It seems that the topic of electric cars from the Chinese market in Ukraine is simply inexhaustible. Here is another example – Chevrolet Menlo electric car. What kind of model is that? What are the design features? How does it feel on the road? I will tell you everything now!
Crossover, hatchback, station wagon? All together?
The first question that arises around the Chevrolet Menlo electric car is the definition of its body type. After all, different features intersect here. Here is a general elongated silhouette – it’s like a station wagon. However, there are not enough rear side windows for a clear definition – then it might be a hatchback. And if you add increased ground clearance (160-165 mm depending on the load) and black plastic linings, then it looks like a crossover.
Chevrolet Menlo electric car combined features of several body types. And he also combined 4665 mm of length, 1813 mm of width, 1538 mm of height; the wheelbase stretched by 2,660 mm – i.e., the large overhangs of the body account for two meters of the total length. The rear rack of the roof is quite powerful and “deaf”: there is no additional window here. Wheels, 17-inch headlights based on LED technology. GB/T charging ports are located separately: one (for alternating current) in the front wing; the second (for direct current) – in the front part, under the cross-logo.
So, the design and format of the body are original. But the design is already quite familiar for electric cars of this class: the supporting body, the front drive and the front location of the electric motor, the battery is installed from below. However, note that there are different versions of the Chevrolet Menlo electric car.
After all, it started its career (debut in 2019, start of sales in 2020) with an electric motor with a capacity of 110 kW and a battery with a capacity of 52.5 kWh, which promised a range of up to 410 km. However, already in 2022, a significantly improved version of the Chevrolet Menlo electric car appeared: an installed electric motor with a capacity of 130 kW (177 hp) and a battery with a capacity of 61.1 kWh, which promises a range of up to 518 km. However, this is by a rather optimistic Chinese measurement standard. But third-party sources speak of a real range of 425 km.
The design of the Chevrolet Menlo is ordinary: the supporting body, the front drive and the location of the electric motor, the battery from below. Just pay attention to the specific version of the electric car: new modifications have a more powerful electric motor and a larger battery. By the way, a liquid cooling system is announced for the latter. The electric car offers a built-in charger with a capacity of up to 7.2 kW, so it takes at least 8.5-9 hours to fully charge the battery from an alternating current source. A direct current (DC) station will take half an hour to charge the battery 10-80%.
Inside: enough space, but a lot of comments on small things
Similar to the design, the interior of the Chevrolet Menlo is also quite expected. There are no more experiments here, as with the body format, but there is enough space in front and behind. By the way, in the cabin there are no thoughts about a wagon body, because the landing profile is typically “horizontal” and light – extended legs, the roof is not far above the head. However, due to its considerable dimensions, there is enough space.
But there is not enough attention to details. For example, the front panel has a pleasant “multi-layer” design, a separately installed “climate” unit, the driver’s hands touch the steering wheel in a modern style. But budget materials are used, the steering wheel does not have a leather cover. Another example: in the brand photos of the Chevrolet Menlo interior, we see the original multimedia system, but the test electric car already has a system based on an Android tablet. It looks good, there is a Ukrainian translation, but it creaks at hand and covers the emergency alarm button.
We went further: the seats have a “leather” finish, but are quite flat in their profile. They sat back and found a wide sofa for 2-3 people, but only one ventilation deflector. After all, let’s take a look at the trunk: it is quite spacious (433 liters), there is a side niche, and there is an organizer at the bottom – well, at least there are no comments.
At first glance, the Chevrolet Menlo interior is quite pleasant, but a closer look raises the question: there is a lack of amenities and details. But thank goodness there’s plenty of headroom and trunk size.
When the main thing is dynamics and comfort
That’s right: dynamic acceleration and suspension comfort are the main characteristics of the Chevrolet Menlo electric car. And the rest are nuances.
A pleasant quick start from a standstill, a noticeable unbroken acceleration, pressing into the back of the seat, there are even skids on cold winter asphalt – and the Chevrolet Menlo electric car pleasantly surprises with its dynamics. Moreover, such accelerations are possible not only from a standstill, but also on the move at least at city speeds. And even with ESO or normal driving mode; and in SPORT mode, the motor seems to have an extra 10% power.
All this is accompanied by good suspension comfort. The Chevrolet Menlo electric car drives gently, it smoothly sways on bumps, tries to compensate for them as much as possible and round them off. And now the nuance – of course, such a soft suspension, multiplied by a slightly increased body clearance, leads to noticeable rolls in turns.
Or another nuance: the steering wheel has medium sharpness and is quite light – the Chevrolet Menlo electric car seems to set a relaxed driving style. 3-stage recovery also helps in many ways. And (another nuance) the intensity depends on the selected general mode of movement: in the standard mode, the recuperation settings still allow a smooth coasting, but in the ESO mode, the recuperation already works until the electric car comes to a complete stop.
The character of Chevrolet Menlo is determined by a rather powerful electric motor: I think the declared acceleration time to “hundreds” in 7.4-7.9 seconds (depending on the specific version) and a maximum speed of 170 km/h. – Quite real. A recuperation intensity switch and a MODE button are installed next to the direction selector lever: the driving modes affect the feeling behind the wheel and the design of the digital 8-inch instrument panel. Although with all the options of the latter, I still could not find an English version of the translation. The manufacturer of the Chevrolet Menlo electric car is a joint plant of SAIC-GM.
Bottom line: Is the Chevrolet Menlo worth considering?
I remember once meeting electric cars Volkswagen ID.4 Crozz or Honda M-NV – they were electric cars from Volkswagen and Honda, but made in Chinese factories. However, the impression of Chevrolet Menlo is different: it is originally a Chinese electric car that just received the famous Chevrolet cross.
Is it good or bad? It all depends on what you compare it to. After all, the Chevrolet Menlo electric car is relatively inexpensive, it can be purchased for approximately $20,000 (plus/minus a few thousand depending on the specific version and configuration). And I perfectly remember other Chinese electric cars for that kind of money – they will be BYD e2 or Dongfeng E11K, not Volkswagen or Honda.
If you compare with them, the Chevrolet Menlo electric car is certainly worthy of attention – and it is simply a head higher in all key indicators: design, power, battery size! In fact, Chevrolet Menlo is interesting even for a general theoretical study – how much the offer on the market has changed for similar money! Here are some difficult but interesting conclusions about the seemingly simple Chevrolet Menlo electric car.
