GM sells first locally built SUV model in China
Shanghai General Motors Co. last week started selling the Chevrolet Captiva SUV produced by its Shenyang plant. The vehicle is the first SUV model GM has ever built in China.
The vehicle, with a starting price of 219,800 yuan ($34,614), targets urban motorists, according to Shanghai GM, GM's passenger vehicle joint venture with SAIC Motor Corp.
It is fitted with GM's 2.4-liter Ecotec DVVT gasoline engine and a six-speed automatic transmission.
Prior to this, GM sold the Captiva in China through imports from Korea.
Chinese buyers like SUVs for the high seating position that gives them a good view of the road.
While sales of cars have slowed on the Chinese market this year, SUV sales have remained strong. In the first eleven months, SUV sales nationwide surged 18.4 percent year-on-year to 1.4 million units, according to China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
Catering to Chinese consumers for SUVs, other global brands including Toyota, Honda and Volkswagen have already launched sales of locally built SUV models in China.
