Redesigned Volt to Debut at Detroit Auto Show

General Motors Co. confirms it will publicly unveil its next-generation Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid sedan in January at the Detroit auto show.

The new model is expected to go on sale late next year. It will feature improvements in design, interior roominess and technology, Chevrolet marketing chief Tim Mahoney tells attendees at the Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, Mich.

GM previous has said the next-generation Volt will cost several thousand dollars less to manufacture that the original model. The car reportedly will share its platform with the redesigned Chevy Cruze sedan.

The 2016 model Volt also is expected to have greater range in all-electric mode and carry a smaller and more fuel-efficient piston engine to run its onboard battery charging system. The current model can travel about 38 miles on direct battery power, then another 300 miles when the charger is automatically activated.

Suppliers have indicated Chevy also will introduce a lower-priced edition of the Volt with a smaller battery and fewer standard features. Other reports say GM's Opel unit will drop the slow-selling Ampera variant offered in Europe.