2020 Chevrolet Corvette US pricing and specification revealed

Chevrolet has revealed US pricing and specification for the 2020 Chevrolet C8 Corvette, providing the first concrete clues as to how Australian Corvettes may be specified.

As promised at the end of its launch presentation, US pricing for the Corvette will start under US$60,000, albeit only just, with an entry ticket of $US59,995 for the 1LT variant.

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Even the base model comes extremely well-equipped. As well as carrying a 365kW/630Nm 6.2-litre V8 in its middle, attached to an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the 1LTincludes eight-way adjustable electric leather seats, dual-zone climate control, leather steering wheel, 10-speaker Bose sound system, eight-inch colour infotainment touch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, 12.0-inch configurable digital instrument display, high-definition rear-view camera and rear park assist and LED headlights.

Stepping up to the US$67,295 2LT adds a full-colour head-up display, heating, ventilation, memory function and powered lumbar and wing adjustment for the seats, satellite navigation, a heated steering wheel, 14-speaker Bose stereo, performance data recorder, a front-view camera, rear camera mirror with auto-dimming and active safety aids in the form of blind-spot alert and rear cross-traffic alert.

Finally, for $71,945 the 3LT includes GT2 seats with Napa and Mulan leather and carbon fibre trim, suede-wrapped upper interior trim with leather wrapping the rest of the interior. All prices are excluding state taxes and on-road costs.

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Of huge interest is the $5000 Z51 Performance Package, including a performance exhaust which lifts outputs to 369kW/637Nm, performance suspension, an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, front splitter and rear spoiler, bigger brakes with better cooling, a shorter final drive, enhanced drivetrain cooling and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres instead of the standard all-season rubber.

While all this leaves us little wiser as to the final Australian pricing of the Corvette, it gives a window into the specification levels and the premium each attracts. Currently, one US dollar buys $1.47 Australian dollars, so a straight currency conversion (including 10 per cent GST and 33 per cent Luxury Car Tax) puts the 1LT at around AUD$107,000 before on-road costs.

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We’d speculate that a more likely outcome will be that Australian cars will be 2LT variants, if only for the added active safety equipment, and possibly come with the Z51 Performance Package standard. Again, a straight currency conversion puts this at around AUD$133,000 before on-roads.

This is an over-simplification, as it assumes that Holden will be paying US retail price for the Corvettes it imports, but it at least provides a ballpark figure to give potential customers an idea of the features they can expect and the price tag the iconic American sports car will attract.

We’ll bring you more information as it comes to light.