It’s (almost certainly) happening. Chevrolet reportedly has at least one new high-performance SUV in the works that will bear the iconic Corvette name. Owners/loyalists and general car enthusiasts may bristle at this prospect, but from a business perspective, this move makes a lot of sense for General Motors.
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Overview
We can trace the lineage of luxury performance SUVs back to the likes of the 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee 5.9 Limited. However, it’s European brands that have come to dominate the landscape. Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche have had their hats in the ring for decades, and even exotic marques such as Aston-Martin, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Rolls-Royce are present. Now GM is coming for its slice of the pie, and it will leverage its most legendary name to do it.
We say at least one Corvette SUV is coming because rumors suggest compact- and midsize-class models could join the market. Each would ride on a variation of GM’s flexible “Alpha” platform that underpins Cadillac’s CT4 and CT5 sedans. The smaller variant would compete with the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC, and Porsche Macan. The larger one would fight the Audi Q8, BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE, and Porsche Cayenne, among others.
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Details
While Chevrolet is hard at work developed electrified Corvette vehicles, we expect the first SUV models to be gasoline only. Both the compact and midsize body styles would likely come with turbocharged four-cylinder and V6 options. The larger model would also offer a V8 option, likely a slightly de-tuned version of the LT4 6.2-liter unit from the Corvette coupe. Rear- and all-wheel-drive (AWD) configurations should be available across the board, with the sole transmission being GM’s excellent 10-speed automatic.
Cabin
The interior design likely won’t be as flamboyant as the Corvette coupe, but much of its safety and convenience tech will be available. The compact model will likely seat five. The larger model will do so as well, plus we wouldn’t be surprised to see a third-row option.Should GM wish to go all out, an ultra-performance Corvette Z06 SUV could join the lineup about a year after the standard models launch. These would use the company’s hand-built 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that produces 668 horsepower in the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. The SUV’s heavier weight might lower that figure a bit, but it would still be more than sufficient to go head-to-head against the BMW X5 M, Lamborghini Urus, Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 63 S, and Porsche Cayenne Turbo.
Expect an official announcement about the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette SUV to come later this year or early next. Production could start next summer with the first retail deliveries taking place in late fall of 2024. Pricing is estimated to start at about $60,000. Count on a loaded V8 version to easily top six figures.
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CG Says
The only real surprise about this rumor is that it’s taken General Motors this long to throw its hat into the luxury-performance SUV ring, at least in the compact and/or midsize segments. There will always be a segment of the brand faithful that will decry such a vehicle, but we think the majority will embrace this new product.
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