General Motors plans to build redesigned Opel Astra models at its new plant in the Russian city of St Petersburg from 2010, local managing director Hans Juergen Michel told a conference.
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Production of the GM-Daewoo-designed Chevrolet Cruze was scheduled to start at the plant sometime between now and August, commercial production was expected to start in September and a pilot batch of Astras would be built in October, Michel said, according to Prime-Tass.
A pilot batch of the new cars will be produced as soon as October, he said.
Ford already builds the Astra’s key European rival, the Focus, at its plant in the St Petersburg region.
GM’s 70,000 unit a year St Petersburg plant was opened in November 2008 and operated in test mode until February. It currently assembles GM-Daewoo’s Chevrolet Captiva and Opel Antara sport utility vehicles. GM previously assembled cars in St Petersburg at its Arsenal plant.
