Is There A Valid Argument For A Corvette SUV?

We know its worked for high end brands to go SUV route but my gut doesn't feel this a smart move for Corvette long term.

I beg to differ. Corvette is a brand, owned and manufactured by Chevy. An Impala is a model but a Corvette based on its history, promotion and value is a brand.

Corvette is a highly recognized iconic model name - which resides in the Chevrolet brand lineup. It has high visibility for marketing & "branding" to sell other such products which may or may not be even related to the automotive industry.

The notion of a "Corvette SUV" is sensitive, similar to a rear-engine version OR even a rear-engine AWD version of the Corvette. You gotta be careful not to kill this icon just to gain a few 100k vehicle sales for 1 y or 2 years.

Maybe think about it like this: When Porsche/VW started to develop the Cayenne, do you think they wanted to create a "911 SUV"? Probably not. But they did set out to create an SUV capable of sitting next to the iconic 911 in the lineup.

But if a Corvette SUV were to be made - ride height should be low - kinda like an aggressively styled widebody wagon.

Yes. In the land of cheap gas and guns, Chevrolet will sell all the Corvette SUV's it can make. There is no difference with them doing it vs Porsche. You just have to ignore everyone and get on with it. A smaller truck could work too. It just needs to be better executed than the Escalade. It can't look like a GM truck with a Corvette nose.

If GM is going to make a successful full-on sport SUV to compete with the Cayenne, etc, it should be under the Cadillac brand. Come to think of it, so should the Corvette.

For Porsche, Lamborghini, and Ferrari, it make business sense because it gives their dealerships another product to sell to their existing customers. And it brings in new traffic...

Corvette on the other hand sits in Chevy showrooms.

What I'm really craving is a Suburban-branded sports car. Something light and nimble but with the visual cues of a trailer hitch and running boards.

No.

Enough money has been thrown at Cadillac it should be considered a write off and shut down. Funnel those dollars to Corvette and make it a full like to compete head to head but at a bargain price to Porsche. There could be a Cayenne, Macan, Taycan (ICE) even a smaller sedan too. Add these to the mid-engine coupe line and away you go. They can take over the Cadillac stand alone dealer network.

If GM could build a Lamborghini Urus type SUV equivalent for less than $100k, should they do it? Would there be a market for a 4 - 5 seat performance vehicle.

I say yes. But GM would have to be focus on something truly different from the Tahoes/Escalades that they love to push. I'm not sure I have enough faith in GM not to mess that up. But if they did, I think it would be a winner.

Corvette needs to be a brand that is sold with Cadillac in premium dealers. And yes a Corvette Mako would make a most lovely Macan response.

Corvette can be a model or a brand, a la Genesis, depending on how GM wants to play it. Like most American cars though, it may look good on the outside, but the interior is a whole different matter.