Corvette fans, rejoice: the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will be landing on our shores next year. This has been confirmed by The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCCI), Chevrolet’s official Philippine distributor.
News of the 2021 Corvette Stingray's Philippine debut will definitely get your motor running
The new Chevrolet Corvette headlines an upcoming charge of five new models from the American automaker, which includes the all-new Tahoe and Suburban SUVs, plus two other vehicles that TCCCI has yet to reveal. At the very least, it’s a sign that Chevrolet will still be offering midsize and full-size SUVs for local customers.
But the star of the show is the upcoming Corvette C8 Stingray, and it’s special for reason. While mid-engined Corvettes are nothing new, they had the engines mounted right next to the front axle.
The new Corvette is the first to place the power plant just north of the rear axle, a 6.2L naturally-aspirated LT2 V8 engine derived from LT1 used by the C7 Stingray.
The engine bay is now located behind the seats
A total of 490 hp and 630 Nm of torque push the C8 forward, using a dry sump lubrication system and cylinder deactivation technology. North American versions come with an optional Z51 Performance Package that squeezes out an additional 5 hp and 7 Nm of twist.
The lone transmission offering is an 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which delivers power to the rear wheels for a 0-100 km/h time of less than 3 seconds.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on the touchscreen head unit
>>> Related: Here’s why 2020 Chevy Corvette C8 won't likely reach PH soon
The C8 features a wraparound driver cockpit with racing-inspired steering wheel and all-digital instrument panel. There’s a touchscreen head unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto at the center of the dashboard, but even that is canted towards the driver as well.
In lieu of the regular gear shift lever, the center console now features buttons not just for the transmission, but for other features like climate control and seat cooling.
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No gear lever here, with shifting done by pushing buttons
Meanwhile, the 2021 Tahoe midsize and Chevrolet Suburban full-size SUVs are finally making their Philippine debut, which has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic following their December 2019 launch.
Both now sport the wide grille and slim headlamps from the Silverado pickup, and have dropped the usual rear leaf springs for an independent rear suspension setup. The 10-inch touchscreen display has been revamped to a floating-type screen offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with onboard 4G LTE Wi-Fi.
The 2021 Tahoe (pictured) midsize and Suburban full-size SUVs are also coming here
U.S.-spec versions of the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban include a 5.3L V8 gasoline engine capable of 355 hp and 510 Nm of torque, a bigger 6.2L V8 that makes 420 hp and 624 Nm of twist. There’s also the all-new Duramax 3.0L inline-6 diesel, kicking up 277 hp and 623 Nm of torque. A 10-speed automatic gearbox is standard across the range.
We’ll have to wait for further announcements detailing the final specs and pricing for the three models, as well as the two mystery vehicles that TCCCI only says are global models manufactured for left-hand drive markets.
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