2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Review: Practical Electric SUV for a Family of Five

Some people may wonder what we have to say about the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV after the recent recall. Well, I decided just to mention it once and move on discussing the vehicle as I tested and reviewed it.

Recently, GM announced the recall of all 2019-2022 Bolts and Bolts EUVs due to a fire hazard. The manufacturer will need to replace the battery modules, as some may be faulty. It's hard to do worse as an introduction to a novelty, but apart from this reminder, has the car kept its promises?

Touted as a cross between the regular Bolt EV and an SUV, the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV is said to retain all the benefits of the Bolt EV and be more practical and spacious. It is slightly higher, its wheelbase is increased by 7.5 centimeters, but it is above all 16 centimeters longer, which gives it its more generous interior space.

As I was researching online for some reviews of of the Bolt EUV, I noticed that it was a favorite electric vehicle not only because of good reliability and durability, but also because of the relatively low cost of purchase and maintenance, which further cemented its leadership position in this category.

The 2022 Chevrolet EUV is offered in three main trims. The base LT trim is offered at $34,495. Then comes the Premier trim, which Torque News tested and which is offered at $38,995 MSRP. The Bolt EUV's top trim is the Launch Edition, offered at $43,795 MSRP.

The Premier trim of the 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV makes it a more premium crossover. It includes all of the contents of the LT trim and adds chrome exterior trim on the sides and a painted panel on the front end, giving it a premium look.

Other features standard on the Premier trim of the 2022 Bolt EUV that you can’t get on the LT trim include a rear camera mirror, heated rear seats, ambient door lighting, and HD Surround Vision.

By the way, the Super Cruise Package ($2,200), available as an option in the 2022 Bolt EUV Premier trim, makes the Bolt EUV the first Chevrolet model available with GM’s fantastic semi-autonomous driving system. It allows for hands-free driving if you’re on a road mapped by Super Cruise. Please, keep your eyes on the road and pay good attention. This is not a Level 5 Autonomy yet.

Similarities Between the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV

Both the Chevy Bolt EV and the Bolt EUV will use the exact same powertrain, nearly identical to that of the 2021 Bolt EV. Bolt EUV's single electric motor connected to the front wheels produces 200 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque, while the 65 kWh battery offers an estimated 247 mi battery-only range for the Bolt EUV and 259 miles for the Bolt EV.

For the first time, a two-tier charging cord is offered, allowing owners to plug the vehicle into a 120V or 240V outlet with the same cable. The Bolt EUV's full charging time is 55h at 110V, 7.5h at 220V while the Bolt EV's full charging time is 7.5 hours at 220V.

The Bolt EUV's Exterior

The 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV (Electric Utility Vehicle) is based entirely on the current-generation Bolt EV. It does, however, take advantage of the new lines of the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV, both of which land on the market simultaneously. The front is a bit more muscular. Its longer length brings a bit more stretched design, hence its association with an SUV. Moreover, it is above all a set of trimmings that underlines its subtleties. It's kind of exciting to watch. Despite its increased proportions, the 2022 Bolt's exterior design projects an inexpensive "small car" style à la Spark (or Trax). The automobile is very much a question of emotion. In fact, does the Tesla Model 3 spark an emotional excitement when it comes to exterior design?

The lines are futuristic and there are some disconcerting features that you have to get used to. For example the grill, whose design is made up of the grouping of irregular hexagons in high and low relief. The grill no longer acts as an air inlet for the traditional radiator of cooling that is no longer located there. The battery must be cooled by a cooling fluid that is cooled by the flow of air that enters through the lower part of the vehicle.

2022 Chevrolet Bolt's Interior and Infotainment

The materials of the 2022 Bolt EUV are of good quality. The leather upholstery - surely synthetic - has a very interesting weave made up of regular hexagons with some perforations, with blue stitching that harmonizes with the board. Good materials in general that cover a lot of technology on board.

Two interior options are offered in the Premier model, neither of which adds to the price. One choice is the Jet Black/Nightshift Blue color scheme, which is optional in the LT model. The other option is Dark Ash Gray/Sky Cool Gray, exclusive to the Premier trim.

The digital instrumentation presents the information in a simple and logical way. I like the range gradation which includes maximum and minimum estimates, while on the other side of the screen you can see the consumption of kilowatt hours in real time. This is the kind of information that interests us at the wheel of an electric vehicle, we want to know everything that is going on and, above all, how we are performing. I also like the display's color combination. The yellow and green make very appealing and environmentally.

The infotainment system's 10.3-inch screen sits horizontally in the center of the dashboard; its interface is very simple and allows wireless access to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The rest of the air conditioning controls are located just below with a slightly more classic presentation. I like the traditional approach here, as it's more efficient than having to control everything via the main screen.

In the back seat you can feel the difference between the two bolts: the Bolt EV and the Bolt EUV, which Torque News test-driving. The EUV offers much more legroom. It feels more comfortable, and small families will appreciate it, especially those who have to deal with child seats. My family consists of five people, and we comfortably made trips to church last Sunday.

The two versions offered (LT and Premier) are exclusively front-wheel drive. Since the engine is installed under the hood, the Bolt EUV does not offer an additional front trunk.

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV's Driving Experience

Driving an electric vehicle is a different experience, and you have to get used to the different ways of doing things that each manufacturer chooses for its models. For example, the most obvious is the transmission selector, which no longer uses a lever as such. Now there are buttons and keys for each function. We had already seen that system about 8 years ago in the 2015 Acura ILX -which if my memory serves me well, was the first to abandon the use of a transmission selector lever and resort to using buttons.

To start the Bolt EUV you have to press the start button on the dashboard. There will be no sound once you press the Start button, and on both screens there will start animations that indicate the vehicle is ready to start moving. Then you just have to press the D key and apply a light pressure on the accelerator pedal.

The handling is smooth, silent, and if you want you can go very fast, since the delivery of torque is immediate and the acceleration is vertiginous. The Bolt EUV is capable of doing 0 to 60 mph in seven seconds, and those are figures of very powerful cars.

2022 Chevrolet BOLT EUV's Power Regeneration and One Pedal Driving

Power regeneration is one of the subjects that must be learned to execute when driving a vehicle with these characteristics, since when one understands and rationalizes the “on demand” regeneration functions on board, we can make our journeys with a very low energy consumption and therefore we will increase the range between each charging.

Regarding to Bolt EUV's One Pedal Driving when you need to slow down, the most logical thing is to lift your foot off the accelerator and apply the brake, because with this function activated it is no longer necessary to apply the brake to slow down and even to stop completely. If you ask me, it is a very disconcerting feeling to drive in city traffic and get used to the idea that the break pedal isn't going to be used at any time. I repeat, at first it is highly disconcerting. However, the feeling that you greatly diminish the risk of crashing to a car in front of you by just lifting the accelerator pedal is a good feeling.

When driving at high average speeds of 60 mph or more on the highway, it is advisable to be alert to brake by pressing the pedal in the event of an unexpected maneuver by a vehicle. But in city traffic it is completely safe to let the One Pedal driving system do its job and regenerate that kinetic energy into thermal energy and store it in the battery.

The Bolt EV and EUV will compete with the usual suspects in the affordable electric vehicle segment, such as the Kia Niro EV and Kia Soul EV, the Hyundai Ioniq Electric and Hyundai Kona Electric, the Nissan LEAF and - to some extent - ​​the MINI Cooper SE and the Tesla Model 3.

The 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV shatters several clichés about electric vehicles. It has ample autonomy, is efficient and above all, its price, including government subsidies, is awfully close to a similar gas-powered model. Test-drive it yourself at a local dealership and decide if this vehicle suits your needs.

Let me know your thoughts please, in the comments section below, about the 2022 Bolt EUV or the Bolt EV if you are a current owner or thinking of one.

Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebok, Linkedin and Youtube.

Reference: RPMWeb, Autocosmos,