For example, spotted a mismatch between the materials on the doorsills and the dashboard. Whereas the Niro EV’s strongest regenerative braking setting asks its driver to touch the brake pedal to come to a complete stop, the Bolt’s regen is so strong it brings the small hatchback to a stop without touching the left pedal. The Kia better keeps road and wind noise at bay relative to the Chevy, while benefiting from a more composed ride over rougher roads. I made ample use of the regen paddle on the steering wheel during the drive. Which $35,000 long-range EV is best if you're on a budget? 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV vs. 2019 Chevrolet Volt PHEV, 4-door, 5-passenger, front-motor, FWD hatchback, 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD sedan. Sometimes, folks seem to knock some of the more mundane electric cars for not being the best fit for our #noboringcars mantra. With its rear seats in place, however, that figure falls to 16.9 cubic feet. Here's a cheat sheet to help decide. The Niro EV also benefits from its model-specific center console. Zero to 60 in less than 6.5 seconds / top speed of 91 mph, 8-inch driver cluster plus 10-inch touch screen (entertainment), 4 yr, 50K miles / 8 yr, 100K drive unit & battery (5), (4) There has been some confusion about this being standard or not. See what's new for the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV here. That said, there’s nothing stopping buyers residing in the country’s other 38 states from purchasing a Niro EV and shipping, towing, or driving it back to their own home state. The Bolt integrates its attractive taillights into the rear liftgate with wave-like LED light strips, while the hatchback's beltline merges with black trim pieces in the fenders, which, when taken as a whole, visually separates the car's upper body panels from its lower ones. With a stated 0-60 mph time of 8.5 seconds, the Volt slouched forward with less enthusiasm than its all-electric stablemate. With a maximum cargo capacity of 56.6 cubic feet, the electric Chevy betters the Kia by 3.3 cubic feet. See 2019 Bolt EV changes, updates and new features here. There's also the vibrant Shock Yellow and a more subdued Green Mist added to the mix. Such poor build quality might barely pass muster in a cost-conscious EV built by a startup manufacturer, but it’s unacceptable in a vehicle assembled by an automaker as large and storied as General Motors. There's also standard 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspots in both cars. That said, Tesla confirmed as much on Friday -- via a tweet responding "yes" to the $35K question. Marked by a closed, body-color upper grille with an integrated charge port and more aggressive front and rear fascias, the Niro EV’s swept back headlights, long hood, and stubby tail bless it with handsome looks and pleasing proportions. The Volt's energy management systems were worked over with this latest iteration, and Chevy managed to drop its recharge time by half via a new 7.2 kW charging system. I was impressed with the Bolt EV's ability to tour the region while offering a comfortable and engaging driving experience. Additionally, the Premier-specific $595 Infotainment package added a seven-speaker Bose audio system, a wireless charger, and a pair of USB ports at the back of the center console that complement the two USB ports that come standard. A removable, false cargo floor (optional on the LT and standard on the Premier) offers covered storage in the cargo bay and creates a flat load floor with the rear seats folded. The bottom line? Its low center of gravity, quick and surprisingly tactile steering, and responsive accelerator pedal give the Bolt an almost Mini-like driving persona. That said, it is an IIHS Top Safety Pick. Ultimately, the Niro EV’s additional comfort and convenience items give it a slight edge over the Bolt and its better infotainment setup. Softly tuned shocks and springs ensure a comfortable ride, while the ability to engage in one-pedal driving is an absolute joy. Does the Niro EV offer the goods to upset the game-changing Bolt? Likewise, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power driver’s seat, and rear seat climate control vents are unavailable throughout the Bolt model line. The Bolt EV leaps off the line and torches its front tires if the operator isn't wary of the substantial 266 lb-ft of torque available from a standstill. The Chevrolet Bolt is the original, affordable long-range electric vehicle. Tack on our tester’s $750 DC fast charging compatibility, $595 for the Infotainment package (premium audio, wireless phone charger, two additional USB charging ports), $495 for the Driver Confidence II package (forward-collision alert, automatic front braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, and automatic high-beam headlights), and $875 destination charge, and you’re looking at an as-tested price of $43,735 (before federal and state tax credits). Bottom line is, the Chevy Bolt-compatible fast charge network pales in comparison to the reach and convenience of Tesla's Supercharging network. When Tesla starts making the $35,000 Model 3 next year it could upend the U.S. sedan market and spell more pain for the likes of Toyota and Honda. © 2020 Forbes Media LLC. The following day, the Volt left me less impressed as far as its performance is concerned. Both units coped with my swiping and tapping with no issue. Despite sharing its looks with its gasoline-electric Niro and plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid Niro PHEV siblings, the battery-electric Niro EV benefits from a handful of model-specific design details that arguably make it the most attractive member of the Niro family. Tesla states in the Model 3 Owners Manual (PDF) that "These Autopilot safety features are available on all Model 3 vehicles":  Lane Assist, Collision Avoidance Assist, Speed Assist, Auto High Beam. (PDF) that "These Autopilot safety features are available on all Model 3 vehicles":  Lane Assist, Collision Avoidance Assist, Speed Assist, Auto High Beam. Chevrolet: The Bolt is no beauty queen, and its cab-forward design gives it an almost mini-minivan-like look – a fact further exacerbated by our test car’s Green Mist Metallic paint. Its high beltline and relatively low roofline, however, make the Kia’s insides feel far more claustrophobic than the glass-heavy Chevy’s. Admittedly, all three Asian electric hatches intrigue us in their own ways. The Chevy is certainly more fun to drive than the Kia, but it’s still perfectly capable of making the most of the mundane. On my most recent drive, it appeared Chevy had since recaliberated this facet. Opting for the high-end $44,000 Niro EV EX Premium over the lesser EX trim nets trim-specific items such as LED taillights and turn signals, LED interior lighting, a sunroof, leather seats, a power driver’s seat, heated and ventilated front seats, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation, a premium audio system, and rear parking sensors. Use a 120-volt or 240-volt charger and you’re looking at charge times of around 60 hours or 9.5 hours, respectively. Acceleration from a standstill is properly brisk, too. Both updated cars are fine places to spend a commute, and the size of their respective greenhouses is quite generous. I started my test by securing the keys to a Bolt EV wearing sporty Slate Gray Metallic paint. Meanwhile, the Niro EV is eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit. Chevrolet: With its inferior torsion beam rear suspension, the Bolt is theoretically at a dynamic disadvantage to the Niro EV and its independent rear suspension. No doubt, the Chevrolet Bolt is the driver’s choice of these two subcompact electric hatchbacks. Although negligible on paper, those slightly smaller figures accompany a more claustrophobic space and less upright seating position relative to the Bolt. It's one of three new colors joining the palette for the 2019 model year. Material quality, however, is quite high overall and the displays are easily legible and feature high quality graphics. Winding through the Burlington hills, I felt confident in fairly aggressive driving, leaving me to remain wary of the limitations of the low rolling resistance tires. I was a founding member of CNET news and hardware editor at CNET, a contributing technology reporter for the New York Times, and a reporter and editor at the Asian Wall Street Journal Weekly -- the latter in Japan, where I lived for ten years. As an EX Premium with the $1,000 Launch Edition package, this test car also included front and rear parking sensors, the former of which are a package-specific feature. Thanks to its 60-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the Chevy can travel an EPA-estimated 238 miles on a full charge. Meanwhile, Chevrolet bundles additional advanced safety kit such as forward-collision alert, automatic front braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, and automatic high-beam headlights into the Driver Confidence II package, a $495 option on both LT and Premier models. I didn't even worry about getting stranded while roaming thanks to the 238 miles of range. With an EPA-combined rating of 112 MPGe, the Niro EV is 7 MPGe less efficient than the Bolt. Although the plastics in the cabin are sculpted well, it's hard to miss the misalignment of the line that runs from the door to the dash. Kia: With its more traditional styling cues, the Niro EV is significantly prettier than the Bolt. Yet, with Chevrolet’s electric vehicle sales topping 200,000 vehicles, the Bolt only qualifies for a federal tax credit of $3,750. The Volt's interior, although improved by the newly added Porcelain Blue trim, which is available on the Premier trim level, has some shortcomings. While the Niro EV’s backseat is comfortable, the Bolt’s is even more so. With this in mind, I joined Chevrolet in Vermont to drive the updated 2019 Bolt EV and Volt and to see if where the Bow Tie's electric offerings lie on the spectrum of boring to All-Star. The Bolt’s reign on the affordable, long-range EV marketplace is no more, though, as Hyundai, Nissan, Kia, and Tesla all offer sub-$40,000 electric vehicles with more than 200 miles of driving range. The 2019 Chevrolet Bolt LT offers buyers a great list of standard features as well as many add-ons. Of course, those in search of a more traditional two-pedal driving experience can leave the car in Drive (shift to Low for high regen), which requires the driver to use the brake pedal to bring the Bolt to a halt. The Bolt is only available in one powertrain option. © 2020 Automobile Magazine | MOTOR TREND GROUP, LLC. Vehicle Imagery licensed from EVOX Images, 2017 Chevy Bolt First Drive: The quiet revolutionary, 2019 Kia Niro EV First Drive: The Affordable Long-Range Leader, 2019 Chevrolet Bolt Vs. 2019 Kia Niro EV Comparison: Electric Avenue, https://www.motor1.com/reviews/357163/chevrolet-bolt-kia-niro-ev-comparison/, 2022 GMC Hummer EV Revealed: Pricing, Images, Range & Specs, New Volkswagen Golf R Spied During Final Testing, 2022 Kia Sportage Rendered With Revolutionary Design, Enter Now To Win This Ultra-Rare 200-MPH Cadillac CTS-V Championship Edition, 2021 Mustang Mach 1 'Very Close' To GT500 On Short Tracks.

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