- Published 2026.11.04 20:59
Hyundai's Bayon platform and 138-hp hybrid engine to be shared
New SUV coupe to be built at GM's Gravataí plant in Brazil by 2030
To replace Chevrolet Onix, Sonic and other small cars in South America
Chevrolet, a unit of General Motors (GM), will develop a new SUV coupe using the platform of Hyundai Motor's small sport utility vehicle Bayon. The new model is planned to be mass-produced at a plant in Brazil. This is the result of a comprehensive cooperation agreement signed between GM and Hyundai Motor in 2024, under which the two companies aim to cut new vehicle development costs by sharing platforms and powertrains.
According to Brazilian automotive media Quatro Rodas on Nov. 4, Chevrolet plans to launch a new compact SUV coupe in the Brazilian market by 2030, applying Hyundai Motor's next-generation Bayon platform and hybrid technology. The new model is scheduled to be produced at GM's Gravataí plant in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
The new vehicle project is an extension of the global partnership that GM and Hyundai Motor formed in 2024. In August last year, the two companies announced plans to produce five jointly developed new models targeting the North and South American markets. The new SUV coupe will be based on the skeleton and powertrain provided by Hyundai Motor, but GM's own engineers will design the interior and exterior to fit Chevrolet's identity, applying a coupe-style silhouette.
The next-generation Hyundai Bayon, which will serve as the backbone of the new model, is a small SUV unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, with dimensions of 4.24 meters in length, 1.81 meters in width, 1.56 meters in height, and a wheelbase of 2.60 meters. For the powertrain, Hyundai Motor plans to use an improved version of the hybrid system from the Kona sold in Brazil, combining a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with a 1.32 kWh battery to produce 138 horsepower. The company is also considering launching an internal combustion engine model with a 115-horsepower 1.0-liter turbo flex engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
GM plans to overhaul its small car lineup in the South American market with the introduction of the new SUV coupe. The Gravataí plant currently has an annual capacity of 330,000 units and produces the Onix hatchback and Onix Plus, Chevrolet's main compact models, as well as the Sonic launched in 2026. It is reported that the Onix lineup and Sonic will be discontinued around 2030, and the new SUV coupe based on Hyundai Motor's platform will fill the gap.
Platform sharing between the two companies under the partnership is bidirectional. Following Chevrolet's launch of a new model based on the Hyundai Bayon, Hyundai Motor is also pursuing plans to introduce a new pickup truck based on Chevrolet's mid-size pickup truck S10 in the South American market. Hyundai Motor's next-generation Bayon will begin production first at its Piracicaba plant in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, in 2027, while Chevrolet's SUV coupe is scheduled to enter production in 2030.
※ This article is an AI translation of the Korean original published by Korea Credit News; it was checked by automated quality guards and published by the English edition desk.
