Corvette SUV and sedan set to reinvent sports brand

Fresh claims of a Corvette SUV and sedan in development have emerged this week, with US outlet Car and Driver citing a source within the GM Technical Center in Michigan who has apparently seen the first proposals.

Earmarked for a 2025 release, the mooted Corvette crossover and four-door coupe would join the forthcoming full-electric version of the Chevrolet C8 Corvette sports car in taking the hallowed nameplate into new territory – just as we’ve already seen with the Ford Mustang.

That might upset the purists, but according to the source, “Corvette is not just a brand” but rather “a constantly evolving system paired with a dramatically different user experience”.

A high-performance four-door and SUV would throw Corvette into the heartland of European heavyweights like BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and even Porsche.

“The aim is not to beat Taycan and Cayenne at their own game but to create three American legends capable of breaking new ground by making the essence of Corvette scalable,” the C&D source was quoted as saying.

“To do so, that essence must at all times be in a state of progressive flux.”

It’s unclear whether the new models would form part of the next C9 generation of Corvette, given the C8 will be five years old by mid-decade. The previous C7 generation had a five-year run, produced from 2014-2019.

Both models would likely share a platform derived from GM’s modular Ultium architecture, which should accommodate miniaturised componentry, high-revving electric motors, an 800-volt electrical system (allowing up to 350kW charging), a two-speed transmission, brake-by-wire tech, multi-mode four-wheel steering and torque vectoring.

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