Proving once again that American car brands are now focusing more on China than their domestic markets, we have photos of a brand new crossover EV called the Chevy Menlo. Cool name!
In any case, crossover EVs are very hot right now. You have the Kia Niro, the Hyundai Kona and that boxy new Soul EV which we rather love. But brands that came first to the green car market like Toyota, Chevy or Nissan appear to be lagging.
Except they're not. Toyota, for example, has two EVs based on the C-HR that you probably don't know about. And now there's this, the Chevy Menlo, reportedly a debut lined up for the 2019 Chengdu Auto Show in September. We don't understand the local culture of releasing cars before they're unveiled, but it makes the Chinese market very interesting.
Even the dimensions are available. The Menlo is 4,665mm long (183.7 inches), 1813mm wide (71.4 inches), 1513mm tall (59.6in) and rides on a 2,660mm wheelbase (105mm). Power reportedly comes via a 150 HP front-mounted single motor while the 35 kWh battery is said to offer a total range of 300 km or 186 miles. That last number sounds rather ambitious.
The crossover is reportedly based on the same platform as the China-only Buick Velite 6 which entered production recently. In fact, it kind of looks the same too. The design seems to be that of a bespoke EV, with a tiny blocked off the grille and slender headlights, though a PHEV is also possible.
Chevy is also cooking up an electric crossover for America. But the spyshots we shared back in May reveal a completely different design for the Bolt Electric Utility Vehicle (that's what they trademarked). Honestly, the Chinese model looks wider and thus better, but at least Michigan will give us 200 horsepower and a 60 kWh battery for our trouble.
Except they're not. Toyota, for example, has two EVs based on the C-HR that you probably don't know about. And now there's this, the Chevy Menlo, reportedly a debut lined up for the 2019 Chengdu Auto Show in September. We don't understand the local culture of releasing cars before they're unveiled, but it makes the Chinese market very interesting.
Even the dimensions are available. The Menlo is 4,665mm long (183.7 inches), 1813mm wide (71.4 inches), 1513mm tall (59.6in) and rides on a 2,660mm wheelbase (105mm). Power reportedly comes via a 150 HP front-mounted single motor while the 35 kWh battery is said to offer a total range of 300 km or 186 miles. That last number sounds rather ambitious.
The crossover is reportedly based on the same platform as the China-only Buick Velite 6 which entered production recently. In fact, it kind of looks the same too. The design seems to be that of a bespoke EV, with a tiny blocked off the grille and slender headlights, though a PHEV is also possible.
Chevy is also cooking up an electric crossover for America. But the spyshots we shared back in May reveal a completely different design for the Bolt Electric Utility Vehicle (that's what they trademarked). Honestly, the Chinese model looks wider and thus better, but at least Michigan will give us 200 horsepower and a 60 kWh battery for our trouble.