparently the Sonata was on it.

[Robert Hall]

new sonata is an 011.....

Really...must have been an early '11 release..seems like it's been around since last year...

According to Wikipedia, the US version of the new Sonata was unveiled at the 2009 LA Auto Show, sales in the U.S. began in early 2010. Thought it was old.

Edited November 16, 2010 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[Drew Dowdell]

Really...must have been an early '11 release..seems like it's been around since last year...

I think it hit dealers in February.

[Camino LS6]

This really was a given, MT really weights the COTY in favor of innovation and the breaking of new ground. The Volt simply owns those categories outright. This is perhaps the most legitimate COTY win ever.

[Satty]

I don't have an issue with the Volt winning, it just seems inappropriate for a car to be anointed anything when it still isn't "real" yet. I guess my real issue is that they cant get one off the lot therefore it isn't necessarily what a buyer would get.

[A Horse With No Name]

Usually, however I don't feel that the award is undeserved for the Volt.... especially considering the list of other contenders... Only the Hyundai Sonata Turbo would have prevailed over the Volt due to it's awesomeness..... but only the Sonata as a complete lineup was offered as a contender.

I mean really.... it was up against the tC, Avalon, Sienna, MKZ Hybrid, S60, CR-Z, and Jetta, which are just laughable as COTY

The A8, XJ, and 5-series are compelling product in their own right, but not large jumps forward.

To me, the finalists are: Sonata, Fiesta, Optima, Cruze, and Volt.

The rest are just "meh"

And of these, only the fiesta IMHO is even close...no offense to the Cruze...

[A Horse With No Name]

Usually, however I don't feel that the award is undeserved for the Volt.... especially considering the list of other contenders... Only the Hyundai Sonata Turbo would have prevailed over the Volt due to it's awesomeness..... but only the Sonata as a complete lineup was offered as a contender.

I mean really.... it was up against the tC, Avalon, Sienna, MKZ Hybrid, S60, CR-Z, and Jetta, which are just laughable as COTY

The A8, XJ, and 5-series are compelling product in their own right, but not large jumps forward.

To me, the finalists are: Sonata, Fiesta, Optima, Cruze, and Volt.

The rest are just "meh"

And of these, only the fiesta IMHO is even close...no offense to the Cruze...

[Camino LS6]

I don't have an issue with the Volt winning, it just seems inappropriate for a car to be anointed anything when it still isn't "real" yet. I guess my real issue is that they cant get one off the lot therefore it isn't necessarily what a buyer would get.

I get what you are saying, but the car is quite real at this point, and has been in the hands of a sea of testers for quite a while now. Orders are in, production is started, the car is here.

A year ago, it would have been another story.

[Camino LS6]

Someone needs to fire-up the grill for GXT's Crow Dinner.

[A Horse With No Name]

Someone needs to fire-up the grill for GXT's Crow Dinner.

Amen brother.

I still want a Volt so damn bad...it gets the same kind of car lust going in me as a sixties muscle car...maybe it's the technology involved, or the feel of being on a cutting edge.

Really glad to see this car...finally...here.

[Camino LS6]

Bob Lutz has to be feeling pretty good right about now.

[jwbouch]

How is it, that whether it is the COTY, SUOTY or TUTY I ALWAYS hear about it weeks before my Motortrend even shows up in my mailbox? That is beyond frustrating to me!!!!!

[ocnblu]

I still don't want one.

[Camino LS6]

I believe that Automobile Magazine has named the Volt Automobile of the year as well now. Saw a GM post to that effect on Facebook.

[hyperv6]

This really was a given, MT really weights the COTY in favor of innovation and the breaking of new ground. The Volt simply owns those categories outright. This is perhaps the most legitimate COTY win ever.

You got this one right. COTY is more about market impact and how a car can effect or change the market and the types of cars we buy. Just some years the impact is just not so great.

This is why the Vega got it when it first came out. It was expected to make a great impact but we know how that one worked out. Also there is a lot of politics also involved. Autoweek covered this a few years back and explained how it worked. It is a little new inovative car and also a little wink wink.

The Volt winning is not a big deal as it is now in production and now offically for sale. the Magazine will be the January issue and the car will have some sales time already under it's battery.

The Volt is going to win a lot of awards this year. While it will not save the world all on it's own it will change the way many automakers build future cars. I suspect others will play catch up in time and come out with other similar systems. The Plug in Prius Leaf are only a stop gaps. The industry as a whole fear the Volt as they all have spent money in different product and now GM may change the direction people will want to go. Toyota as a lot invested that may not help in this case and a lot to lose. THere have been reports on this and I can not recall the numbers but it will cost them a lot of money to change direction.

The Volt can and may impact the industry just as the Flat Head V8 did and other inovations. Most magazines will not want to over look this as if they are right that this is a market changer they can brag on it. If they are wrong it will be forgotten.

In the case of the Vega and X body they both proved to be troubled cars but they did lead the change of a industry and better products later.

The bottom line is this will be the best thing for Chevy in Marketing this car. This will help them convince the know nothings on this car into the idea they have the right plan on how to improve the car. With more cars built and better batteries/hardware this car can and will improve while getting cheaper. The key is to keep ahead of the other makers and keep moving the standard forward. GM has a lead on this market and they need to keep it.

The Volt will bring a lot of showroom traffic. This also will help sell a lot of Cruzes too. People who can not afford this car will also look at the 40 MPG Cruze that would have never stopped into a Chevy dealer otherwise.

While the Volt will do ok as a car it will help Chevys image as whole on what they can do with cars and it will reflect on the entire line. The Halo effect here will be even greater than the ZR1. That is as long as they don't have some major issues like Battery fires or electric motor failures. The pay offs can be great here or it could be a marketing nightmare.

I feel as much work as GM has put into this they have not taken many engneering short cuts. They know this car needs a zero failure image. Any hints at major issues could shut this baby down fast.

This is not a car for everyone here. But at some point in the future the technology from this car and its decendants car will effect in some way everything we will be driving in the future.

Yes it got the Automobile award and I am sure the Popular Mechanics and many others will follow. Few will pass this one over.

Edited November 17, 2010 by hyperv6

[A Horse With No Name]

I still don't want one.

Very, very, very simple answer for you son...don't buy one.

I also am in lust over a diesel full size one ton truck....you and I can share some automotive GM lust on that one.

But blu...I hate to break this to you...we (you and I) are NOT going to do a hokey GM commercial for one if I buy one.

Edited November 17, 2010 by 66Stang

[Camino LS6]

I'm not too worried about any defects in this car - it has to be the most-tested car ever prior to release. I'm quite certain that GM has this one right. GM bet the farm on this car, if it weren't ready, they'd have delayed it (no matter the egg they'd have had on their faces).

[A Horse With No Name]

I'm not too worried about any defects in this car - it has to be the most-tested car ever prior to release. I'm quite certain that GM has this one right. GM bet the farm on this car, if it weren't ready, they'd have delayed it (no matter the egg they'd have had on their faces).

Agreed, I think GM has this one right.

I'd put one in the driveway tonight if I could afford it.

[hyperv6]

Bob Lutz has to be feeling pretty good right about now.

+1

[hyperv6]

I'm not too worried about any defects in this car - it has to be the most-tested car ever prior to release. I'm quite certain that GM has this one right. GM bet the farm on this car, if it weren't ready, they'd have delayed it (no matter the egg they'd have had on their faces).

You always can run into something. Engineers are not fool proof. But I think they have reduced the chances greatly. I also expect if something does come up we will see it address very proactively.

They know what the stakes are high if they want to fundementally change the outlook on cars like this while enhancing their image in technology leadership in their other cars.

Hell people for years believe the Germans walk on water with their technology but gave GM little credit for their own. Now BMW has HUD or night vision and people make a big deal when Cadillac had it most people just did not care. GM will hopfully gain some trust here.

[Drew Dowdell]

I don't have an issue with the Volt winning, it just seems inappropriate for a car to be anointed anything when it still isn't "real" yet. I guess my real issue is that they cant get one off the lot therefore it isn't necessarily what a buyer would get.

The journalist test fleet has been out for a month now.....

[Drew Dowdell]

The Volt deserves this win just as much as the Toronado and Pruis deserved it's theirs' It's a potential game changer for the industry.

[ocnblu]

Agreed, it does deserve to win in this year's field of contenders.

[Robert Hall]

Seems like the announcement gets earlier every year...I remember when the COTY used to be a January issue thing.

[hyperv6]

Seems like the announcement gets earlier every year...I remember when the COTY used to be a January issue thing.

That was before maketing was so important and the internet fails to keep the seceret.

[NINETY EIGHT REGENCY]

GM's Volt named 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year

Christina Rogers / The Detroit News

Warren— Motor Trend Magazine has named the Chevrolet Volt its 2011 Car of the Year. General Motors Co. received the prestigious industry award this morning during a ceremony from inside a wind tunnel at the automaker's tech center in Warren.

Motor Trend Editor-in-Chief Angus MacKenzie said the Volt — GM's $41,000 battery-powered car with a backup gas engine — is one of the most significant vehicles to receive the award in its 61-year history.

The accolades come just weeks before the much-anticipated Volt is scheduled to arrive in dealer showrooms. The first Volts began rolling off the line at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck plant this month.

"The Volt has some of the most advanced engineering ever seen on an American production car," McKenzie said in a video posted on the magazine's website.

GM officials lauded the effort put into the Volt and thanked employees for their work and dedication.

"It doesn't get any better than this," said Tom Stephens, vice president of global product operations, as he addressed a crowd of workers and media.

The Volt is powered by electricity for a range of about 25 to 50 miles, and a backup gas engine turns on once the battery is about 70 percent depleted.

"We expected a science experiment, but this is a moon shot," the magazine's editors described the Volt in a January 2011 issue of Motor Trend.

"The Volt delivers on the promise of the vehicle concept as originally outlined by GM, combining the smooth, silent, efficient, low-emissions capability of an electric motor with the range and flexibility of an internal combustion engine," the editors wrote.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20101116/AUTO01/11160384/GM-s-Volt-named-2011-Motor-Trend-Car-of-the-Year#ixzz15Uzt8225

[siegen]

No surprises here. The Sonata was the only other vehicle with even close to the hype of the Volt. And I'd much rather see GM win than Hyundai, even though I think the Volt is indeed just a science experiment and not a viable path to the future.

I mean really.... it was up against the tC, Avalon, Sienna, MKZ Hybrid, S60, CR-Z, and Jetta, which are just laughable as COTY

The CR-Z won Japanese car of the year. I think the IMA system is far more deserving of praise than the Volt's system, as it is something that can have a substantial impact on all vehicles in the very near future (if Honda starts making it a standard engine technology incorporated into all vehicles, which may start happening very soon with the next Acura RL).

[Drew Dowdell]

The CR-Z won Japanese car of the year. I think the IMA system is far more deserving of praise than the Volt's system, as it is something that can have a substantial impact on all vehicles in the very near future (if Honda starts making it a standard engine technology incorporated into all vehicles, which may start happening very soon with the next Acura RL).

What is new about Honda's IMA other than growing a bit in power? Don't get me wrong, I like the IMA in the Civic a lot, but the basic setup has been around since 2000... and nearly identical setup with just performance tweeks since the 2003 Civic Hybrid.

[siegen]

What is new about Honda's IMA other than growing a bit in power? Don't get me wrong, I like the IMA in the Civic a lot, but the basic setup has been around since 2000... and nearly identical setup with just performance tweeks since the 2003 Civic Hybrid.

It is essentially the same setup as originally implemented on the 2000 Insight. It has undergone 3 major revisions since then, and the current IMA, battery included, is considerably smaller and lighter-weight than the original. It doesn't do anything new and won't win any awards on that merit, but I still think it's a better idea than a highly-complex setup like in the Volt.

Honda will be coming out with an EV and plug-in hybrid in 2012, so it appears that they are finally fed up playing second fiddle. They haven't released enough information yet to see just how the system works (or I haven't found it yet), but it will be using an electric motor based on the FCX Clarity's. I don't know if it's separate or integrated. Anyway, that is all irrelevant to this award.