The return of the Chevrolet Bolt is rather like discovering your local pub has reintroduced pork cracklings, only to inform you they’ll be discontinued again in eighteen months because the kitchen needs more room for avocado toast. Chevrolet killed off the old Bolt a few years ago because, apparently, Americans wouldn’t buy small electric hatchbacks. And now, suddenly, the Bolt is back. Slightly improved. Slightly quicker. Slightly more modern. And, crucially, still cheaper than a monthly cocaine habit in Los Angeles.
At first glance, the 2027 Chevrolet Bolt looks almost exactly like the old one. Which means it resembles a microwave that’s been left too close to a heater. But underneath, things have changed. The previous battery technology has been thrown in the bin and replaced with a new lithium iron phosphate setup that charges dramatically faster. This new one can gulp electricity at 150 kW and offers up to 262 miles of range. And yes, it now has a built-in Tesla charging port. Which means you can pull up at a Supercharger station and annoy Tesla owners by existing.
Same power, less torque
Power comes from a single electric motor producing 210 horsepower, an improvement of 10 ponies over the previous-gen model. Torque, however, is down a whopping 97 pound-feet to just 169. It reaches 60 mph in about 6.8 seconds. That’s not quick, but the problem is that modern EVs have ruined us. Even a family-sized electric crossover now accelerates like it’s escaping from a bank robbery. The Bolt, meanwhile, feels like it’s politely asking permission from the horizon before proceeding.
Wheels and Tires
Down at each corner, Chevrolet has fitted 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 215/50 Michelin E-Primacy tires. Now, if you’re expecting some sort of sticky, corner-carving rubber designed to turn the Bolt into an electric hooligan, you’ll be disappointed. These tires have been engineered with one goal in mind: squeezing every last electron from the battery pack.
Driving
A small hatchback, front-wheel drive, a short wheelbase and more than 200 horsepower- on paper, that’s the recipe for a proper electric hot hatch. The sort of thing that should scamper down a back road with the enthusiasm of a Jack Russell that’s just spotted a squirrel. Not quite. You prod the accelerator and, instead of the usual electric-car punch in the kidneys, you get a measured, polite response that suggests the car would first like to discuss your intentions in a committee meeting. There is a Sport mode, naturally, because every modern car has one. Press the button, and things do sharpen up a bit. But only in the same way that putting on running shoes makes a tortoise marginally faster.
The result is a car that never quite lives up to its promising specification sheet. It has all the ingredients needed to challenge the great hot hatches of old. Fast enough? Yes. Competent? Certainly. But fun? Not in the way a GTI rival absolutely should be.
Once on the move, it feels small and light-ish. It rolls around corners like an enthusiastic Labrador on laminate flooring, and because it’s front-wheel drive with a short wheelbase, you do get that faint whiff of hot hatch you have been pining for. Lean the Bolt into a corner, and the steering effort builds nicely before the 17-inch Michelin Primacy All-Season rubber gives way. The brakes always prioritize regeneration before dialing in the friction stoppers, and the transition between the two is clean.
Interior
Climb inside the Bolt and the first surprise is that it doesn’t feel like you’ve squeezed yourself into a budget-priced penalty box. Despite being about the size of a large household appliance, it’s surprisingly roomy up front. The driver gets plenty of space to stretch out, and Chevrolet has scattered storage cubbies around the cabin with the enthusiasm of a squirrel preparing for winter.
Move to the back, however, and reality reasserts itself. Chevrolet claims the Bolt seats five people, which is technically true in the same way a lifeboat can accommodate twenty passengers. It can be done, but only if everyone involved is either unusually friendly, unusually thin, or has signed a legal waiver. Three adults across the rear bench will quickly discover one another’s life stories, political opinions, and preferred deodorant brands.
The dashboard is entirely new and rather modern-looking, featuring a customizable digital instrument display and an 11.3-inch touchscreen running GM’s Google-based software. It all works well enough, although there is one rather baffling omission. Chevrolet, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are no longer necessary. Apparently, the company believes its own software ecosystem is so brilliant that you’ll happily abandon the smartphone integration you’ve spent the last decade using.
To soften the blow, GM throws in eight years of map updates and music-streaming data through the car’s built-in apps. Which is a bit like a restaurant informing you they’ve removed ketchup from the menu but, as compensation, they’ll happily provide mayonnaise free of charge until 2034.
Cargo Space
Of course, nobody buys a small electric hatchback because they dream of setting Nürburgring lap records. They buy one because they need somewhere to put things. Groceries. Gym bags. Flat-pack furniture that seemed much smaller in the showroom.
And the Bolt is surprisingly accommodating. Leave the rear seats upright, and you’ve got 16.2 cubic feet of cargo space, which is enough room for a week’s shopping, several carry-on suitcases, or the collection of Amazon boxes that mysteriously appears on your porch every afternoon.
Fold the rear seats flat, however, and the Bolt transforms from sensible commuter into a miniature removal van. Maximum cargo capacity expands to 56.3 cubic feet, which is enough space to transport a bicycle or a small sofa. There’s even up to four cubic feet of hidden storage beneath the floor, perfect for stashing charging cables, emergency supplies, or valuables you’d rather not leave in plain sight. It’s the automotive equivalent of finding a secret compartment in your house. Not life-changing, but enormously satisfying.
What’s most impressive is that Chevrolet has managed to carve all this practicality into a car that remains refreshingly compact. While today’s SUVs continue their relentless march toward the dimensions of medium-sized office buildings, the Bolt quietly gets on with the job of carrying people and their stuff without requiring its own ZIP code.
Pricing
There are two versions of the Bolt. The LT, which is so cheap by modern standards it feels as though Chevrolet accidentally left a digit off the price tag, and the RS, which asks for another four grand in exchange for black trim, heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel, a fancy electric driver’s chair, and enough interior mood lighting to make you feel like you’ve wandered into a nightclub run by accountants.
The base price for this RS starts at $31,600; however, a base-level car can be had for under $30,000. This one has a couple of options, including a dual-pane panoramic sunroof for $1,495, and the tech package for $1,195, which includes HS surround vision, rear camera mirror, wireless phone charger, rear ped alert, and traffic sign recognition. Total price is $35,685.
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Verdict
The 2027 Bolt is a welcome return, but there’s a catch. There’s always a catch. GM only plans to build this thing for about eighteen months before the factory switches back to producing something else. That leaves it existing in a strange automotive purgatory. It’s affordable, practical, charming, and probably exactly the sort of EV normal people actually need only to be killed off again.
2027 Chevrolet Bolt RS Numbers
BASE PRICE: $31,800
PRICE AS TESTED: $35,685
VEHICLE LAYOUT: Front-motor, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
MOTOR: Permanent-magnet synchronous AC
POWER: 210 hp
TORQUE: 169 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION: direct-drive
0-60 MPH: 6.8 seconds
BATTERY PACK: Liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 65 kWh
PEAK CHARGE RATE: AC/DC: 11.5/150 kW
RANGE: 262 Miles
CURB WEIGHT: 3,807 lb
CARGO VOLUME: 16.2 cubic feet behind seats, 56.3 cubic feet with all seats folded
FUEL ECONOMY Combined/city/highway: 120/134/106 MPGe
PROS: Feature packed for prioce, good range
CONS:
2027 Chevrolet Bolt RS Review
