General Motors will launch a new series of made-in-China Chevrolets next month.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The Associated Press (AP) said the new small and mid-size models will roll out in late February and will be sold through a network of 100 dealerships to be set up across China to sell and service the vehicles.
AP noted that GM has invested more than $US2 billion (€1.5 billion) in China since 1998 in joint ventures that now make domestic brands as well as Buick sedans, Chevrolet Blazers, minivans and other models – it claims about 8% of China’s vehicle market.
GM China introduced Saab and Cadillac in 2004 to meet strong demand for premium and luxury vehicles, the report added, noting that, until now, GM has distributed only its Blazer and Spark models under the Chevrolet brand in China.
The automaker now hopes to expand its presence there by targeting the fast-growing small and mid-size market segments which account for 70% of all car sales in China, Joseph Liu, executive director of vehicle sales, service and marketing for General Motors China Group, told the Associated Press.
“We identified the need to develop Chevrolet into another popular domestic brand alongside Buick,” Liu reportedly said in a statement.
According to AP, Liu said the new Chevrolet lineup would be tailored to meet local customer requirements with the expectation that most buyers would be young professionals aged up to 40 buying a car for personal use.
