2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Electric

 Chevrolet has stated that at first, only the base LT model and the top of the line Launch Edition trim would be offered, with the midrange Premier trim to make its way sometime later this year or in the first quarter of 2022.

Therefore, the ones who need to have the latest and greatest will have to shell out extra money and opt for the top trim to enjoy all the available features offered by Chevrolet. 

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Although only the base LT and the top-end Launch Editions are going to be launched initially, we would recommend waiting out the initial period and opt for the Premier trim that offers plenty of creature comforts and safety features and yet the prices do not rise exorbitantly. With features such as heated rear seats, leather upholstery, 8-way power driver’s seat, and more, the Premier trim will offer the best value for money proposition in the lineup.

The 2022 Bolt EUV has a 65 kWh battery pack, which is the same one as the regular Bolt, but because the EUV is slightly longer and nearly 80 pounds heavier than the hatchback, it means that there will be a considerable loss of range. But as we are told by the executives from Chevrolet, the longer design has helped them in keeping the coefficient of drag quite similar to that of EV, which means the loss is very minimal. The expected range out of a fully charged battery pack is expected to be 247 miles, which is just 12 miles lesser than the hatchback.

Also, the Bolt EUV comes with fast charging just like the EV, but the peak power is kept at 55 kW here as well. Just 30 mins of fast charging can get you 95 miles of range, which is quite good for a small jacked-up hatchback EV. However, if you don’t have a fast charger, then it will take nearly 7 hours from a 240 V wall charger.

The Chevrolet Bolt EUV does a pretty solid job in returning an estimated driving range on par with the industry standards of about 250 miles on a single charge. The Tesla Model 3 too in its base avatar does about the same, while the Kona Electric performs marginally better. The Nissan Leaf’s compact nature means a smaller battery pack and hence the lower range on a single charge. 

 The designers at Chevrolet have done a really good job of differentiating the interior of Bolt EUV from the regular Bolt. For starters, the design looks a lot more mature and sleek now. There are no flashy blue color bits here, but everything rather feels very upmarket and premium. Where the interior of the Bolt EV has its own quirkiness and funky elements, EUV’s cabin feels a lot more sophisticated and elegant. There are two interior color options, Jet Black with Nightshift Blue and Dark Ash Gray with Sky Cool Gray. Both the color combinations are good, but we certainly liked both the gray trim combo more. With the large windows, it makes the cabin very airy, and despite the dark theme, one won’t feel claustrophobic here.

The front seats are now also supportive, and this is a good change considering the seats in the last year Bolt EV were not very supportive. There is some extra side bolstering, and this means they are now more accommodating than before. Also, it feels like the cushioning is now softer than before. Rear seats are still like that and though that extra 3.1 inches of leg space is quite welcoming and makes things a bit comfortable, it is still a strict two-seater and the third occupant, in any case, can only be a kid. That said, the seats themselves are comfortable as ever and are now more upright which is also a good change.

Talking about finer details, if we compare the Bolt EUV to its direct competitor which is the Hyundai Kona Electric, Bolt is comparatively a bit more spacious than Kona for both the front and second rows. Though we can’t really say that the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model 3 are direct competitors to the Bolt EUV, space is pretty much on par between all three. Major interior features include:

• Heated and Ventilated front bucket seats
• Heated split-folding rear seat
• Perforated leather-appointed seat trim
• 3-spoke leather-wrapped heated steering wheel
• Ambient LED interior lighting
• Remote Keyless Entry with remote start

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV: Infotainment and Connectivity

Now bullying the whole dash is a 10.2-inch touchscreen display, which is super high definition and looks just wow. The resolution is very good, and all the graphics are very rich. The clarity is also one of the best we have seen, and the touch and feel are also very good. The best thing though has to be the Chevrolet infotainment 3 system, which is very lag-free and buttery smooth to use. It is honestly one of the best infotainment interfaces in this price range. 

Though one thing it lacks is inbuilt navigation, which is available as an option under the Launch Edition package, which also replaces the normal sound system with a 7 speakers Bose premium sound system. Other features include a 4G LTE wifi hotspot inside the car, wireless smartphone connectivity with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Sirius XM, voice recognition, wireless smartphone charging pad, and Bluetooth connectivity. Major infotainment features include:

• 10.2-inch touchscreen Chevrolet Infotainment 3 system
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio
• Voice Recognition
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Bluetooth Connectivity
• In-car wifi hotspot
• Optional 7 speakers Bose premium sound system
• Optional connected Navigation

 The exterior of the Bolt EUV has been completely redesigned, and though there are some similar design cues that make it a bit familiar to the normal Bolt EV hatchback, still the EUV has a character of its own and we really loved the way it has been designed. The EUV doesn’t share any of the body panels with the EV, and the design is completely new from the ground up. 

For starters, the EUV gets DRL on the place where you’ll find headlamps in conventional cars, and the headlamps have been moved to the bumper. The slim DRLs along with the more chiseled look make the Bolt EUV a lot more handsome than the normal Bolt EV. It seems like the designers at Chevrolet have worked on maturing the overall design of normal Bolt, and on the way, they have hit a homerun cause this car just looks so much better and advanced than all of its competition.

Although the exact dimensions of the 2022 Bolt EUV are yet to be released, we expect the silhouette to be similar to the Bolt hatchback with higher ground clearance. The Tesla Model 3, being a midsize sedan, is the longest of the pack and hence also rides lower to the ground. The Nissan Leaf is the lightest of them all, while the Kona Electric weighs the maximum despite being the shortest in length. Major exterior features include:

• Illuminating charging port
• LED projector-beam headlamps
• LED tail lights
• Heated power-adjustable mirrors
• Panoramic Sunroof
• 18-inch Ultra-Bright machined aluminum Wheels

Since the EUV is yet to hit the market, it hasn’t been tested yet by any of the testing agencies for its safety standards. That being said, the Bolt hatchback scored a perfect 5-star overall rating from the NHTSA while also excelling in the tests undertaken by the IIHS. This assures us that the 2022 Bolt EUV should be equally safe, and with the new safety features and driver aids also expected to be part of the fitment, the EUV should excel too in the crash tests. Few salient safety features include:

• Automated External Sound Generator at Low Speeds
• Lane Change Alert
• Side Blind Zone Alert
• Rear Cross-traffic Alert
• Rear Parking Assist with HD Surround Vision
• Onstar And Chevrolet Connected Services
• Super Cruise Semi-Autonomous Driving Mode

For the price, there is no brainer that the Bolt EUV is going to be a super slam homerun. It looks a lot better than the normal Bolt both inside and outside, is more spacious, and is better equipped as well. Also, it is miles ahead of its direct competitor, the Hyundai Kona Electric, in all aspects. So given the starting price is nearly $34,000, this makes it a proper bargain for what Chevrolet is offering, and there is no denying the fact that it will be completely worthy of its price tag.