[Glenerd]

I would like grab handles above the front windows of my 2017 Volt LT. It is fitted with handles above the rear windows. The Chevrolet Cruze has a handle above the right front window but not the left. Any suggestions of how to do this will be welcome.

 

[mikeg3]

I would like grab handles above the front windows of my 2017 Volt LT. It is fitted with handles above the rear windows. The Chevrolet Cruze has a handle above the right front window but not the left. Any suggestions of how to do this will be welcome.

My 2011 Volt is the same.

This is one of my pet gripes.

At my age, getting out of a car gets a little harder. I wonder whether the issue is cost or weight.

 

[reciprocity]

I wonder whether the issue is cost or weight.

Overhead handles drive me crazy because I inevitably bonk my head on them. My guess is it's not as much a cost issue as a clearance issue with a relatively low roofline.

I doubt there's any practical way to add an overhead handle that would be strong enough to help you get out of the car safely. Something like the "Auto Handybar Car Transfer Aid" might be a more sturdy option for you. Just be careful not to close your door on it!

 

[jbakerjonathan]

Would the lack of a handle above the front doors have anything to do with the airbags?

 

[16513]

The exterior roof rail above the door provides a nice finger hold for lifting my aging body out of the front seat. And I enter butt first. Works for me.

 

[Mister Dave]

Would the lack of a handle above the front doors have anything to do with the airbags?

You know it does.

 

[HiFlite]

Would the lack of a handle above the front doors have anything to do with the airbags?

Yes. The side bags run the entire length of the roof rail above the doors.

 

[Joe67]

Would the lack of a handle above the front doors have anything to do with the airbags?

There you go ^^

 

[rcuz]

I know crash testing is necessary, but it's painful to look at those pictures....

Best,
Rick

 

[DonPal]

The gray 2011 Volt seemed to do much better than the blue 2016 assuming the test conditions were identical? Different thread after investigating..............

 

[siai47]

You can have grab handles and side airbags----just depends on how the car was designed. The Volt has full length side curtain airbags yet it has rear assist handles. So it can be done. I have owned cars that have a passenger side front assist handle but nothing on the driver side. In one of the cars (don't hold me to it but I think it was a LEAF) under the headliner was the indentation in the sheet metal for an assist handle to mount, but no handle. As it was designed to be a left hand or right hand drive car, the stampings for the internal roof rail were made to accommodate placement on either (or both) sides. In the case of the Volt with no front assist, I think it would be difficult to mount but not impossible. I believe the side curtain airbags deploy between the headliner and the door frame below the mounting point of the rear assist handles. So if added front handles were to be installed, as long as they were placed in a similar manner, they shouldn't be a problem.

 

[cjaama]

The gray 2011 Volt seemed to do much better than the blue 2016 assuming the test conditions were identical? Different thread after investigating..............

They aren't pictures of the same test being performed. The photos of the gray G1 Volt is from the Moderate overlap test. http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/chevrolet/volt-4-door-sedan
The photos of the blue G2 is from the small overlap test. http://www.iihs.org/iihs/ratings/vehicle/v/chevrolet/volt-4-door-hatchback

The G1 received an Acceptable rating in the small overlap, while the G2 received a Good rating. The G2 is the only domestic car to receive a Top Safety Pick+ designation.

 

[MX5]

Would the lack of a handle above the front doors have anything to do with the airbags?

Well Cruzes have 4 grab handles, and all the same airbags, so I contend GM simply cheaped out. Assist handles missing are my single biggest gripe with the Volt.

 

[Arcanox]

so I contend GM simply cheaped out

As they did with a number of things...

No HomeLink? Really? And auto-dim mirrors not standard on every model? I can't say that I've ever needed a grab handle yet but it seems like something that should be in at least the driver's side of every car...

 

[MX5]

I tend to have my vehicles tinted to the point auto-dim mirrors don't really do much, so no loss for me. As for Homelink, we have it on several vehicles and have yet to use it, so I don't miss that either. A lot of that is just laziness, though, I never feel like taking the time to figure out how to program it.....

As they did with a number of things...

No HomeLink? Really? And auto-dim mirrors not standard on every model? I can't say that I've ever needed a grab handle yet but it seems like something that should be in at least the driver's side of every car...

 

[SteveMann]

The passengers in the 2016 would receive fewer injuries than in the 2011. You *want* the engine compartment to absorb the energy and crumple.

 

[leonardodv]

my solution to the missing grab handle, it is practical removable but not the best looking thing....

 

[quirkySquirt]

I know crash testing is necessary, but it's painful to look at those pictures....

Especially for me, I have the same color Gen 2 Volt. I'd like to say it was hyperbole that I twitched sympathetically when I watched the IIHS video, but it's not.

 

[Tomt]

I believe that the test criteria for 2016/2017 is more severe than it was in 2011... I do know that the Gen2 got the highest possible rating...

The gray 2011 Volt seemed to do much better than the blue 2016 assuming the test conditions were identical? Different thread after investigating..............

 

[cjaama]

I believe that the test criteria for 2016/2017 is more severe than it was in 2011... I do know that the Gen2 got the highest possible rating...

Read my response in post #12. It's two different tests.