BREAKING: GM Preparing Corvette Zora-Branded SUV to Replace SS Sedan in 2020
GM hopes to woo SUV-loving enthusiasts with a new five-door performance machine.
If you worried the death of the Chevrolet SS sedan meant the end of Corvette-powered family machines at Chevrolet, you may want to pay attention. We just received a seriously reliable tip from someone inside the Corvette team who says there are plans for a new family of ultra-high-performance SUVs. After the new mid-engine Zora supercar launches in 2018 and opens up the Corvette name as a brand instead of a model, there will be a two-row sports SUV added to the mix. The codename is currently the Zora Nomad, as an homage to both Zora Arkus-Duntov and the long line of Chevy Nomad production and concept cars.
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The prototype is said to be slightly larger than a Cayenne, but much smaller than Chevy’s own Tahoe. It will be built on a modified version of the Alpha platform that underpins the CTS and Camaro. Rear-wheel drive will come standard, and all-wheel drive will be optional. Power will come from a slightly detuned, 436-horsepower version of the LT1 V8 at launch, but our source says a hi-po variant built with the engine in the upcoming ZR1 is planned for two years after launch.
Expect the full suite of GM’s go-faster technology to be included as standard equipment. Brakes will be lifted directly from the Cadillac CTS-V, along with the latest iteration of the magnetic suspension found under the Camaro ZL1. Sadly for you super-hooligans, there will be no option for a clutch pedal. The latest 10-speed automatic will be the only transmission offered.
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From what we’ve been told, there are currently struggles and fighting within GM about how to build and market the new car. Some members of the team want to focus on performance and leave off several pieces of technology and safety equipment to keep the price down, while a few others want to make it a high-level product packed with standard equipment, and a price to match. Our contact leaked us the info to see what you folks in the community had to say about it. We weren’t given any sort of idea on pricing, but if we use the SS sedan, Corvette and the Tahoe as base points, we can make some pretty solid assumptions.
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If GM builds its super-SUV, would you prefer a stripper model with a price around $50,000, or should Chevrolet just go nuts and offer a single, high-level, “bells and whistles” model with a price around $65,000? And what do you think about the potential name? Is Zora Nomad acceptable? Should GM drop the Zora and just call it the new Nomad? Sound off in the forums to let us know how this news makes you feel.
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