GM's microvan venture in China sells its first car
CHENGDU, China -- General Motors Co.'s Chinese commercial microvan joint venture has launched sales of the Baojun 630, a compact car produced in China.
SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co. is China's largest microvan maker, and the Baojun marks the joint venture's entry into the passenger car segment.
With a price range of 62,800 to 73,800 yuan ($9,800 to $11,500), the car is aimed at consumers in China's second- and third-tier cities.
SGMW aims to sell 20,000 units this year through a network of 120 dealerships.
The car is 4,597 mm long, 1,736 mm wide and 1,462 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,640 mm. It is fitted with a 1.5-liter engine and a five-speed manual transmission.
It was mainly developed by the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center, a technical center jointly owned by GM and its joint-venture partner, SAIC Motor Co.
The Baojun's suppliers are mainly international companies such as Delphi Automotive LLP, Visteon Corp., Robert Bosch GmbH, Continental AG, BorgWarner Inc. and Mahle GmbH.
SAIC-GM-Wuling is a three-way joint venture among SAIC, General Motors and the Liuzhou government. SAIC holds a 50.1 percent share; GM has a 44 percent stake and Liuzhou has 5.9 percent.
The Baojun 630 is built in the partnership's plant in Liuzhou, a city in the southwest China region of Guangxi.
The venture sold 610,945 microvans in the first seven months of this year, down 5 percent from a year earlier.
