Autoblog

Cadillac expanding XTS production to China

Chris Paukert — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China, Plants/Manufacturing, Cadillac, GM, Beijing Motor Show, Luxury

Cadillac's new XTS isn't just headed to China, it will be built there. The forthcoming full-size luxury cruiser had already been earmarked for production in General Motors' Oshawa, Ontario Assembly Plant, but the automaker has just announced in Beijing that it will also be built in China with its joint venture partner Shanghai General Motors.

Cadillac is still a relatively small player in China's premium segment, with just 68 dealers and 30,000 sales last year. However, it's growing quickly, with March sales up more than 35 percent year-over-year to 2,745 units. Better still, General Motors says Cadillac's average buying age is very young - just 35 - and it expects to have 120 dealers online by the end of this year to meet growing demand.

The idea of local XTS production strikes us as a smart one, as China is enjoying a swell in demand for luxury cars, and it has always maintained a strong demand for vehicles with large rear seats. Cadillac already has a solid track record building in the communist nation, as it first began assembling the China-only SLS Executive Sedan - essentially an extended wheelbase STS - back in 2006.

Continue reading Cadillac expanding XTS production to China

Cadillac expanding XTS production to China originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM and Chinese automaker SAIC sign EV deal

Steven J. Ewing — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: China, Plants/Manufacturing, GM, Electric

General Motors has announced that it will partner with China's SAIC Motor Corporation on the development of an all-new electric vehicle. The final product will be sold in China under the SAIC brand, but GM will benefit from the deal by having a new electric vehicle platform which can be used to spawn new vehicles in other global markets.

The new EV will be developed at SAIC and GM's Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center in Shanghai, where teams from both companies will work together to develop key components of the vehicle's structure. Of course, it's still unclear exactly what type of vehicle will come from this partnership, though GM notes that this partnership's work was previewed by the Sail concept that debuted late last year. Hit the jump for the official press release.

Continue reading GM and Chinese automaker SAIC sign EV deal

GM and Chinese automaker SAIC sign EV deal originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM celebrates launch of new small pickup - for China

Michael Harley — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, China, GM

General Motors has launched its new Kuncheng pickup at the Changchun International Automobile Fair in Changchun, Jilin, China. The first model from FAW-GM's new manufacturing facility in Changchun, the Kuncheng (best translated as 'Earth Journey') promises a better interior, more cargo capacity, improved handling, more modern styling and a priority on safety technology.

According to GM, the four-door truck will offer both 2.2-liter and 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines in either gasoline or diesel formats. The powerplants are equipped with "unique combustion, air-changing, lubrication and cooling technologies to maximize fuel efficiency and minimize emissions while generating low levels of noise," says GM (without elaborating).

The automaker does define the safety equipment, citing anti-lock brakes and a "front impact-absorbing structure and four-door impact steel beams (to) help minimize damage in the event of a collision. Among the other safety features are three-point seat belts in front, a collapsible steering column, child-proof doors in back and a center high-mounted stop lamp."

Not the sexiest of machines, then, but likely a capable workhorse.

Continue reading GM celebrates launch of new small pickup - for China

GM celebrates launch of new small pickup - for China originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: GM looking to double China sales to five million units

Chris Shunk — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 10:31:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, China, Plants/Manufacturing, GM, Earnings/Financials

2013 Chevrolet Malibu - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Chinese auto market is the biggest in the world, and thanks the country's population of 1.6 billion people, nobody knows just how big this market will end up being. General Motors has been a major force in the success of this emerging market, with 2.35 million sales in 2010, and the automaker may just be getting started.

The Detroit Free Press reports that GM China President Kevin Wale is looking for sales of five million vehicles per year by 2015, or more than double the 2010 totals. That's a massive sum that would likely require billions of dollars in added production, but based on sales over the last decade, it wouldn't be at all surprising if the demand continued to climb for another ten years or more.

Chinese car buyers will get a glimpse of the next generation of new vehicles at the Shanghai Motor Show this week. As in recent years, the show will be home to many global vehicle introductions that in the past would have seen their debuts occur at Europe or U.S. shows.

Gallery: 2013 Chevrolet Malibu

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Report: GM looking to double China sales to five million units originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Apr 2011 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More Buick Envision CUV concept renderings trickle out ahead of Shanghai

Chris Shunk — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Crossover, Buick, Shanghai Motor Show, Design/Style

Buick Envision Concept - Click above to view the image gallery

Back in 2007, General Motors unveiled the Buick Riviera concept at the Shanghai Auto Show. The handsome concept featured a lot of the design cues that we now see every day in the LaCrosse. At the same time, the Riviera showed that The General's sometimes dowdy Buick brand could rock a coupe as well as the next brand.

Four years later, GM is going back to the two-door at Shanghai, but this time we're talking about the crossover-like Envision concept. GM tells us that the design illustrates "elegant and smooth exterior that emphasizes its modern styling and contemporary sportiness." We don't know about all of that, but the sketches show the Envision could be a very handsome crossover that may suggest us what the next Enclave could look like. The whole gullwing coupe thing is another matter, as the doors look longer than a school bus, and a pillar-less crossover doesn't sound all that reasonable.

The Envision is also said to include the expected plug-in hybrid technology that is all the rage with concept cars these days. The sketch of the interior, which are showed in the gallery below, is fanciful and not for production. The Envision concept will be officially unveiled at Shanghai on April 18.

Gallery: Shanghai 2011: Buick Envision Concept

[Source: General Motors via China Car Times]

More Buick Envision CUV concept renderings trickle out ahead of Shanghai originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM shows off first model from new Baojun brand in China

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 09:27:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Sedan, China, GM

Baojun 630 Passenger Car - Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors, through its joint venture with SAIC and Wuling, has produced the first model for its new entry-level brand Baojun. The name means "treasured horse" and its first model is evocatively called the 630 Passenger Car. The compact four-door is slated to go on sale in China sometime in the first half of 2011, and the very first example has just rolled off the production line.

The styling of the Baojun 630 has some lines that remind us of the Chevrolet Cruze, but there is also a handful of other influences evident throughout this five-seater. We're not sure exactly what's under that hood, but we do know it's supplied by GM and meets local as well as Euro IV emissions standards.

Baojun is hoping to capture first-time buyers in China's second and third-tier markets. Early reports pegged the 630 with a price tag of around $7,000, and we are still waiting to hear an official ruling on the MSRP. Thanks to all for the tips.

Gallery: Baojun 630 Passenger Car

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading GM shows off first model from new Baojun brand in China

GM shows off first model from new Baojun brand in China originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM launches new low-cost brand in China and it's a 'treasured horse'

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:41:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, China, GM

While the German automakers - and Buick - mop up outrageous demand for their wares in China's major metropolitan and coastal cities, General Motors wants to be the nameplate of choice in the secondary cities and the interior. And now in conjunction with its joint-venture partners SAIC and Wuling, it has launched another nameplate: Baojun. Meaning "treasured horse," Baojun is the low-cost brand that will sell passenger cars built in China for priced in the area of $7,000.

The Baojun's sales network will be built after the car is launched, but GM hasn't let slip when that will be. The aims are lofty for the small runabout tasked with opening up another market segment, with the general manager of SAIC-GM-Wuling declaring, "We aim to surpass customer expectations by creating a brand that combines world-class quality with low ownership costs." Follow the jump for the press release on the venture.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading GM launches new low-cost brand in China and it's a 'treasured horse'

GM launches new low-cost brand in China and it's a 'treasured horse' originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Chinese-market Cadillac SLS to get 2.0L DI turbo four-cylinder

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:29:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China, Cadillac, Luxury

According to a report out of China, Cadillac is planning to add the 2.0-liter turbocharged, direct-injected Ecotec in-line four-cylinder as an option in the SLS sedan. The SLS, you'll recall, is an extended-wheelbase version of the STS built only for the Chinese market. The SLS will likely use the same 220 horsepower, 258 pound-foot version of the 2.0 turbo being installed in the Buick Regal/Opel Insignia.

The 2.0-liter actually offers more torque than the 3.0-liter direct-injected V6 already offered in the SLS and nearly as much horsepower as the 3.6-liter, so it should be a viable option for the big sedan. Considering that most of these cars are purchased for executives to be driven around in, absolute performance and driving pleasure might as well take a back seat to running costs anyway, right?

[Source: TheTycho]

Report: Chinese-market Cadillac SLS to get 2.0L DI turbo four-cylinder originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM: Big(ger) in China

Chris Shunk — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:33:00 EST

Filed under: China, Chevrolet, GM

2010 Chevrolet Sail - Click above for high-res image gallery

In 2007 General Motors broke Chinese sales records with over one million vehicles sold. That sounded pretty impressive at the time, but just three years later GM's sales have come so far so fast that the General is now officially selling more vehicles in the Land of the Great Wall than it is in the States.

The Detroit Bureau reports that GM's China sales are up 54 percent in 2010 versus the first five months of 2009, with 1,032,665 cars and trucks sold so far this year. The General isn't doing nearly that well here in the U.S, with 882,277 units sold during the same period.

The biggest reason GM's sales continue to outpace the growth of its competition is the shot in the arm provided by the Chevy brand. The Bow Tie brand's sales are up 104 percent on the year, led by a 113 percent increase in sales of the Cruze. GM sold 14,524 copies of the Cruze in May alone, while the new-for-2010 Sail already hit 7,616 sales. While Chevy is quickly growing in the Chinese market, the still hot Buick brand is starting to show some signs of leveling off. Sales of the Tri-shield are up a mere 22 percent so far this year. Cadillac appears to be stealing a bit of Buick's thunder as well, as the Wreath and Crest is up 98 percent on the year.

Gallery: 2010 Chevrolet New Sail

[Source: The Detroit Bureau]

GM: Big(ger) in China originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Buick Excelle GT sedan debuts in China, U.S. version expected next year

Eric Loveday — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 10:28:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China, Buick

Buick Excelle GT - Click above for high-res image gallery

Later this month, the all-new 2011 Buick Excelle GT sedan will hit dealer lots over in China. Ramping up for the release, Shanghai GM, a joint venture between General Motors and China's SAIC Motor Corp., released these pics for us. We had some spy shots for you before and even brought you those daring pics of a naked Excelle GT on the loose, but now we have the official pics.

Over in China, the Buick Excelle GT will be offered with the choice of either a 1.8-liter naturally-aspirated engine that churns out 145 horsepower or a more potent 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder mill pumping out 181 hp. The Excelle GT is built on the same platform that underpins the Chevrolet Cruze, Opel Astra and two-door Excelle XT. More importantly, the Excelle GT sedan provides us with a good idea of what to expect when Buick releases their U.S. version sometime late next year. Reports suggest that a name change will occur before the Buick debuts here, and Verano appears to be the front-runner right now.

Gallery: Buick Excelle GT Debut China

[Source: Buick]

Buick Excelle GT sedan debuts in China, U.S. version expected next year originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: GM to give China dedicated vehicle, launch up to 30 models there in five years

Michael Harley — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: China, Plants/Manufacturing, Buick, Chevrolet, GM

According to Automotive News China, at least one new inexpensive model from Buick or Chevrolet will be dedicated to the Chinese and other emerging markets. The undisclosed model will arrive before 2011. In addition, two more Buick-badged vehicles, and four more wearing Chevrolet logos, will roll into Chinese showrooms in the next two years.

Looking further down the road, Kevin Wale, General Motors' China Group president, reportedly also confirmed that the automaker plans to launch as many as 30 new models by 2014 in an effort to double sales. Of the 8.35 million GM cars and trucks sold in 2008, 1.09 million were sold in China.

[Source: Automotive News China, subs. req'd]

REPORT: GM to give China dedicated vehicle, launch up to 30 models there in five years originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Jul 2009 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM hits two million Buick sales in China

Chris Shunk — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:34:00 EST

Filed under: China, Buick, GM

2009 Buick Regal (China Spec) - click above for high-res image gallery

It took General Motors eight years to sell one million Buicks in China, but the second million came in only three. Brisk auto sales in the land of the Great Wall are part of the reason for the increase, but the General has also stepped up its product lineup with new offerings, including the Regal, LaCrosse, and Park Avenue. Shanghai GM's two-millionth Buick was a red Regal, delivered to a customer in the southern city of Guangzhou.

While those vehicles have brought some high-end class to GM Shanghai's Buick operation, they haven't come close to the success of the smaller Excelle. Shanghai GM has sold 900,000 copies of the Excelle sedan, hatch, and wagon since 2003, and sales are still going strong with 94,000 units moved in the first five months of 2009.

While Buick has struggled as a brand here in the States, the marquee has enjoyed blockbuster success in China. Buick was a smash success in China in the 1930s, as provincial presidents and emperors chose the brand over more austere offerings from the likes of Rolls-Royce and Mercedes-Benz, and it appears some of that goodwill has been projected into modern times.

Gallery: 2009 Chinese-spec Buick Regal

Continue reading GM hits two million Buick sales in China

GM hits two million Buick sales in China originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #127

Dan Roth — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Etc., Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials, Opinion/Editorial

Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!

Chris, Sam, and Dan kick it for Episode #127 of the Autoblog Podcast. Of course, there are the usual tangents around the topics, which this week include BMW's new Z4, a poll about Hybrids, Chrysler's bankruptcy, Toyota's losses, Opel's new Astra and the possibility of General Motors building US-market cars in China, and we make time for some questions at the end. It's an hour show this week, and a chock-full one at that. Next week, it's a reader-question edition, so get your emails rolling in to podcast at autoblog dot com and we'll see you next week! Thanks for listening!

Follow the jump to subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, add the show to your RSS aggregator... or listen to it right now!

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #127

Autoblog Podcast #127 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 May 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shanghai 2009: Buick's handsome new MPV concept is all business

Chris Paukert — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:27:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Minivan/Van, China, Buick, GM, Shanghai Motor Show

Buick "Business" MPV concept - Click above for a hi-res gallery

General Motors has unveiled its new Buick "Business" MPV concept in Shanghai, and while details remain scarce as we try to practice our Chinese, we can tell you that while the idea of another Buick minivan may be hard for U.S. audiences to swallow (after the poor sales and driving experience of the Terraza), Buick MPVs do a very solid trade in China as executive transports. Thus, instead of prioritizing sippy cup storage, this is clearly more of a high-roofed luxury limousine.

Our compatriots over at Autoblog Chinese (who bring you these images) tell us that this vehicle is the result of a joint-venture between General Motors China and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center, as was the 2007 Rivera concept before it. If our Google translator is to be believed, this vehicle is still based on the Buick GL8 (read: Terraza), and the "land-based business class" concept is designed to point the way toward future visions of Buick luxury for customers in the land of the Great Wall. We'll have more details for you as they become available. For now, take a look at the gallery below.

Gallery: shanghai 2009:buick mpv concept

Shanghai 2009: Buick's handsome new MPV concept is all business originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM looking to double sales in China by 2013?

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: China, GM, Earnings/Financials

General Motors sold 1.09 million vehicles in China in 2008, and the automaker wants to nearly double that figure to two million by 2013. A GM spokeswoman in China said they'll do that by introducing thirty -- that's right, 30 - "new or upgraded models" over the next five years. The company's March sales were up in China, along with everyone else's, thanks to China's new car buying incentive. With Q1 sales at 363,701 units, that would put GM on course for nearly 1.5 million cars sold in 2009.

In the short term, the sales targets rely on the global economy not getting any worse, and the Chinese government artificially propping up sales. Over the long term, GM must be hoping that by the time the economy turns around it will still be a strong enough to take advantage of its dominant position, its eight Chinese joint ventures and China-specific development, and the allure of those 30 new and revised models. If it can't, then Volkswagen looks to be the wolf in the shadows, having also pledged to double its sales to two million units by 2018.

[Source: Reuters]

GM looking to double sales in China by 2013? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: GM China spokesman denies pondering selling Buick to SAIC

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:26:00 EST

Filed under: China, Buick, GM

Chinese-spec Buick Regal - Click above for high-res image gallery

Yesterday's rumors regarding a possible Buick sale to China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC) might have been a wee bit premature according to an unnamed executive at GM China. This news should be anything but surprising - we didn't put much stock in the rumor when we first reported it - since the success of the Buick brand is one of GM's few current bright spots.

In America, General Motors has singled out Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick as the core brands that it will concentrate on, which gives further reason to believe that the Buick nameplate will be staying right where it is in the General Motors portfolio. Hummer, Saab and Saturn, on the other hand, remain very much for sale.

Gallery: 2009 Chinese-spec Buick Regal

[Source: Gasgoo]

REPORT: GM China spokesman denies pondering selling Buick to SAIC originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM may use profits from China to float North American operations

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:02:00 EST

Filed under: China, GM, Earnings/Financials

Big Bob Lutz said that GM declaring bankruptcy is "out of the question." Of course, that was two years ago, when things like a $25 billion government loan would have sounded ludicrous. That was also before the auto industry mess got messier, and in order to stay true to those words today, GM is doing whatever it has to do to find money to stay in business. It heard Chrysler has an $11 billion piggy bank and a couple of jewels (Jeep and minivans) and GM said "Come here, girl! Lemme holla at you for a minute!"

Now GM is looking at its own international stable, and has its eye on China as a source of stopgap revenue for its North American operations. We've posted before on the fact that GM's international operations aren't doing too badly, and GM China sold 11.5 million vehicles last year -- more than any other manufacturer there. This year, it expects China sales volume to grow by 11- to 12-percent, and that means yuan in the bank.

Lutz said of the China move, "We do not rule out such a possibility under current conditions." These are hard times, but -- just like the good ones -- they're temporary, and GM just needs a little help to get to payday. Using money from one of your branches makes perfect sense to us. What doesn't make perfect sense is that China will get the Cruze the same time as Europe, in early '09, while we in the U.S. have to wait years in line for a car that we've been screaming for. Ah, GM, what are we going to do with you?

[Source: Gasgoo]

GM may use profits from China to float North American operations originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM seeking Chinese suitor for HUMMER?

Dan Roth — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:28:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Truck, China

The continual grousing over fuel prices has earned the HUMMER brand a place on consumers' fecal roster. There's nothing wrong with what HUMMER has on offer, other than the fact that large, off-road capable trucks make terrible commuter cars, and the idiots misusing their H2s for tasks better suited to Cobalts are finally wising up. This re-thinking of emetic consumption has sent HUMMER sales down the sewer, and with no end in sight, GM is seriously considering selling the brand to stanch the cash bleed.

China is a huge emerging market for General Motors - Buick is big there, for example. As such, GM's Fritz Henderson has indicated its willingness to hold discussions with any Chinese company interested in buying the division. It's not like HUMMER is a brand with lots of history, anyway. Only the H1 had any legitimate claim to military lineage, and that vehicle hasn't been available for a while. The survival of the brand in the U.S. market may hinge on competing more directly with the Jeep Wrangler, regardless of ownership. The same way as Jaguar and Land Rover are a handy entre into serious carmaking for Tata, HUMMER could be a way for Chinese automakers to crack the U.S. market.

[Source: Inside Line]

GM seeking Chinese suitor for HUMMER? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Chevy Beat caught testing in China

Dan Roth — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 07:29:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Spy Photos, China, Chevrolet, GM

We saw the Chevy Beat concept unveiled a year ago, and now a camouflaged mule has been caught testing in China, fueling speculation that the Beat will succeed the Spark in that market. The Beat is certainly far less dowdy than the Spark, which is also sold, sometimes gratuitously, as the Matiz in other markets. When the Beat debuted as one in a trio of concepts, it was the sportiest of the three and described as a "tuner car" offering substantial levels of customization at the retail level, much like a Scion. That rhetoric may not be for world-wide consumption, however, and the Beat could wind up looking sharp on the outside and offering you roll-your-own windows and milk jug-quality plastics in the cabin. Of course, GM could pull a Ford and deliver a deliciously stylish small car everywhere but the United States, just as our fuel costs skyrocket ever further. Thanks for the tip, Kevin!

[Source: China Car Times]

Spy Shots: Chevy Beat caught testing in China originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Apr 2008 07:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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