Chinese automakers aren’t popular in the United States, but that’s something Guangzhou Automotive Company (GAC Motors) is looking to change. GAC brought a good-looking two-door SUV called the Enverge to the Detroit Auto Show to get its name out in the open before its official launch in 2019.
As far as electric vehicles go, the Enverge is wearing a futuristic design, something that a lot of EVs miss out on at the moment. The grille-less front end allows GAC to tack on a massive badge onto the front of the vehicle, while the headlights wrap around the entire front end of the vehicle. Another nifty feature of the headlights is that they slide out and can be used as flood lights, similar to some of the LEDs found on the Toyota FT-AC Concept.
The front end looks like an angry snake, which is pretty aggressive for an EV and a crossover.The Enverge concept has a pinched rear end that mimics the Toyota Prius with a rear taillight design that wraps around the rear end. The SUV’s design is striking, especially when you take the gullwing doors – something that’s usually found on supercars – into account.
The design, as the Chinese automaker claims, is supposed to appeal to young consumers in the U.S. If the exterior doesn’t draw buyers in, the interior certainly will. There’s a Formula 1-inspired steering wheel with a few steering-wheel-mounted buttons within reach of the driver’s thumbs. Instead of a traditional dashboard, there’s an enormous flatscreen that provides necessary information – the car’s speed, navigation, etc.
While the majority of enthusiasts enjoy sitting in the driver’s seat, the passengers in the back of the SUV are treated to something even more high-tech – panoramic augmented reality goggles that take information on things outside of the Enverge and lays them onto the opaque windows.
Power wise, the SUV features a 71 kWh battery pack that gives the vehicle a range of 370 miles, which is 120 miles more than the Byton Crossover Concept from CES. GAC also claims that a 10-minute charge allows the Enverge concept to go up to 240 miles. A wireless charger will be available for the production-ready version of the vehicle.
The SUV has a claimed output of 240 horsepower, which is put down to all four wheels and can get to 60 mph in less than 4.5 seconds. The vehicle tops out at 99 mph. The zero to 60 mph figure is right on par with what the Tesla Model 3 recently did.
A production version of the Enverge concept would certainly be an interesting vehicle for GAC to enter the North American market.
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