SAIC to revive Shanghai nameplate as premium brand, report says
SAIC Motor Corp. is seeking to revive its discontinued Shanghai brand and reposition it as a premium sedan brand, according to Chinese media.
The company will showcase a Shanghai-branded mid-sized car alongside its second-generation Roewe 750 at the China auto show in April in Beijing, reported Sina.com, a news portal.
The Shanghai-badged car is a variation of the new Roewe 750.
The two models were developed by the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center jointly owned by General Motors and SAIC, according to Sina.com. They are fitted with 2.0-, 2.4- and 3.0-liter gasoline engines as well as 6-speed automatic transmissions.
Both models depend heavily on GM for technology. They share platforms with the Buick Regal and LaCrosse, while engines and transmissions are supplied by Shanghai GM, a joint venture between
SAIC and GM.
SAIC launched its Shanghai-brand sedan in 1958, but killed the brand in 1991.
In 2006, SAIC unveiled its first-generation Roewe 750 mid-sized sedan. That model is built on a platform the state-owned Chinese company purchased from the bankrupt MG Rover.
