GM plans to introduce 18 new vehicles into the Chinese market this year. The automaker set a sales record in China last year.
After setting a sales record in 2016, General Motors China plans to launch 18 new and refreshed models this year to achieve continued growth in what is now company’s largest retail market.
Half of the models to be introduced in 2017 under the Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun and Wuling brands will be SUVs or MPVs, GM executives said. The products are expected to build on GM’s 2016 sales record of 3.87 million vehicles.
“2017 will be an even better year for General Motors in China,” said GM Executive Vice President and President of GM China Matt Tsien. “We will continue to create safer, simpler and better ways for customers to move about productively and enjoyably.’’
Last year, GM delivered more than 3.8 million vehicles in China, but overall tempo of auto sales in Chinese market is expected to slow this year. Some forecasts anticipate that new vehicle sales in China could decline for the first time since 2008.
Tsien said GM is on track to fulfill its commitment to the Chinese marketplace. The company announced earlier that it will roll out more than 60 new and refreshed vehicles in China from 2016 through 2020, including 13 models launched last year.
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This year, GM will bring to the market more hybrid vehicles. The company introduced the Buick LaCrosse Hybrid, Chevrolet Malibu XL Hybrid and Cadillac CT6 Plug-In in 2016.
GM will also continue to invest in its Chinese factories and expand its local manufacturing capability, Tsien said. The second phase of a new manufacturing facility Wuhan built by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp.-GM partnership is slated to start operation this year, Tsien noted.
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SAIC-GM’s battery assembly plant in Shanghai will begin to produce battery packs for the company’s expanded offering of electrified vehicles, he said.
GM’s Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center, or PATAC, joint venture also will open its new research and development facility in Shanghai this year. The center will include an advanced design and styling center, a vehicle engineering facility and a small-scale wind tunnel, and be home to a dedicated vehicle development and engineering team.
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In addition, GM will continue to explore new opportunities along the automotive industry value chain, including connectivity through Shanghai OnStar, automotive financing through SAIC-GMAC and automotive insurance through INSAIC, Tsien said.