GM's Low-Cost China Brand Baojun Begins Sales of New 630 Sedan, Priced Under $10k [61 Photos]

Not content with being China's largest foreign automaker, General Motors hopes to further increase its sales in the country with its newly launched low-cost Baojun brand, which the Detroit automaker developed with local partners SAIC and Wuling.

With the Baojun brand, GM wants to compete in the fast-growing market for new cars in smaller Chinese cities targeting first-time buyers with a budget of around $10,000. Domestic Chinese rivals include Chery Automobile, Geely Automobile Holding and BYD.

Read more »

China Hopes To Poach Overseas Automotive Engineering Talent

China has a problem. Although it has the financial and material resources to compete with the world’s automakers, it lacks the design and engineering knowhow.

The solution – to companies such as BAIC, Dongfeng, Chang’an and others – is to seek talent abroad; in Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and USA. Research and development centres are popping up in Nottingham and Detroit and recruitment fairs are being held in Munich, Stuttgart and Aachen.

Read more »

MG Preparing an Array of New Models to Conquer Europe

SAIC Motor Corporation, the owner of MG Motors, plans to develop several new models for the British brand in order to boost sales outside its home market in China. The Chinese owner of MG Motors has already spent £1 billion ($1.64 billion) to re-launch the MG and Roewe brands (former Rover) and intends to invest another £2.2 billion ($3.6 billion) to achieve annual sales of 700,000 by 2015.

In 2010, the two brands sold 160,397 cars, most of which were delivered in China, with only 2,000 units exported to other markets. This past April, MG launched its new mid-size MG6 in the UK, the first new car to be assembled at the British firm’s Longbridge plant in 16 years. The company said that when it completes the development of a diesel version, it will offer the car to rest of Europe. "We will not go into mainland Europe without a diesel," UK managing director, William Wong, told Autonews.

Read more »

VW to Launch New Luxury Sedan and EV Model in China

Lending even more evidence to China’s growing importance for automakers, Volkswagen is planning to develop two new bespoke vehicles, one with each of its partners in the Middle Kingdom, Autonews said in a report today. Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., which is a joint venture between China’s SAIC Motor Co. and Volkswagen AG, will produce a new luxury sedan, while VW’s second joint venture in the country with the China FAW Group Corp., FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co., will develop a dedicated electric vehicle for the partnership's newly launched Kali brand.

Read more »