Buick has released more photos of its
all-new Velite 7 electric subcompact crossover for the Chinese market following
the first official image dropped earlier this month. The new pictures give us a
look at the entire vehicle, including the interior which features a
driver-oriented dashboard featuring an 8-inch digital instrument panel and a
10-inch touchscreen infotainment interface.
The cabin has a premium vibe courtesy of
the leather upholstery with copper accent stitching that can also be found on
the dashboard, steering wheel, and door panels. The dash and door cards also
feature copper trim in a metallic look.
There’s not much else to comment about the
interior other than it looks modern and can seat five people, four large
suitcases in the trunk, and two smaller suitcases in an underfloor compartment.
As for the exterior, it looks youthful with highlights including the
full-length LED headlights and taillights, ‘floating roof’ effect made possible
by the C-pillar design, and pronounced rear haunches.
According to Chinese media, the Buick
Velite 7 is 4,264 mm long and has a 2,675 mm wheelbase –
74 mm longer than that of the Chevrolet Bolt on which the Velite 7 is
based. Therefore, it should be roomier inside, especially on the second row.
The Buick Velite 7 is powered by a
liquid-cooled battery pack with an unspecified capacity. Expect a 66 kWh unit
if it’s shared with the 2020 Chevy Bolt of 60 kWh if it sources the battery of
the pre-2020 Bolt. GM promises up to 500 km of driving range on the
NEDC test cycle, though in the real world, it should be around 402
km. Unlike the Chevy Bolt and the Bolt EUV that the Velite 7 previews, the
front-mounted electric motor produces 177 PS instead of more than 204
PS.
