GM hints at plug-in CUV with ‘Crossvolt’ trademark

It’s the end of the year, so it’s a good time to camp out by the proverbial patent office to see what automakers will file, giving us hints of things to come. An interesting file of note was one made by General Motors, in which the automaker claims the name “Crossvolt” as its own.

The name has kicked off a round of speculation as it implies some connection to GM’s Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid sedan.

What makes this interesting is that at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show, Chevrolet debuted the Volt MPV5, a crossover-like vehicle based off its electric hybrid. Shortly thereafter, the “crossvolt” name was trademarked by GM, speculating that it would be the moniker of the production crossover based on the concept.

chevrolet mpv5 volt concept — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ultimately, nothing came about from the trademark and it was even left to expire this year. News of the re-filing of the very same trademark, however, has reignited speculation about the plug-in crossover, with people thinking that GM might have something related to announce at the upcoming 2015 Detroit Auto Show in January.

Less exciting than a new vehicle, but still interesting is that the “Cross” prefix could suggest an all-wheel drive version of the Volt might debut in 2016. We’re hoping it’s the former. Then again, GM has already lapsed on this trademark before, so this could be the company simply locking down the name as a protective measure.

Until we have more solid clues, or if GM has anything definitive to say in the matter, it’s all just grist for the rumor mill. With a major auto show just a few weeks away, we hopefully won’t have to wait long for something substantial.

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