Chevrolet has released the first teaser image of the
all-new Menlo, ahead of its debut on November 8th. Drawing inspiration from the
FNR-X concept, the production model will become the brand’s first electric
vehicle in China. The company is keeping details under wraps, but said the
Menlo is a “sporty-looking sedan that leverages GM’s highly efficient and
reliable electric propulsion and intelligent connectivity technology.”
That isn’t much to go on, but the teaser image shows
the car will be a lot more stylish than the Bolt as it features a rakish rear
window and a sporty spoiler. The model has also been equipped with slender
taillights that echo the concept and are separated by a black band featuring a
bowtie emblem.
While Chevrolet only released one teaser image, a
handful of pictures surfaced over the summer. They showed the Menlo will have a
sculpted hood and a fully enclosed grille that is flanked by slender
headlights. Given the popularity of crossovers, the car also has plastic body
cladding and faux skid plates.
Details will be announced later this week, but
previous reports have suggested the model will be heavily influenced by the
Buick Velite 6 EV. As a result, the Menlo is expected to have a 35 kWh
lithium-ion battery pack that powers an electric motor that develops 148 hp and 350 Nm of torque. This setup should enable
the vehicle to travel approximately 301 km on a single charge.
It remains unclear if a larger battery pack will
also be available, but Buick introduced the Velite 6 Plus last month. It has a
52.5 kWh battery which increases the range up to 410 km.
