With fuel economy becoming such an issue, GM will soon start selling Big Wheels. Or as its been referred to internally, “Global Gamma Big Wheels.” What this “Big Wheels” program amounts to is a compact utility vehicle slotted below the Equinox in Chevy’s lineup.
Size-wise, we’re talking about a vehicle roughly in the same ballpark as a Scion xB or a Hyundai Tucson. Inside you’ll find a traditional 2-row setup with the rear seats folding flat to maximize cargo space.
Set to ride on GM’s new Global Gamma chassis, this yet unnamed Chevy ‘Ute is primarily being engineered by GMDAT. Any mention of GM’s Gamma chassis usually conjures up images of Chevy’s tiny Aveo. While it might be hard to imagine a utility vehicle on a chassis that small, this new sub-Equinox vehicle will actually be on a stretched version of GM’s new, small-car architecture.
Production of the pint-size Chevy is slated to begin sometime in the 4th quarter of 2010. We’d expect some sort of concept vehicle foretelling this vehicle as early as the coming auto show season.
It’s not clear if the project is related to the Chevy Groove or Trax concepts, but GM’s Ed Peper recently confirmed one of the two will be produced for the U.S. market on the Gamma platform. Accordingly, our artist has created a speculative illustration of a Groove-like SUV as one potential outcome.
Words by Chris Doane.
09/08, 12:17 PM
posted by:
bleenky
Thank you LLN for your new awesome “Photo Gallery” that after taking forever to display the picture automatically freaking resizes my browser window…. Anyway, as I stated in the Astra article above this one, too little too late GM. By the time this debuts, we’ll probably have a significant drop in gas prices and GM will say “FOOEY! to all these tiny cars, lets roll out some 8000lb SUVs! YEEEEEEHAAAAAW”
09/08, 12:19 PM
posted by:
JoshyLofty
their rendering looks nothing like a groove or trax but a whole lot like a Kia Soul. hmmm…
09/08, 12:36 PM
posted by:
swamp donkey
I don’t like it; looks too boxy & by the looks of things, I can’t see any adult being too comfortable in the back seat (the roof line slops down, maybe it’s just the rendering)
09/08, 1:02 PM
posted by:
tzu13
Please stop it with the f-ing crossovers already. Grow some balls and build a wagon, GM.
09/08, 1:15 PM
posted by:
howsmydriving
How sad that GM feels compelled to chase Korean (Kia Soul) designs.
09/08, 1:23 PM
posted by:
howsmydriving
Whoops — my mistake. Just an independent artist’s rendering, not a GM illustration.
09/08, 2:22 PM
posted by:
Need more oil for GM
Americans will like this. If they have to drive some small dork-mobile even if they’d rather be driving large cars and trucks, then this one will be the one that Americans will accept.
09/08, 4:17 PM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
I agree. This is an acceptable dork-mobile.
Plus it’s not gay like a Mini.
09/08, 6:52 PM
posted by:
elviososa
WTF…..so FUGLY…..look like Kia Soul with reconstructed face after the accident.
09/08, 7:37 PM
posted by:
tyler_is_aero_tt
Noooooo. Stick with normal looking cars with sleek aerodynamics and futuristic design, not a cheap box.
09/08, 8:25 PM
posted by:
1c3d0g
No, it’s most likely the North American version of the Chevrolet Captiva, built by Daewoo in South Korea. This car is about average, although it scores low on interior noise levels (particularly from the gas engine). Still, anything that can help GM meet the stringent new CAFE ratings is a relief for them. I just wish they refined this vehicle a lot more before they decided to put them on mass-production.
09/09, 1:22 PM
posted by:
A4
oh look! a chevy GLK350!
09/09, 1:23 PM
posted by:
A4
and tzu13 at least we’re getting the CTS wagon.
09/09, 7:49 PM
posted by:
VWgrouP
UHG
Im TRYING my hardest to keep down my lunch!
This car is DISGUSTING
10/09, 2:10 AM
posted by:
cftisa
I’m sick of LLN calling an SUV a ‘ute. A ute is basically a car-based pick-up truck (of course, the Aussies invented the pick-up back in the ’20’s & u Yanks bastardised it…) like the Pontiac G8 ST, a.k.a. Holden Commodore SSV Ute.
This design, however, sucks big time.
11/09, 2:09 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
Looks like a little Forrester