GM Russia will display the Chevrolet Cobalt, a small sedan for lower-income markets, at the Moscow motor show. The new model is the latest product to be built by a GM joint venture in Uzbekistan.
The Cobalt sits on the Gamma Long platform and was introduced by GM do Brasil in 2011. It is built at that division’s Gravataí plant in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. It will be built or assembled at a plant in Asaka from later in 2012.
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“As the fourth-largest market for Chevrolet, Russia has become a priority for General Motors,” said Jim Bovenzi, president and managing director of GM Russia & CIS. “We are responding with products that will satisfy the needs of our customers nationwide.”
GM Russia is increasingly offering cars and light trucks which are not available in Chevrolet Europe’s markets due to differing emissions standards, fuel prices and fuel type. Another example of this is the new Trailblazer SUV which will also appear alongside the Cobalt at the Moscow show.
GM notes that Chevrolet has been Russia’s best-selling foreign automotive brand for the last five years. In 2011, sales reached 173,484 vehicles, a 49% increase over 2010, the year in which the local market was in near-collapse. According to Russia’s AEB Car Manufacturer Committee, from January to July 2012, Chevrolet sold 115,755 vehicles, a 19% rise year-on-year. The Niva and Cruze are the brand’s top models.
Author: Glenn Brooks
