GM’s Smallest-Ever Convertible Previewed By Wuling MINIEV Concept

Could this impossibly cute Hong Guang MINIEV Cabrio concept from GM’s Chinese market Wuling brand actually be destined for production? Some news sites certainly think so. While the Shanghai Auto Show has been awash with daring and dynamic EV concepts from everyone from Honda to Lincoln, the cutesy Wuling Hong Guang MINIEV Cabrio concept has already won the hearts and minds of show-goers and hacks alike.

If it looks somewhat familiar, that’s because the fixed-head version shares a lot with the Dartz FreZe. The Dartz, which starts at under 10,000 (12,000), is one of Europe’s most affordable EVs.

Read: Meet The The Most Affordable EV In Europe, The Dirt Cheap Dartz FreZe

Meanwhile, the already-in-production Hong Guang MINI EV on which this concept is based is the result of a joint partnership between China’s automotive powerhouse, SAIC (holding 51%), the newly EV-conscious General Motors (with a 44% stake), and Chinese microvan-specialist Wuling (the remaining 5%).

The MINIEV’s main selling point that it was cheap… Really cheap. Priced around $4,300 — well below half of what its Dartz European equivalent will be sold for. The microcar struck a chord with buyers, with 15,000 units confirmed within the first 20 days of the microcar going on sale, and a few months later, it was reported that the Hongguang received a staggering 50,000 orders.

Riding on this success, the MINIEV Cabrio was unveiled to the public on the first day of the Shanghai Auto Show. This drop-top spin on the budget EV features a few other subtle design cues other than the obvious topless treatment. It features colored door-inserts, which sort of look like phone-case kickstands. The headlights are now some funky LEDs, and it features some larger and presumably ride-ruining six-spoke wheels on low-profile rubber. The roof itself is fabric and occupies the space where you’d normally find rear seats. Integrated roll hoops protect the two front occupants’ noggins.

It’s all very thought out, and it does make us wonder if the reports from the Chinese site Autohome that state the MINIEV Cabrio will be produced, are right after all. Watch this small, microcar-sized space.