Shanghai show: Chevy’s cutting-edge crossover

AN ALL-NEW cutting-edge crossover from General Motors could be a step closer to production with the unveiling of the Chevrolet FNR-X concept at the Shanghai auto show this week.

The hi-tech plug-in hybrid concept has emerged almost two years to the day that GM unveiled its first FNR (Find New Roads) concept at the 2015 Shanghai show – a radical design study that (then) GM vice-president of design Ed Welburn told GoAuto was a prospect for production. “We will definitely see something this expressive at some point,” Mr Welburn told us on the Chevrolet stand at the time.

“The wheels ... I don’t know. But I can more guarantee that the shape of this car, or something like that, will make it into production. But not this year.”

Fast-forward 24 months and GM’s global design operations, now led by Australian Mike Simcoe who was in Shanghai this week for the FNR-X’s unveiling, have turned out a far more production-oriented vehicle than the wild and aggressively styled original.

Whereas the first FNR was a coupe-style four-seater sportscar, the X suffix clearly brands its successor as a compact crossover.

GM North America president and global Chevrolet brand chief Alan Batey, who is a former head of Holden in Australia, described the new FNR study as “one of Chevrolet’s most forward-thinking concept cars, truly exemplifying the brand’s passion for innovation and ingenuity”.

“The FNR-X builds on the design and technology showcased on the original FNR concept and embodies the belief at Chevrolet’s core that anything is possible,” he said.

The company says the latest version “draws inspiration from and exemplifies the century-old brand's combination of performance and versatility to meet multipurpose mobility demands”.

Few mechanical details have been made available, other than the fact that the FNR-X uses a plug-in hybrid powertrain with two driving modes – V (for versatility) and S (for sport) – and an adaptive suspension system that adjusts ground clearance based on the mode selection.

The concept also features active aerodynamic elements, including grille shutters, switchable wheel blades, and front and rear spoilers and side skirts that move up or down in accordance with the drive mode selected.

Other notable features include remote-controlled rear-hinged doors, hi-tech cabin fabrics with hexagonal textures, a panoramic “augmented reality” head-up display that provides an excellent 270-degree posterior-lateral view, an OLED dynamic display, intelligent speech interaction system and ID-customisable information system.

The FNR-X also has an advanced driver-assist system that provides what Chevrolet describes as “highly autonomous driver assistance by choosing the best route based on its predictions for complex road conditions”.