Chevrolet plans baby SUV

Chevrolet is set to enter the baby SUV market with an Aveo-based five seater.

Although designs have yet to be finalised, the new car is being designed and engineered by GM Dat in Korea and could launch as early as 2012.

At a sneak preview of the clay model of the car at the Korean R&D centre, GM execs confirmed that it will be built on a slightly stretched Aveo platform and could be offered in both four-wheel drive and front-drive guises.

GMDAT design director Taewon Kim confirmed that it will have the same family look as the new generation Chevy models, but that pains were being taken to vastly increase interior quality over the Aveo.

There will also be more attention paid to colour and trim than current Chevy models, but the new SUV will also carry over the company’s trademark ‘dual cockpit’ design, seen on the Cruze small saloon.

A sneak peak at an interior styling buck also showed that the company is planning to use some switchgear sourced from the Vauxhall Astra and Insignia. It will also use a new generation digital display that will also appear in other future Chevy models. However, Taewon Kim was quick to point out that this didn’t mean that future Chevys will go head-to-head with Opel models. ‘There have to be differences between Chevy and Opel’ he told Autocar ‘but because of Opel we don’t want to push Chevrolet down’.

The company also showed off an Aveo saloon, which is likely to be first seen at the Detroit show in January, although it hasn't been confirmed whether it will go on sale in the UK. The hot Aveo RS, first seen at this year's Detroit show, was also being displayed, although it still hasn't been confirmed whether it will make production, although GM insiders are confident that it will get the green light soon.

Expect to see the Chevy Baby SUV launch in India shortly after the global launch

Chas Hallett for Autocar UK