With the exception of the 2015 Chevy FNR concept, Chevy has pretty much proven that its design team is a bunch of 75-year-old retirees with nothing to do but put together boring special edition models like the recent Redline series we saw just a few months ago. I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw a bow-tie on a concept that was actually on the better side of extreme (with the exception of that first FNR concept, of course.) Well, if you were to stroll into Chevy’s booth at Auto Shanghai today, you would see a pretty extreme concept that’s being called an FNR-X. At first, I thought to myself “Great; it’s just an SUV version of the original FNR.” But, I was wrong. So wrong, in fact, that I’m actually impressed with my favorite GM company for the first time in years. The concept you see here mixes things like dynamic digital LED lights with stout and muscular lines that scream 2030, while the interior gets no fewer than eight screens (including the instrument cluster) to go with adaptive ambient lighting and bold styling.
This concept, according to Chevy, is a plug-in hybrid that allows you to switch between two different drive modes – versatility and sport. Chevy didn’t elaborate on the drive modes but did say the FNR-X also gets an adaptive suspension, active grille shutters, and switchable wheel blades, all three of which can adjust automatically at high speed to cut down wind resistance. Inside, the seats are mounted to multipurpose rails while the rear seats fold flat, both of which should make for increased cargo room on demand. All interior screens feature OLED technology, while the main system screen is capable of voice recognition and customization based on who is using the system.
No word on that engine, the electric motors, or anything like range and fuel economy, but it does have a drive assistance system that provides autonomous driving and route selection based on road conditions. There’s also a HUD that is said to offer augmented reality via the 270-degree, rear-facing camera.
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Could This be the Future of Chevy Design?
This concept is certainly the best-looking concept we’ve seen from Chevy in a long time, and it kind of proves that the brand still has some youth left in it. The bold and well-defined lines are gorgeous and work well with that overly aggressive fascia and four-dimensional rear end. The way the running panels appear to be folded upward and the way the rear glass seems to integrate seamlessly with the taillights are all very aesthetically pleasing. The interior is equally as beautiful with a hexagonal theme, flat bottom steering wheel, and that attractive center console. The side view cameras outside display their view on the screens nestled in the corners of the dash while the hexagonal main display appears to hover ever so slightly in front of the dash.
Personally, I would love to see this thing go into production just the way it is, but it’s doubtful that it ever will. If it was to go into production, Chevy would slaughter it, and it would lose a majority of the features that make it so awesome in its conceptual form. So, is this the future of Chevy design? Maybe, but it’s probably not something we’re going to see anytime soon.