2025 Chevy Corvette SUV said to start with ICE power, not be EV-only

Car & Driver has another installment for the saga of the rumored Corvette SUV. Last November, the magazine kicked off the drama with a chapter titled, "Corvette to Launch as a Brand in 2025 with a Four-Door and an SUV." The sedan and high-rider were expected to launch as Ultium-based, all-electric Corvettes. That's not the case, so we're told now. The outlet's new rumors have it ICEs will get the call-up for the SUV, slotting into the nose of the same Alpha Platform that supports GM performance heavyweights like the Cadillac CT4 and CT5, and the Chevrolet Camaro. That would be an interesting choice of architecture; GM developed the RWD-focused Alpha for its driver-centric products and has never put anything larger on it than the previous-gen Cadillac CTS. The bones are 11 years old, having debuted under the 2013 Cadillac ATS, but still fit for purpose, what with the CT4 Blackwing and CT5 Blackwing making C/D's latest 10 Best list.

Also unexpected, the mag says the SUV could come in two sizes, powered by a speculated engine range of three mills in four outputs. These specs are all designed to keep loose track of Bowling Green's Enemy #1 and its Macan and Cayenne SUVs. From bottom to top, the cylinder count and output steps would go:

• Turbocharged four-cylinder, 300 horsepower

• Twin-turbo V6, 400 horsepower

• 6.2-liter V8, 500 horsepower

• Supercharged 6.2L V8, 682 horsepower

The smaller SUV opens with the four, starts at about $60,000, and can upgrade to the twin-snail six. Let's take a moment to appreciate a future in which a four-cylinder, family-friendly Corvette has to be considered in the realm of possibility, even if it is just rumor for the moment.