The Volt, which Chevrolet claim has outstanding occupant safety, recieved the maximum five star rating in Euro NCAP testing. Its body structure is constructed from a range of high-strength steels and it gets an impressive eight airbags, electronic stability control and traction control. The battery also continually checks itself, to make sure no problems are developing, while a number of tests have been performed to make sure it remains safe in accidents.

With the Volt just having room for four, and a sensibly sized boot, it can make a realistic alternative to conventional hatchbacks and smaller saloons. Inside there’s a multitude of neat storage compartments, while all four door pockets are large enough to hold 1.5-litre bottles of water. Boot space is an average 310 litres – about the same as a Ford Focus.

Fold the rear seats flat and the available room increases to 1,005 litres. The boot is quite shallow, however, and has a high lip. This means lifting heavy objects in can be tricky, while larger items can be difficult to fit. There’s also no real divider between the boot and rear seats, which does look a little untidy. The Volt, with its ability to run solely on electric power for up to 50 miles, will no doubt appeal to those who do inner-city driving on a regular basis.

If you need to charge it from empty, it’ll take about four hours from a conventional plug. There’s also a useful ‘hold’ function. This maintains a fully-charged battery, by using the petrol engine to drive the electric motors. This allows you to save the all-electric running mode for when you want it, for example in town. One minor irritation is the Volt’s low-hanging front rubber spoiler.

It tends to catch or rub on curbs and crests frequently. Fortunately, it’s not too difficult to replace should it become damaged or worn.