SAIC to buy Opel Insignia platform for Roewe?
Chinese-spec Buick Regal - Click above for high-res image gallery
According to an unnamed source from the 21st Century Business Herald in China (via Gasgoo), Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) has been in talks with General Motors since last March to purchase the Eplison II platform (as used by the latest Opel Insignia and the Chinese-market Buick Regal) for its next Roewe 750 midsize sedan. The fact that SAIC is GM's Chinese partner may seem to lend a bit of credibility to these rumors, though SAIC and General Motors have both initially denied any knowledge of the platform-sharing plan.
While all of Roewe's sedans have so far been based on the aging underpinnings of the former Rover brand from the U.K., recent concepts – such as the attractive N1 from the Shanghai Motor Show earlier this year – show that the Chinese automaker is serious about designing attractive machines for its home market and beyond.
Gallery: 2009 Chinese-spec Buick Regal
[Source: Gasgoo]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Motor_Yakuza 2:07PM (6/24/2009)
There goes the neighbourhood.
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retsel 2:49PM (6/24/2009)
this is a dumb idea... GM is selling out their future. Remember the Toyota Cavalier and the 92 Camry that looked like with the Taurus should evolve into...
GM has a great platform here and they playing games... oh well....
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alex 2:54PM (6/24/2009)
How is this a bad idea? I suppose you could argue that Buick will face a little more competition in China... but is it that big of a deal? It's a new way to make money off an existing platform. Sounds like a good idea to me.
retsel 3:06PM (6/24/2009)
rant/ u really think they are going try to reverse engineer the tech and then kick all the US companys out on their ass (buy out their stake) after they get a handle on it...
We should have done that... ask all foreign car maker to partner with a local company if they want to sell products here...
The future of America is getting dimmer /rant
Gary 3:06PM (6/24/2009)
I can understand wanting to purchase a platform. Even 5-year old car designs are pretty darn stable/stiff/etc.
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johnmsp 4:17PM (6/24/2009)
A greedy capitalist will sell you the noose to hang himself with if he thinks he can make a buck off of it.
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Bloke 4:36PM (6/24/2009)
SAIC is a partner of GM in China. It only makes business sense to cut develepment costs by platform sharing between collaborative companies. Fiat have done this with PSA, Ford of Europe and GM Europe on several occasions in recent years, for example, during periods of such collaboration.
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Aznauto 5:36PM (6/24/2009)
Great move hopefully soon SAIC starts selling car here from China through GM.
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dm789 2:32AM (6/25/2009)
Hey that might be a good idea cut cost but sell it here with a competitive price in its class GM might make some money.
Rene Curry 12:54PM (6/25/2009)
Coming to a Penske Saturn dealer near you! Put this on your calender for 2012
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