It is already one of the most efficient vehicles in the Chevrolet line-up – and now the Sonic Ecotec will be available with either a manual or automatic transmission.

The 2012 model comes with a 1.4litre turbo six-speed and delivers 37mpg highway and 27mpg city; compared to the manual which offers 40mpg highway and 29mpg city.

The six-speed automatic transmission is known as the Hydra-Matic 6T40 – it features a wide overall gear ratio spread so that it can offer both strong first gear acceleration and strong fuel economy.

According to Bob Benedict, the assistant chief engineer for the Ecotec 1.4litre engine, traditionally turbocharging was used to enhance engine performance – but today it is as much about fuel economy. It offers a high-pressure airflow for high torque that provides both a fun driving experience and better fuel efficiency.

Certainly, the performance of the Chevrolet Sonic (pictured) has not been hurt. It achieves 0-60mph in 7.8 seconds.

It was the subject of this week’s Green Piece Column (see article) and now it seems that if you’re a resident of the US state of Colorado you can really reap the rewards of owning a Chevrolet Volt (pictured).

That’s because the vehicle will now qualify for a $6,000 state tax credit – this is on top of a federal tax credit of up to $7,500. So potentially, you could save $13,500 on the Chevrolet Volt.

The vehicle offers a driving range of up to 379miles; and for the first 35miles it could drive on electricity stored in its 16kWh lithium-ion battery alone. When the battery runs low, the engine operates to offer a further 344miles from the fuel tank.

Colorado is actually just one of a number of states offering a state tax credit in addition to the federal tax credit. For example, Volt customers in California can benefit from a $1,500 state tax credit on the vehicle and it is eligible to drive in the state’s carpool lanes.

The Opel/Vauxhall Ampera and Chevrolet Volt have jointly been named the ‘European Car of the Year 2012’ as voted for by a panel of 53 motoring journalist judges from 23 European countries.

The winner was announced on the eve of the opening day of the Geneva Motor Show, with the Ampera/Volt being picked from a shortlist of seven finalists. The finalists were picked from an initial list of 35 cars, with design, comfort, performance, innovative technologies and efficiency all attributes which the judges looked at in determining a winner.

Accepting the award, Chevrolet President and Managing Director for Europe Susan Docherty said: "Our car demonstrates that electric driving can be fun and reliable without ever compromising the owners’ lifestyle,” Docherty said. “It is a proud moment for us and an honour to receive this award from Europe’s leading jury of automotive journalists."

The Volt and the Ampera have already won many international awards including the “World Green Car of the Year 2011” and the “North American Car of the Year 2011” award.

Both due to arrive in the UK soon, the Ampera and the Volt feature a 16 kWh lithium ion battery powers the 111kW/150 hp electric motor. Depending on driving conditions and battery reserves, the range-extended models can travel up to 50 miles on electric power alone. Once this is depleted, the models use a 1.4 petrol engine to generate electricity and boost the range up to 310 miles.

Both models are available to order now in the UK, with deliveries of the Volt due to start this spring and Ampera deliveries to begin in May. Both models cost from £29,995 including the £5k Plug-In Car grant.

Chevrolet has announced the specification for its forthcoming Volt hybrid as it opens the order book ahead of the model’s launch this spring.

With prices starting from £29,995 including the £5k Plug-In grant, the Volt will come in just one trim but within that trim comes a host of fancy features.

Heated leather seats, Bluetooth with voice recognition and embedded phone, electronic keyless ignition with touch button start, and 17-inch alloy wheels all shape the Volt’s tech along with ambient LED-based interior lighting, solar absorbing glass, DAB Digital Radio and an energy-efficient six-speaker stereo system that won’t hog all that much-needed electricity.

Set to be launched this spring alongside its twin the Vauxhall Ampera, the Volt boasts E-REV technology (Extended Range Electric Vehicle) that can provide emission-free electric-only motoring but also switch to a petrol engine to generate power for the battery, which extends the vehicle’s range to over 300 miles.

Chevrolet have also announced that the Volt will be available through two dedicated Volt centres – Cambridge Chevrolet, and Phoenix Chevrolet in Wimbledon, London.

“We chose these two dealerships to appeal to the broadest reach of Volt buyers,” explained Mark Terry, Chevy’s UK MD.

“Cambridge is a city geared toward the environment and new technology, as well as being home to the Faraday Institute, named after the inventor of electricity, while London is clearly where many existing users of electric vehicles reside, as well as where the industry sees the potential for the biggest initial growth in sales of EVs and their derivatives, such as E-REV.”

At the start of the year, Mr Terry went on record saying that he expects demand to outweigh supply with over 2,500 people expressing interest (see this here story), so I guess we’ll now see just how accurate his words were.

Chevrolet is to introduce a new diesel version of its popular Cruze model  to the US as it gambles on the rising popularity of oil-burners stateside.

The American brand is to pull on the experience of the European arm of its parent firm GM in developing a Cruze diesel set for market introduction in 2013.

GM sold more than half a million diesel-powered cars across Europe, Asia, Africa and South America last year, including 33,000 Cruzes, so the diesel model is a proven sales gem elsewhere in the world.

The car maker is expecting that the push for greater efficiency in vehicles, driven by the rising price of fuel and the introduction of new CAFE standards, will mean that in the near future more and more Americans will consider diesel models. Diesel engines have long been known for their fuel efficiency and power. Due to a higher compression rate in the engine cylinders and greater density of energy in diesel fuel itself, diesel-powered engines are able to produce more power per gallon than gasoline-powered engines.

For the Cruze, powertrain engineers at GM’s diesel centre of excellence in Torino, Italy, are now working daily with counterparts in Pontiac, Michigan, to develop a diesel engine that delivers outstanding fuel efficiency and torque while providing a smooth, quiet ride-suitable for the US market. In addition, GM engineers in Russelsheim, Germany, are supporting the program by developing the accessory drive, acoustic cover and other specialized components.

“The market for diesel cars in the U.S. is small at present, but is expected to grow due to Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements and expected increases in gas prices,” said Mike Omotoso, powertrain analyst at LMC Automotive. “So far, the German automakers haven’t had any diesel car competition in North America. GM could do well with it, particularly with younger buyers who don’t have the old prejudices against diesel.”

Cruze diesel engine development will also benefit from GM’s recent commitment to invest $26.5 million to add five new dynamic benches at its Torino facility for climatic, noise and vibration and chassis dynamometer testing. These additions will speed development time as well as ensure that the new Cruze diesel meets high standards in refinement.

The Cruze diesel in the UK currently features emissions from 147g/km CO2 and up to 50.4 mpg on a combined cycle.

The Geneva Motor Show is edging ever closer – it kicks off in March – and now Chevrolet has announced it will be bringing a station wagon version of its popular Cruze vehicle to the show. However, there is a catch – the car is not planned for sale in North America.

Chevrolet already boasts both a saloon car version and hatchback version of the Cruze in its line-up – they have achieved more than one million vehicle sales globally since their launch in 2009. Now it is launching a station wagon ahead of introducing a refreshed line-up of engines in summer 2012 – it will offer a new 1.4litre turbo petrol engine, a 1.7litre diesel and an improved 2.0litre diesel in addition to the existing 1.6litre and 1.8litre petrol models. Furthermore, the 1.4litre petrol, 1.7litre diesel and 2.0litre diesel will all offer start-stop technology as standard.

As for the station wagon itself, it will be only slightly longer than the hatchback and saloon cars at 4,675mm but will have load space ranging from 500litres up to the window line in the rear; to nearly 1,500litres up to the roof with the rear seats folded down.

In addition, the higher trim levels of the Cruze will introduce a MyLink infotainment system that aggregates content from smartphones on to a seven-inch diagonal high resolution touch-screen display.

General Motors has secured its largest ever order of compressed natural gas vehicles – after mobile phone giant AT&T ordered 1,200 Chevrolet Express CNG vans for its cargo vans across the USA.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, CNG vans can reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 25 per cent – and the Chevrolet Express compressed natural gas vans certainly have impressive statistics as they are powered by a Vortec 6.0litre V8 engine. They boast intake and exhaust valve seats that help to improve wear resistance; as well as hardened exhaust valves. It also comes with two storage systems: a three-tank system with a range up to 200miles; and a four-tank system with a range up to 300miles.

Each van comes with General Motors’ three-year, 36,000miles warranty and its five-year 100,000mile limited powertrain warranty.

AT&T has made a significant commitment to alternative fuel vehicles having announced plans to invest up to $565million and deploy around 15,000 of the vehicles before 2018. They will primarily be used for maintenance, communications, high-speed internet and television services. It follows on from the news last week that it had deployed its 5,000^th alternative fuel vehicle.

Chevrolet vehicles sold in the USA will soon boast an ecologic environmental label – allowing drivers to see how each vehicle rates environmentally in terms of manufacturing, driving and recycling.

Starting with the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, ecologic labels will be included on the rear driver-side window of Chevrolet cars. They will communicate a number of environmental features, including:

-         Before the road: Environmental aspects relating to the vehicle’s manufacturing and assembly. 

-         On the road: Highlights fuel saving features, including: lightweight components, low-rolling resistance tyres, and advanced engine technologies.

-         After the road: Looks at how up to 85 per cent of the weight of the vehicle can be recycled after its lifespan.

According to Eileen Claussen, the president of the Centre for Climate and Energy Solutions, the goal from Chevrolet is to invest millions in energy efficiency, renewable energy and other low carbon projects. The label will give consumers easy access to this information, while highlighting the company’s commitment to the environment.

To ensure the labels are fair, each one will be audited by Two Tomorrows, which is an independent third party sustainability agency.

The Chevrolet Volt may have become a ‘political punchbag’ (see story) in its native US but over here in the UK, Chevrolet dealers are expecting that demand will far outstrip supply.

According to Headlineauto.co.uk, Chevrolet UK has already been contacted by over 2,500 people interested in the Volt, before the model has even arrived on UK shores.

In an effort to meet demand, the UK arm of car maker is ‘fighting for production every month’ Chevrolet UK’s boss Mark Terry told the news agency.

The Volt goes on sale this spring, alongside its twin, the Vauxhall Ampera, but will have some different specifications and pricing than its sibling range-extended model. Terry said that people ‘who just won’t buy a Vauxhall’ but want the innovative petrol-electric technology, will turn to Chevrolet.

He is encouraged also by evidence that the famous US brand still has a cachet for UK buyers. "To put a Chevy on your drive is saying something," he said citing evidence that people downsizing from premium brands will chose Chevrolet over South Korean rivals Hyundai and Kia because "they want to go for a brand that says something."

Despite that evidence, Terry admits that the brand still needs some work. "Customers are beginning to understand it but there’s still a lot of work to do to show them it’s not a US gas guzzler."

Capable of recharging from mains electricity for emission-free electric-only driving, the Volt also features a petrol engine which can generate power for the battery, to extend the vehicle’s range to over 300 miles.

‘No customer was ever in danger’, GM CEO Dan Akerson asserted yesterday as he faced a US Congress sub-committee yesterday morning following an investigation into the safety of the firm’s Chevrolet Volt model.

According to the GM chief, the safety tests the range-extended Volt was put through would have been near impossible to recreate in the real world and proved that the model was safe. He said that the model seemed to be under attack for ‘political reasons’ as much as for practical ones.

"We did not design the Volt to become a political punching bag and that’s what it’s become," bemoaned Akerson.

A safety investigation into the model, conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) closed this week as the organisation concluded the model was indeed safe. The investigation was first opened back in November after an early crash test conducted last June resulted in a battery fire three weeks later.

The committee was opened to ascertain whether the safety investigation into the model had been delayed to avoid embarrassment to the Obama administration; which part-owns GM. A new report entitled ‘Volt Vehicle Fire: What did NHTSA Know and When Did They Know It?’ from the Republican staff of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform prepared for the hearing, questioned whether political pressures played a part in the handling of the safety investigation.

However both Akerson and NHTSA’s chief administrator, David Strickland who both appeared before the committee asserted that the car hand been tested to the strictest standards.

European safety authority Euro NCAP has rated the petrol-electric car with a five star safety score.

GM has since incorporated a number of safety enhancements to further protect the Volt’s lithium-ion batteries in event of a crash.