Chevy's next-gen cars will get Corvette styling cues

DETROIT -- Subtle design elements of the Corvette -- from the hexagonal taillights to its taut hood -- will be recognizable in many of Chevrolet's upcoming cars, General Motors global design boss Ed Welburn says.

He says designers are working harder to infuse Chevy's next generation of cars, several of which are scheduled to appear over the next year, with some DNA from the brand's most iconic nameplate.

"As Malibu and Cruze and Volt come to market, you'll be able to see a subtle link between some of the form vocabulary for all of them and Corvette," Welburn told Automotive News last week.

"I always look at the hood of the Corvette and the sectioning, the way it's taut, very lean, very sporty," Welburn said. "That will be a part of really everything we do for Chevrolet."

Chevy wants to leverage the Corvette aura as it looks to elevate exterior design as a competitive edge. The seventh-generation Corvette has been lauded for jet fighter-inspired styling that leans toward a European supercar.

"Stunning design -- that's something we really want to push," Chevrolet global chief Alan Batey said in an interview last month.

Welburn says the Corvette's squared-off taillights -- a source of controversy among loyalists -- will be hinted at "in all other Chevrolets, I think in a very positive way."

"In the past," he said, "we never really took advantage of iconic vehicles like Camaro and Corvette the way we are today."