Back in January 2023, the largest automaker of the Detroit Big Three confirmed that $579 million will be invested in the Flint Engine Operations to prepare said plant for the sixth-gen small block. Timing and product details haven't been released yet, although everyone and their dog knows that a small-block V8 is best suited to a full-size pickup truck and – of course – the Corvette Stingray.
Before General Motors replaces the C8 with the C9, hearsay suggests that a Corvette-branded SUV will hit dealer showrooms nationwide. Said rumors prompted the folks at Halo oto to render the yet-unconfirmed Corvette SUV. It goes without saying that enthusiasts will certainly be offended by it.
From the Camaro-esque headlights to the Blazer EV-inspired greenhouse and three-row SUV proportions, we're glad this fellow is made of pixels instead of composite materials. Without crediting any source for their hypothesis, Halo oto anticipates a hybrid powertrain for the Corvette SUV.
Is that doable? Considering the larger footprint of a sport utility vehicle, a hybrid or plug-in hybrid seems feasible. Back in January 2024, chief executive officer Mary Barra told General Motors investors that GM's product lineup strategy would include plug-in hybrids.
If there's a case to be made for a hybridized Corvette in SUV flavor, only time will tell. We can't end this here, though, because there are two more rumors that Corvette enthusiasts and prospective customers should be aware of, beginning with a full-electric Corvette SUV.
Autoline Network, citing AutoForecast Solutions, reported on the battery-electric Corvette SUV in October 2022. The zero-emission sport utility vehicle will be – allegedly – produced at the Grand River plant in Lansing, Michigan. The start of production is estimated to be May 2026, and the electric Corvette SUV will be joined by a Buick electric SUV and a Cadillac electric sedan.
Photo: General Motors
A third of the report was proven wrong by General Motors when the largest automaker of the Detroit Big Three confirmed that Celestiq production would be handled by the GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. The second of the aforementioned rumors comes from Car and Driver. Published in April 2023, the cited publication's report on the Corvette SUV is even wilder.
For starters, Car and Driver says the Corvette SUV will be assembled at the Camaro's plant on the Camaro's platform. The problem with this claim is that General Motors never used the Alpha platform for a sport utility vehicle. From 2012 for model year 2013 to date, applications include the Cadillac ATS, CTS, CT4, CT5, and the sixth-gen Camaro.
Adding insult to injury, GM has committed $1.25 billion for the Lansing Grand River assembly plant to build electric vehicles. The automaker did not disclose when EV production will start at Lansing Grand River, nor did General Motors indicate when the Cadillac CT4 and CT5 will be discontinued.
Car and Driver stirs the pot even more with this line: "The [Alpha] platform alone suggests the Corvette SUV will be both entertaining to drive and potentially sold in two sizes. Again, think [Porsche] Macan and Cayenne." As highlighted earlier, the architecture in question has yet to spawn an SUV.
Whatever the future may hold for the Corvette, an SUV isn't out of the question. Mustang deliveries totaled 48,605 units in the US last year, with the Mustang Mach-E clocking 40,771 units. If FoMoCo had the audacity of naming an Escape-based crossover Mustang Mach-E, then you can bet your bottom dollar GM won't have any problem following in the footsteps of the automaker that inspired GM's very own Camaro.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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