Chery ‘M31T’ SUV concept teased again ahead of Frankfurt

The Chery SUV concept bound for the Frankfurt motor show next month has been teased again in a set of design sketches released by the Chinese manufacturer this week.

Dubbed ‘M31T’, the “mysterious high-end SUV” will debut in concept form next month at the Frankfurt event, previewing a new crossover model that will pioneer Chery’s assault on the European market.

At the front and back there is an LED light strip connecting the head and tail-lights,  a common design feature of a couple of Chery’s recent concepts – including the FV2030.

The overall exterior design is described as an evolution of the company’s “life in motion” philosophy, utilising “hydrodynamic surfacing” to achieve a sleek and athletic look.

For those not in the know, hydrodynamics is a branch of physics that deals with the motion of fluids, forces acting on solid bodies immersed in fluids, and the motion relative to them.

These latest images also offer a better look at what to expect from the interior, which appears to borrow from several other brands’ portfolios in terms of its design and layout.

Chery itself says that the electric gearshift design “could only be found in BMW, [Mercedes]-Benz and the like luxury brands”, so clearly the company is drawing inspiration from Germany’s best.

Leather and chrome is found throughout the cabin, while a 10.0-inch floating tablet-style central infotainment system and 7.0-inch driver’s cluster are confirmed too.

Also set to debut in the M31T concept is a new car networking system developed with Baidu, a Chinese web services company.

Compared to the images of the actual show car revealed a fortnight ago, it seems that Chery has stayed largely true to its design sketches, with the most noticeable changes appearing at the D-pillar and in the angle of the headlights. No surprise, the wheels of the final concept are also far smaller than in their sketched form.

Power is expected to come from a range of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric systems – an approach that will be carried through a range of upcoming Chery products in the coming years.

Stay tuned to CarAdvice for our coverage of the 2017 Frankfurt motor show in the coming weeks.

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