The performance of the Bolt EV is MUCH better than a Sonic (6.5 second 0-60 for the Bolt EV; 8.7 for the Sonic; 6.4 for the Mercedes GLA mentioned above), and the feel of the electric drive is smoother than any gasoline powertrain (barring possibly a Bentley); so you are definitely getting more than fuel savings with your extra $22k. It is still up to the buyer to decide if those features are worth it.
Disclaimer: I work for GM and drive a Sonic. I did not work on this program.
I'm not sure what you mean, so I'll talk generally about the Bolt EV: it's hard to categorize.
It's not marketed as a luxe vehicle like the Tesla; it doesn't have the same performance as the high end Teslas.
It's more expensive than seemingly comparable vehicles, until you try to find a vehicle to compare it to.
It's quicker than most (nearly all) compact cars and crossovers.
It doesn't have the ground clearance to be regarded as a Crossover/SUV, but it is too tall to be considered a hatchback. While being a tall vehicle, it has a low center of gravity due to the battery being very low and heavy.
It is a small car, but it is heavy, again due to the battery.
All in all, this car will have to make it's own market, because there really is nothing exactly like it.
Less known, but also important is the 30-70 or 50-70 time, which is actually even more impressive in the Bolt, due to no lost time to downshifting and engine spooling.
They're factoring in the fact that most people will take $7500-$10000+ off that price via tax credits (either themselves or via the leasing company), so it's a $28-30K car. There's no avoiding the remaining markup: that's essentially the cost of the battery.
I don't think buyers are going to save 22k in gasoline over the course of the life of the car.