General Motors’ plans to electrify Buick have been dominating GM news recently, but Chevrolet has a plan to stop its upscale cousin stealing all the limelight and it’s called the FNR-XE concept.
That name might sound like the model code for a new Samsung washing machine but the car it identifies is definitely not white goods, even if it does run on electric power. Officially a concept, but likely to spawn a production version we only hope isn’t watered down too much, the EV is a sporty four-door coupe with broad shoulders, wide hips and a pinched waist that emphasizes its muscularity.
The front end is dominated by a set of ultra-slim LED lamps, that are linked to an illuminated bowtie logo and sit above an illuminated grille, while the rear light treatment follows the same theme. Throw in the moody stare from the plunging hood and the kink over the rear quarter and you’d have to say there’s more than a hint of Camaro about it. Who else would like to see GM try something like this on a smaller scale to keep the legendary pony car alive?
But that’s just our imagination running wild because the official message at the launch of the FNR-XE as part of GM’s China Tech Day 2022 in Shanghai is that the coupe exists to reveal the design direction of future Chevrolet electric vehicles and hint at connected EV products designed with the Chinese market in mind.
Though this is our first glimpse of the concept, GM alluded to it previously when it mentioned a “pretty dramatic low roof” Chevrolet “Car-D” sports sedan during a presentation on future product. It described the FNR-XE as being made primarily for China but didn’t exactly rule out sales in other markets.
GM confirmed it will launch 15 EVs across its brands by 2025, each one based on its Ultium battery technology. The Cadillac Lyriq SUV already uses Ultium tech, and while others may stay in China, some, including the Buick Envista and Electra will come to the U.S. and have already been snapped testing on American roads. It sounds like Chevrolet, and Chevrolet fans might have to wait patiently for its new range of EVs to hit the market, however. While sister brand Buick’s new electric lineup will start rolling out in the first half of 2023, Chevy’s offerings won’t appear until around a year from now.
Would you like to see GM bring an electric four-door coupe like this to North America? Leave a comment and let us know.
