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 Hey at least this car has a very sporty look with a bit of luxury mixed in. It isn't semi-awkward like the Prius and Insight. For a car that was built for this purpose of being a gas/electric and not one that was adapted to use the technology, it looks great.

The front does look very Acura-esque and that is not a bad thing. Good work GM, finally a car that can compete. I'm curious to see how it sells in this market.

Where's it going to be built, though?

I think there is every chance it will be built in Luton.....I think the Chevy will be lower then the £25K not forgetting the £5K from the UK gov. it will sell well.

If you think Prius is selling at (I think) around £17K thus I bet Chevy will aim for a list of £22-23K and thus with £5K off it will be about right; then the next generation will be down at about £19K (at a guess).

What will be really interesting is if all the so called Eco people who got off on the Prius will buy the Chevy (they have to admit Toyota and Honda got it wrong); if Chevy V sells like the Prius first did (which it should do....) then a the death of the Prius is within about 4 years maybe six.

What is clear however is that Toyota and Honda invested in the wrong tech. at the wrong time and integrated it into the wrong motors; the power of dreams is really good but the applciation is another especailly if the car in front that Honda followed has taken a wrong turning!...has Toyota (and Honda) taken a wrong turning....as Churchhill says "OH Yes!".

I cant help thinking GM are way of beam with this pup.

Firstly the Chevrolet Volt and Vauxhall Ampera will obviously compete directly with each other regardless of trim level so will create a totally confusing marketing message that will harm sales of both models.

Secondly, the image in the photo looks like a very bland five door hatch to me, nothing like the interesting looking images we have seen of the proposed Ampera in the recent past. Yet again a case of the final production model being a huge disappointment?

And finally, and most importantly, the price. Do these people really think that a country in deep recession we will have enough "takers" for a "green" car costing well in excess £20,000 that it will transform the fortunes of its makers? I dont think so. This car was designed to create a positive image for GM and attract government cash not save it from oblivion.

We need an attractive sub £7000 car from GM with £0 or £35 road tax and 60+ per gallon to truly show the public that there is life in the old dog yet.

North:

I think there is every chance it will be built in Luton....

Why do you think that North?  The Ampera/Volt is based on the same platform as the new Astra which in 5 door form so far has the only European production ready factory at Ellesmere Port.

Firstly cars at that price sell well, the Prius sells well, the Insight (I know cheaper) will sell well (is in Japan).  The brand confusion will not happen, if there was brand confusion then it would effect Insight and Prius or Skoda and VW; the latter it certain does not. People will not get confused and they will sell by the bucket load.

As for the future, then by selling this car you will get to the sub £10K; but it will sell well no matter what and we are virtually out of recession and will be in a few months; the recession is over; things are now starting to build again.  As for Volt being made at Luton, Ellesmere Port is now just about in the hands of Magna the CANADIAN (for the benefit of autocar) company; thus Chevy ideally needs an EU home......you may not have followed all the threads about this a while ago.

We know thier is interest to make it at Luton and if memory serves, then I understand that Luton could get money for the changeover to produce it.....which also then give Chevy another facility in the EU to produce other cars on the same platform....maybe an eco van.....who knows......why do I think it.....its seems to have been building for a while, there is a desire on all sides to do so and their is a need......time will tell but I am 100% sure I am 100% right (but who knows for sure......I do not....but I am still 100% convinced it will happen.....it makes sense due to the options and freedoms its gives GM)

Total lunacy. Chevrolet are obviously doing this for a bit of image building but it is simply going to confuse people, damage Vauxhall's sales and if it is going to be built here, Vauxhall could sell it on the grounds of patriotism and even more green appeal because it didn't need shipping over here but, if The Chevrolet is built elsewhere, this will lead to extra confusement and people will simply choose the cheapest one - the Chevy.  Not even giving poor old Vauxhall a chance

ewallace1:

Total lunacy. Chevrolet are obviously doing this for a bit of image building but it is simply going to confuse people, damage Vauxhall's sales and if it is going to be built here, Vauxhall could sell it on the grounds of patriotism and even more green appeal because it didn't need shipping over here but, if The Chevrolet is built elsewhere, this will lead to extra confusement and people will simply choose the cheapest one - the Chevy.  Not even giving poor old Vauxhall a chance

Quite.

Perhaps they need to take you up on the marketing stratergy and be really aggresive with it.

Lets hope they can't drive their Chevy past the green Levy.

North:

As for the future, then by selling this car you will get to the sub £10K; but it will sell well no matter what and we are virtually out of recession and will be in a few months; the recession is over; things are now starting to build again.  As for Volt being made at Luton, Ellesmere Port is now just about in the hands of Magna the CANADIAN (for the benefit of autocar) company; thus Chevy ideally needs an EU home......you may not have followed all the threads about this a while ago.

We know thier is interest to make it at Luton and if memory serves, then I understand that Luton could get money for the changeover to produce it.....which also then give Chevy another facility in the EU to produce other cars on the same platform....maybe an eco van.....who knows......why do I think it.....its seems to have been building for a while, there is a desire on all sides to do so and their is a need......time will tell but I am 100% sure I am 100% right (but who knows for sure......I do not....but I am still 100% convinced it will happen.....it makes sense due to the options and freedoms its gives GM)

North,

whilst we seem to agree the recession is ending, the Luton plant is part of the Opel/Vauxhall Magna deal, the same as Ellemere Port.

The only way GM will be able to supply the Chevy Volt will be to import it, probably from South Korea along with the Chevy Cruz which is already made there.

If GM retain 35% ownership of Vaux/Opel, they would effectively be competing with themselves, which is IMHO madness.

Not commenting on the logic of it but maybe the Volt will be the entry level barebones model and the Ampera an upscale offering, Magna could produce both the cars in the UK. I read on the Volt blog that GM is going to build the Volt in China as well, but word has it would be for the Chinese market only.