China’s GAC Motors is in attendance at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show with a contingent of concept vehicles that are getting a lot of people’s attention. One of these concepts, the Inverse, is an electric crossover that features an aggressive look, scissor doors, and the promise of a 370-mile range from a 71-kWh battery. In other words, it’s a legitimate concept that the Chinese automaker hopes will serve as a prelude for things to come when the brand launches in the U.S. in 2019.

There’s a strong undercurrent of expectation surrounding GAC’s plan to launch in the U.S. next year. No Chinese brand has made an impact in the American car market so if GAC really wants to make an impression, it’s going to have to show its intended market that it’s the real deal.

So far, the Enverge Concept is a promising start. It’s attention-grabbing in ways that we didn’t expect from a Chinese automaker. It’s not that the concept is a slam dunk — it has some unusual quirks — it’s that it actually came from a Chinese automaker.

The body is aggressive and pleasant to look at. That in itself is a rare occurrence given China’s history of building shoddy knock-off models. Apparently, it can make provocative concepts. The scissor doors also do their part in making head turns, and the interior is a complete revelation.

While I don’t expect the prospective production model to carry this kind of interior, it does give you a glimpse of what GAC is trying to achieve. The massive space-age digital display can compete with similar designs developed by American and European automakers. The thin seats are also aesthetically futuristic, though I find it difficult to imagine them making their way past this stage. There’s also a good amount of space in the cabin, which is partly due to the minimalist approach that GAC seems to have adopted in its design.

If it comes to it, I’d be a fool to think that the Enverge Concept will look like this in production form. GAC will need to tone down a lot of the aesthetic bits and features, including the unnecessary scissor doors. But as far as showcasing its potential in front of the Western auto industry, it’s hard to believe that GAC fell short on its attempt.

You may not like the Enverge Concept, but you can’t argue that the electric crossover is, at the very least, impressionable. That’s already a win for GAC.

References

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