Shortly after the Chevrolet Bolt-based electric crossover surfaced in China as the Buick Velite 7, our eagle-eyed spy photographers have snapped a prototype undergoing tests in the United States.
While it’s unclear if the prototype in question is a Chevrolet-branded or Buick-branded model, it appears identical to the Velite 7 from China. Most notably, the front fascia features a pair of sharp headlights with incorporated LED daytime running lights. A set of vertically-oriented fog lights are also visible.
Related: 2021 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Is A Bolt EV Wrapped As A Crossover
Spin around to the rear and the similarities between this prototype and the Buick continue with the same LED taillights connected by a light bar stretching the width of the rear. Also visible is a subtle roof spoiler and large horizontal reflectors.
Information out of China has suggested the Buick Velite 7 is 167.9-inches (4,264 mm) long and has a 105.3-inch wheelbase (2,675 mm). Those figures will likely be identical for the variant sold in the United States and other markets around the world, making the electric crossover 3.9-inches (99 mm) longer than the Bolt hatchback.
It is understood that the crossover will be dubbed the Bolt EUV (Electric Utility Vehicle) and while China’s Velite 7 uses an electric motor with 174 hp, the Bolt EUV sold stateside is expected to have an uprated electric motor with at least 200 hp and 266 lb-ft (360 Nm) of torque.
Production of the vehicle will be handled by General Motors’ Orion Assembly site that’s receiving no less than $300 million in investments from the automaker. The U.S.-spec model should be unveiled in the coming months and hit the market before the end of the year.