SAIC to assemble cars in Zhengzhou this year
SAIC Motor Corp. has started building an assembly plant in Zhengzhou of north China's Henan province to produce vehicles for its own car brands.
SAIC hopes to launch production before the end of this year, according to Wang Xiaoqiu, president of SAIC's passenger vehicle subsidiary.
Wang made his comments to Chinese media last week during SAIC's introduction of the Roewe i6 compact car.
The Zhengzhou plant will produce up to 400,000 vehicles annually after reaching full capacity.
SAIC currently assembles cars for its Roewe and MG brands in Shanghai and in the east China city of Nanjing. Those two plants produce a combined total of 400,000 vehicles annually and soon will max out their capacity.
The new plant will help SAIC keep pace with fast-growing sales. In January, sales of the state-owned automaker's Roewe and MG brands surged 71 percent from a year earlier to 40,268 vehicles.
To stoke demand, SAIC introduced Roewe i6, which is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. It has a starting price of 89,800 yuan ($13,100).
This year, SAIC expects its Roewe and MG brands will generate combined sales of more than 500,000 vehicles. Last year, the two brands's deliveries soared 89 percent to 320,000 vehicles.
SAIC has yet to disclose what other models it will introduce as it expands capacity.
SAIC, headquartered in Shanghai, has joint ventures with General Motors and the Volkswagen Group.
Wang made his comments to Chinese media last week during SAIC's introduction of the Roewe i6 compact car.
The Zhengzhou plant will produce up to 400,000 vehicles annually after reaching full capacity.
SAIC currently assembles cars for its Roewe and MG brands in Shanghai and in the east China city of Nanjing. Those two plants produce a combined total of 400,000 vehicles annually and soon will max out their capacity.
The new plant will help SAIC keep pace with fast-growing sales. In January, sales of the state-owned automaker's Roewe and MG brands surged 71 percent from a year earlier to 40,268 vehicles.
To stoke demand, SAIC introduced Roewe i6, which is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. It has a starting price of 89,800 yuan ($13,100).
This year, SAIC expects its Roewe and MG brands will generate combined sales of more than 500,000 vehicles. Last year, the two brands's deliveries soared 89 percent to 320,000 vehicles.
SAIC has yet to disclose what other models it will introduce as it expands capacity.
SAIC, headquartered in Shanghai, has joint ventures with General Motors and the Volkswagen Group.
