Chevrolet’s electric vehicle lineup is about to grow
as photos of the new Menlo have surfaced ahead of its rumored debut at the Chengdu
Auto Show in September. Noticed by Car News China, the images show the Menlo will have a
fully enclosed grille which is flanked by slender headlights. Further below, we
can see plastic body cladding and what appears to be a faux skid plate.
Continuing to the back, the model has blacked out
A-pillars and what appears to be a charging port on the passenger side front
fender. We can also see a prominent shoulder line, a sloping roof and
aerodynamically optimized five-spoke alloy wheels. The rear end is pretty plain, but
the Menlo has slim taillights with a black surround. Other highlights include a
tailgate-mounted spoiler and a silver diffuser.
Overall, the crossover reportedly measures 4665 mm long, 1813 mm wide and 1513 mm tall with a wheelbase that spans 2660 mm. That means the model
is longer and wider than the Trax, but significantly shorter.
The crossover will reportedly ride on the same
platform that underpins the Buick Velite 6 and feature a 148 hp electric motor. There’s no word on the Menlo’s range, but the Velite 6 EV
has a 35 kWh lithium-ion battery which enables the model to travel up to 301 km on a single charge.
While the Menlo appears to be built specifically for
the Chinese market, GM has already confirmed plans for a new Volt-based EV that
will be built in Michigan. The company accidentally revealed the model in a
presentation two years ago and spy photographers recently snapped a prototype
undergoing testing in the mitten state.
Little is known about the crossover, but it could be
called the Bolt EUV and feature a 60 kWh lithium-ion battery that powers a 200
hp electric motor.
