{"id":24442,"date":"2019-12-06T17:45:22","date_gmt":"2019-12-06T21:45:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=24442"},"modified":"2019-12-06T17:45:22","modified_gmt":"2019-12-06T21:45:22","slug":"after-mustang-suv-calls-for-corvette-suv-grow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2019\/12\/after-mustang-suv-calls-for-corvette-suv-grow","title":{"rendered":"After Mustang SUV, calls for Corvette SUV grow"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Speculation<\/p>\n<\/div>

Speculation about a Corvette-badged SUV led Car and Driver magazine to come up with its own rendition of what a Corvette SUV might look like.\u00a0(Photo: Alexander Stoklosa, Car and Driver)<\/span><\/p>\n

An electric Mustang SUV will hit dealerships late next year. When will Corvette follow suit?<\/p>\n

The positively received debut of\u00a0Ford’s battery-powered Mustang Mach-E in Los Angeles last month (with the automaker hinting\u00a0that it could develop a full Mustang sub-brand) has turned up the heat on Chevrolet to expand its Corvette lineup as well.<\/p>\n

Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas has added his name to a chorus of voices calling for General Motors to create a Corvette sub-brand making SUVs. He estimates\u00a0the sub-brand could be\u00a0worth $7 billion to $12 billion, and says a\u00a0battery-powered, Corvette-badged vehicle would help GM convince customers that\u00a0electric vehicles are a desirable performance option.<\/p>\n

Just this year, ex-GM vice chairman of product development Bob Lutz as well as Car and Driver magazine\u00a0urged GM to create a Corvette sub-brand.\u00a0<\/a>Their case builds on a\u00a0Detroit News story<\/a>\u00a0that went viral two years ago.<\/p>\n

In answer to repeated News inquiries as the whether GM has studied the idea, company executives and spokespeople have said \u201cWe do not comment on future product.\u201d Intriguingly, however, when GM CEO Mary Barra was queried on the topic by Morgan Stanley\u2019s Jonas in a quarterly earnings call last month, she replied: \u201cWell, I appreciate that you think our Corvette franchise is very strong. I\u2019m not going to talk about the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Porsche was the first sports car brand to translate its DNA to sport utility vehicles.\u00a0The Cayenne SUV was controversial when it rolled out 16 years ago, especially among Porsche faithful. But the move has been a huge hit. Today Porsche SUVs are the brand\u2019s best sellers, and analysts estimate Porsche is responsible for one-third of Volkswagen Group’s profits.<\/p>\n

Nearly every other performance brand has followed suit, including Lamborghini, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo and Ferrari. Aston Martin was the most recent sports-car brand to enter the fray when it unveiled the DBX crossover last month in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

But Mustang is different in that it has been a performance badge in the Ford stable since its introduction as an affordable sports coupe in 1965. Nevertheless, Ford hints that it could expand a Mustang sub-brand.<\/p>\n

\"Ford<\/p>\n<\/div>

Ford introduced the 2021 Mustang Mach-E, an electric SUV, in November.\u00a0(Photo: Max Ortiz, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n

“There’s a lot of emotion with the Mustang, and it’s time to progress that and make it spread wider,”\u00a0Ford Europe design boss Murat Gueler said in an interview with British magazine Autocar. “We’ve talked about building a family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morgan Stanley\u2019s Jonas envisions a similar future for Chevy\u2019s Corvette sub-brand.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Ford Mustang Mach-E unveil stands as a clear precedent with relevance to Corvette,\u201d Jonas wrote in a comprehensive case study. \u201cThe Mach-E extends the Mustang brand into an all-new powertrain, segment and consumer base.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former GM vice chair\u00a0Lutz told the News in 2017<\/a>\u00a0that \u201cCorvette is a powerful brand that should be developed. Go upmarket with a mid-engine sedan (or) something like Cayenne. They would split it off from Chevrolet \u2014 nobody makes that connection anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Chevrolet's<\/p>\n<\/div>
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