Chevrolet’s very first electric offering is here, the Menlo

KUALA LUMPUR: In an effort to save the shrinking global reach of General Motors, after its departure from Australia and Southeast Asia, Chevrolet is making aggressive efforts to capture one of the largest economies of the world, China. The Golden Bow Tie has just launched its first all-electric offering for the Forbidden Kingdom, the Menlo EV.

China is one of the biggest car markets in the world and expected to sprightly welcome the very first electric offering from Chevrolet. Named as Menlo EV, this sporty-looking crossover is based on the Chevrolet FNR-X all-purpose SUV concept unveiled in Shanghai in 2017. No wonder, GM China likes to call it a “fashionable blend of crossover and sporty coupe styling.”

Exterior highlights of Menlo EV include - LED headlights with integrated DRLs, closed-off grille, sporty bumpers, LED taillights and the ‘floating roofline’ achieved by designing a simple and playful visual trick on the C-pillars. The crossover rides on 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels.

The interior aesthetics of the car include a multi-layer dashboard dominated by a 10.1-inch LCD touchscreen for the MyLink+ infotainment system with OnStar and an 8-inch TFT LCD instrument panel. The multimedia interface supports over-the-air (OTA) updates, Apple CarPlay and Baidu CarLife, as well as functions like virtual car key, remote control, and intelligent voice recognition.

The Menlo EV also incorporates GM’s class-leading battery technology and a new-generation highly efficient pure electric drive system that generates 110 kW of maximum power and 350 Nm of an armband with electricity consumption of 13.1 kWh/100 km.
The vehicle has a constant-speed range of up to 410 km (255 miles) under New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) conditions on a single charge. Its battery can be fully charged to 80% of capacity within 40 minutes using a direct current (DC) fast charger.

Menlo EV comes with three driving modes and three energy recovery modes. The economical, normal and sporty driving modes support base acceleration, standard acceleration and enhanced acceleration depending on users’ preferences. The energy recovery modes of light free recovery, medium efficient recovery and strong energy recovery likewise support personal preferences for a balance between driving performance and energy consumption.

Abiding by the safety norms, Chevrolet Menlo is also packed with Electronic Stability Program, Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Side Blind Zone Alert, Automatic Parking Assist, Following Distance Indicator, and Tire Pressure Monitoring System.

Chevrolet Menlo is being made available to Chinese customers in four variants priced from CNY 159,900 to CNY 179,900 (approx. 96,359 RM to 108412 RM). We hope the Golden Bow Tie also considers Malaysia as an option to expand its electric vehicle segment.

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