General Motors Has Record Year in Asia Pacific in 2007
Categories: Industry News
Shanghai, China – Buoyed by strong demand in mainland China, India and Korea, General Motors Corp. announced today its vehicle sales in Asia Pacific grew 15.1 percent on an annual basis to a record 1,435,780 units in 2007.
GM ended the year with an estimated regional market share of 6.9 percent, which was up nearly one-half of a percentage point from 2006, when GM recorded market share of 6.5 percent.
In mainland China, GM set a new record among global automakers, with sales of 1,031,974 vehicles in 2007. SAIC-GM-Wuling, GM’s mini-vehicle joint venture, registered domestic sales growth of 20.1 percent to 548,945 units. GM’s flagship joint venture, Shanghai GM, experienced domestic sales growth of 16.9 percent to 479,427 units.
Domestic sales of GM and GM Daewoo products in Korea reached an all-time high of 131,040 units. In addition, exports of complete vehicles from GM Daewoo rose to more than 820,000 units and exports of complete knockdown (CKD) kits surpassed 920,000 units. Both were records for GM Daewoo.
Driven by strong demand for the Chevrolet Spark mini-car, GM Sales in India jumped 73.7 percent in 2007 to a record 60,032 units.
In Australia, where GM’s sales grew to 148,813 units, the Commodore remained the best-selling vehicle for the 12th consecutive year.
Sales of GM products in the ASEAN region of Southeast Asia totaled 31,679 units in 2007. GM received a boost from growing demand for its Chevrolet portfolio in Indonesia and Malaysia. In addition, GM sales in Vietnam rose more than four-fold to 7,580 units.
GM continued to benefit from the expansion of its product lineup across the region. Along with the Chevrolet Spark mini-car in India, its notable launches in 2007 included the Holden VE Ute in Australia, the all-new Chevrolet Epica and Buick Park Avenue in China, and the Chevrolet Captiva in ASEAN.
“In addition to hitting our short-term targets, GM continued to expand our investment across the region in 2007 to set the stage for long-term growth,” said General Motors Group Vice President and GM Asia Pacific President Nick Reilly.
GM opened a new design studio at the GM Technical Center-India in Bangalore. In Korea, GM Daewoo launched its new Cheong-Na Proving Ground and completed a new powertrain plant adjacent to its Changwon manufacturing facility. In Malaysia, GM initiated a new joint venture that promises to strengthen the Chevrolet brand in ASEAN.
In the region’s largest market of China, GM and its partner SAIC signed an agreement to form their eighth joint venture, Shanghai OnStar Telematics Co. Ltd., to provide in-vehicle safety, security and communication service; Shanghai GM signed an agreement to build China’s largest vehicle proving ground; and GM signed a series of pioneering agreements that will make it a leader in the development of the next generation of vehicles and automotive technology.
“For 2008, GM Asia Pacific has once again placed the bar high in all of our markets,” said Reilly. “We will continue to roll out new and upgraded products, while further expanding our manufacturing and R&D capability. As General Motors celebrates its centennial this year, our goal is to further establish our company as an industry leader in this key region.”
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 280,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 35 countries. In 2006, nearly 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at http://www.gm.com/.
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