2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV, A Bit More Of Everything But Range

One thing you must always remember about language is that it is not static. It is constantly evolving. The english spoken today in America, is different from the version spoken in 1776 and from that spoken in Elizabethan times or when the Norse invaded Britain a millennium ago. This is especially true when it comes to modern marketing. Witness the four-door coupe and especially the crossover utility vehicle. A crossover in 2021 is whatever the marketing department says it is. Exhibit A – the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV which we just got to drive. 

The Bolt EUV is the crossover variant of the Bolt EV hatchback that debuted four years ago, or at least Chevrolet would like us to call it that. It’s been a tough 12 months since we first got a peak at the EUV in the GM design dome as part of the company’s EV day and frankly, the “what is a crossover?” battle just isn’t worth fighting. In a world where the Nissan Kicks, Hyundai Venue and Toyota CH-R are considered crossovers and none offer all-wheel-drive as option, there’s no reason not to include the Bolt EUV.  

In fact the Bolt EUV lies within a half-inch of Kicks on length, width and height. It’s six-inches longer than the EV with three-inches more wheelbase. Overall, it slots in about midway between Chevrolet’s two small gas-powered crossovers, the Trax and Trailblazer. The EUV and the refreshed EV both get a new front end look that borrows cues from the Blazer and Trailblazer with a more upright fascia and horizontal hood. 

While this is no more likely to be confused with an SUV than the Chevrolet Uplander was 15 years ago, the EUV is a rather handsome little beast. The upswept beltline that carries over from the EV with the new face does kind of give this the look of a baby Blazer. 

Styling aside, both the EUV and EV do address the main complaints that people had about the original Bolt, the most prominent of which was the interior. In the quest to make a more affordable EV with greater than 200 miles of range, GM had to make some compromises with the Bolt. The surfaces were hard plastics, for both cost and weight savings (soft-touch surfaces add mass). However, those surfaces had what I considered very pleasant graining that lookd modern and technical rather than trying to emulate animal hides that they clearly were not. 

The other main complaint was the front seats which some people found thin and uncomfortable. Seats are a very personal thing and everyone’s body is different and I never had an issue with the original seats.but that’s just my opinion. Everyone should try out the seats in any vehicle before buying. 

The 2022 Bolt EUV (and EV) get a new dashboard design that looks significantly more premium than before. Most of the surfaces that you’ll touch or look at have softer finishes now and they are predominantly darker. The early pre-production examples we got to drive lacked the final graining on a few panels, but the overall look should be much more appealing to a general consumer audience.The same digital instrument cluster and 10.2-inch central touchscreen are carried over and both offer bright, vivid colors and look good even through polarized sunglasses. 

The Bolt has had support for Android Auto and Apple Carplay since the beginning and for 2022, both systems can be used wirelessly. After bluetooth pairing my Pixel 5, the screen asked if I wanted to use Android Auto wirelessly. Once I accepted on the screen and on the phone, I put it down on the wireless charging pad and didn’t mess with it again. 

The electronic shift lever has now been replaced by push buttons for gear selectors. There is now a separate button on the console to enable strong regenerative braking for one pedal driving. Rather than putting the old gear selector in L for strong regen, the button remembers its last state between drive cycles. If like me, you enjoy one-pedal driving (especially in stop and go traffic) this is a better solution. 

The added wheelbase of the EUV translates directly into additional legroom in the back seat, although the tall stance of the Bolt always provided a comfortable seating position for adults anyway. With the driver’s seat of the EUV set for my 5-foot-11-inch frame, I still had several inches of knee clearance in the back. Interestingly, Despite the extra three inches of length behind the rear axle of the EUV, it still has virtually the same cargo area as the original EV at 16.3 cubic feet. With the rear seats folded down the EUV offers 56.9 cubic feet for stuff. As before, I also had no issues with seat comfort in the front and Premier trim level I drove had power adjustable seats with an inflatable lumbar support. 

For those that like to let the sun shine in while driving, the EUV is now available with a glass moonroof which is not offered on the shorter model. The EUV is also the first non-Cadillac to be offered with GM’s Super Cruise, hands-free driving assist. Since the Bolt EV and EUV, still use the older GM electronic architecture, they don’t get the second-generation Super Cruise that’s coming out now with added features like auto lane change. 

Our 63-mile drive route with the Bolt EUV consisted of mostly highway driving with about one-quarter city streets so that we could spend time with Super Cruise. While it hasn’t fundamentally changed since it debuted in 2017 on the Cadillac CT6, the performance has improved. It still features an infrared driver monitoring system which now has better filtering to avoid the issues we saw on the early CT6 when the sun was low in the sky behind us. 

The light bar in the steering wheel is an excellent and very effective user interface to alert the driver when Super Cruise is engaged and when it is deactivating. Tesla

TSLA
and other automakers should consider a similar approach to help drivers avoid confusion about when they need to put their hands on the steering wheel. Chevrolet has retained the capacitive sensors in the wheel that provide a true indication of hands-on rather than looking at steering wheel torque. 

When engaged, Super Cruise accurately follows lanes on divided highways and maintains a consistent distance to the vehicle ahead. It now also provides alerts to take over if the current lane is ending or it has become an exit lane. You do have to watch the road and averting your eyes for more than a few seconds will cause an alert followed by slowing the car and bringing it to a stop if the driver remains non-responsive. The Bolt EUV lacks the haptic seats of the Cadillac so audible alerts accompany the light bar turning red. Overall, it’s an excellent system for an extended highway drive or being stuck in traffic. 

Despite originally looking like a compact hatchback, the Bolt was always surprisingly fun to drive. The 200-hp motor made it quick off the line with a 0-60 mph time in the mid-6-second range and nimble handling thanks to its small footprint and low center of gravity. While the drive route with the EUV didn’t expose us to any really fun roads, it doesn’t feel substantively different from the EV. The steering feels better than you might expect and the ride quality was good even on the pock-marked pavement that we call late winter roads in Michigan. Despite the extra length, it’s only 90-pounds heavier than the original. 

The extra weight does bump the EUV up one test weight class for purposes of EPA range testing. That is projected to yield a slightly shorter range of 250 miles compared to the 259 of the standard EV. During our drive, the Bolt EUV delivered 3.7 miles/kWh even with mostly highway driving. That compares well with the 2021 Bolt EV which had 259 miles range and a consumption rating of 3.4 miles/kWh. Bolt EUV drivers should have little difficulty achieving closer to 275 miles between charges and potentially 300 or more with some extra care. 

Regular production of the 2022 Bolt EV and EUV begins in mid-March and vehicles should hit dealers by late April or early May. The Bolt EV starts at a reduced $32,000 while the EUV goes for $34,000. Both of those prices include the delivery charges. Pricing for the Premier trim hasn’t been announced yet but Super Cruise will be priced at an additional $2,200 on top of that trim.