GM together with its two giant manufacturing joint ventures—Shanghai General Motors (SGM) and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (Saic)-GM-Wuling—combined their resources to display a total of 37 vehicles that highlighted the design, technology and fuel economy leadership of GM on a 4,900-square-meter layout located inside one of the 11 exhibition halls.
During the opening, GM drew the international media and visitors when it unveiled the two stars that will set car fans’ hearts racing—the new Chevrolet Camaro bringing back a classic name in sports coupes that will be appearing in the upcoming Hollywood blockbuster Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and the Chevrolet Cruze WTCC concept car, which offers a vision of the future of Chevrolet’s World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) challenger driven by Rob Huff, Alain Menu and Nicola Larini.
Through the efforts of GM Philippines PR and communications manager Lani de Leon, this writer was given the privilege of meeting some executives of General Motors (GM) in Shanghai, China.
“GM has joined our joint ventures to show the people of China our unmatched product lineup of today and some of the exciting products on the horizon,” said Kevin Wale, president and managing director of the GM China Group. “In line with our strategy of working in China, with China and for China, many of the models on display were engineered and designed locally for local consumers.”
GM also introduced the production version of the Chevrolet Volt, the world’s first extended-range electric vehicle, which made its global debut at the show. Aside from aforementioned vehicles, Shanghai GM presented its line-up of Buick, which includes the world premier Business Concept Vehicle. Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (Patac), GM’s engineering and design partner in Shanghai, also presented the Buick New Regal 2.0 Turbo intermediate sedan, the first vehicle with a turbocharged engine that is produced by GM in China. Also making its regional debut was the new Buick LaCrosse premium sedan.
“Patac played a major role in the development of the new LaCrosse, which continues the design renaissance of one of GM’s mainstream brands in China,” said GM vice president for global design and Bumblebee’s designer Ed Welburn Jr. The new LaCrosse will go on sale in China in the last quarter of 2009. The other models from Buick were the Excelle lower-medium family, New Regal intermediate sedan, GL8 FirstLand executive wagon, Enclave premium SUV and Park Avenue premium sedan.
Chevrolet, meanwhile, showed the Spark minicar, Aveo hatchback, Lova compact sedan, Epica intermediate sedan and Captiva SUV. An exciting model from Cadillac was the new SRX midsize luxury Crossover, which was introduced at the North American International Auto Show and will be sold in China later this year.
As a commitment to fuel-efficient vehicles laid out in Shanghai GM’s “Drive to Green” strategy, GM also launched the Cadillac Escalade Hybrid luxury SUV. The Escalade will become Shanghai GM’s second hybrid on the market, joining the Buick LaCrosse Eco-Hybrid, which was introduced last year.
Joining these two products will be five other members of the Cadillac luxury portfolio in China—the CTS luxury sedan, CTS-V high-performance luxury sedan, SLS luxury business sedan, Escalade luxury SUV and XLR luxury roadster. Wuling, China’s leading name in mini-commercial vehicles, showed three minivans—the Rongguang, Hong Tu and the award-winning Sunshine for its B-DOHC engine.
Despite the global financial meltdown, China has set a new sales record of 17 percent in March, beating US figures for the third consecutive month. It seems that the trend holds true in the Philippines, where GM posted a record 7-percent increase in sales during the first quarter of the year.
According to GM Group vice president and chairman of GM Asia-Pacific Nick Reilley, “SGM is focused on global distribution growth; dealerships network and developing products for different markets that will surely be profitable.” GM is expecting China to double its sales over the next five years, which means it will be selling more than two million units. GM is very confident in China’s long-term market based on its solid foundation it created between SGM.
“We see an opportunity to improve and GM will continue to bring and drive to green technology. Our commitment to China will be stronger and make significant products,” Reilley explained.
source: businessmirror
