Are you ready for a Cadillac Escalade people mover or a Chevrolet Camaro electric crossover?
Not content with stretching the Corvette name into new, very Porsche-like territory, sources have told Car and Driver GM is considering turning the Chevrolet Camaro and Cadillac Escalade into sub-brands with more model offerings.
This follows a recent report suggesting from 2025 Corvette will become a sub-brand that includes an electric sedan and electric crossover.
These will be sold alongside the existing C8 Corvette mid-engine V8 coupe and convertible, as well as the upcoming hybrid and electric models.
Chevrolet Camaro ZL1
Currently the Chevrolet Camaro is a two-door coupe and convertible powered by either four-, six- or eight-cylinder engines, but the next-generation two-door is expected to be an all-electric affair with 2+2 seating.
The American magazine understands GM is thinking of adding a set of sportily-styled electric three- and five-door crossovers to the Camaro range.
This could be joined by an EV sports car based on the C9 (or ninth-generation) Corvette, probably featuring less power, toned-down styling and a lower price point.
Cadillac Escalade-V
As for the Cadillac Escalade, the nameplate could be applied to a smaller three-row crossover. There may also be an additional car-like model around the same size as today’s 5.38m to 5.77m Escalade SUV.
Launched in 1998, the Escalade is the most luxurious version of GM’s full-size body-on-frame SUV range, which includes the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, and GMC Yukon.
The most recent Escalade went into production in 2020, and features unique front and rear ends, as well as completely different dashboard with multiple large, curved displays.
If this talk of brand expansion is a bit much for you, it’s probably time to take a Bex and have a good lie down, because the powers that be are also considering a fourth Escalade model: a people mover. This would only be sold in China, though, where people movers remain popular.
Indeed, some, like the Buick GL8, have four-seat variants with first-class seating and amenities. Indeed, the Lexus LM was spun off from the Toyota Alphard in 2020, and features a similar four-seat setup with a large TV screen.
Buick GL8 Century
Should GM approve these plans to turn the Corvette, Camaro and Escalade names into “brand umbrellas”, it will be following in the footsteps of crosstown rival Ford, which has successfully managed to convert two strong legacy nameplates — Bronco and Mustang — into sub-brands.
In 2021, the Mustang Mach-E was not only Ford’s first stab at a mainstream EV, but also the first time the horse logo was applied to something with more than two doors.
Around the same time Ford revived the Bronco as a Ranger-based rough-and-tumble off-roader to take on the Jeep Wrangler.
Just a year earlier the automaker launched the Bronco Sport, a small crossover that shares its underpinnings with the Escape, but equipped with more rugged-looking exterior and interior.
