GM To Build New Crossover At Changwon Plant In South Korea
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GM will produce a new Chevy crossover model at its Changwon Complex in South Korea.
The GM Changwon Complex, located in Korea’s Gyeongsangnam-do province, currently builds the Chevy Spark subcompact hatchback. However, production of the Spark is scheduled to end in August 2022, and that capacity will be occupied by this new crossover vehicle.
GM already produces four subcompact crossover models at the GM Bupyeong Plant in Incheon near Seoul. This includes the Chevy Trax and Buick Encore, which have been in production in their current form since 2013, as well as the newer Buick Encore GX and Chevy Trailblazer.
It’s unclear exactly whether this yet-announced crossover will be sold in North America, or be destined exclusively for other global markets. However, this new vehicle has been in the planning stage since 2018, suggesting it’s a gasoline-powered model, not an EV.
In 2018, GM announced it would invest $7 billion to construct a new paint shop at its Changwon plant to “support the production of next-generation global products.” At the time, the automaker said the paint shop was “designed to produce vehicles of different sizes such as the Chevrolet Spark mini car as well as larger vehicles including crossover utility vehicles (CUVs) in the future.” It also said that it expected to eventually make further investments to install a new press line, car body line and assembly line there in preparation for the new CUV’s launch in 2023.
The Changwon plant also built the Damas and Labo, though production ended in 2021.
GM recently announced its future growth strategy for its South Korean operations. The plan seeks to achieve profitability in the Asian country with an onslaught of high-margin products, both domestically manufactured and imported, including 10 electric vehicles by 2025. “Korea, a market of early adopters and very technology-focused people, presents many opportunities,” said GM Senior Vice President and GM International President, Steve Kiefer, in a statement. “We will introduce 10 new electric vehicles to this market by 2025, bringing EVs in every price point from entry-level vehicles to performance cars, rugged trucks, capable SUVs, crossovers, and luxury products that our customers know and love,” he added.
In addition, General Motors plans to launch the GMC brand for the first time in the South Korean market, with a lineup spearheaded by the refreshed 2022 GMC Sierra 1500.
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No cheap American sedans, no problem the imports will supply! Not everyone is willing to pay $5-$7k additional for a cuv/suv and buys that import. Where do you think they go when they upgrade? Not likely American!
Chinamen will eat it up.
Yawn … another suv crossover, this time for China. Hey GM ! How about you get year head outta your rear end and bring back the Chevy Astro and GMC Safari. Or are you afraid that if you build what the people want (Impala included) that is destroys your argument that people have left vans, coups, and sedans.
Ask Honda and Toyota how the 2018 redesign of Accord and Camry are doing after almost double-digit decline since?
I wonder if they’ve decided to build the new Chevrolet Tracker (Trax replacement) there and perhaps sell in North America. I’m having a hard time figuring out what else it could be, short of perhaps more Trailblazers.
Have they indicated if the non-GX Encore is getting a replacement? It could be a platform-sharing Buick.
There’s a second generation non-GX GEM-based Encore for sale in China. I suppose it could be that. Or maybe the long discussed GMC Granite on the VSS-F platform. Hmmm….
I used to think that way too , that GM/ Ford left the sedan market to the Japanese or Asian makers . but then you drive a cross over and you have the answer. The crossover is really a tall sedan in 50% of the cases with AWD. I am a senior , but an active person in my late 60’s and its so much more comfortable in a cross over than any car , the visisbility , ride height and seating position seal the deal . All of the new cars available , Malibu , Camray , Accord/ civic , etc all are low and have a terrific slope to the rear window that its almost impossible to see out the back . The low seating position is not comfortable and they are much harder to get in and out of .
People moved to crossovers as they just are a better choice for so many people in terms of comfort and driving ease while the 2 box hatch make them so much more practical.. The big 3 could transition from cars to cross overs as they have 80% of their profits from FS trucks and SUV’s. Honda , Kia, Hyundia, Nisan ,Subaru and to a lesser degree Toyota do not have the cash cows in their lineup ( FS pickups ) so they still need the profit from Cars , that remember are sold around the world and in almost all markets outside of NA, cars are still popular.
Like your comment a lot! I have body injuries and I don’t see myself driving a 1300 kg car anymore! Shoulders and neck pains, etc…
Do they know that there are singles who wants a small car? Why cancel the Spark damn!
Bill, the globe is not the US only. Yes as a country is the #2 in regards to vehicle sales. #1 is China.
Look how many sedans and hatch is China selling. More than all Trucks in US alone.
The japanese, korean, german brands sell a lot of sedans and hatchs worldwide, and again, worldwide is not the US.
So they find that there is still a 2.5 million sales per year in the US, enough to have 8 full size plants running 3 shifts.
Enough for a good business case. When finally this 2.5M dwindles away, maybe, just maybe, the US will be selling Trucks, SUV, CUV and the like.
And guess what: what can possible replace a Porsche Taycan or a 911 Turbo? They have that covered making a Cayenne and a Macan a lot more fun than a similarly priced Buick Enclave Avenir.
So while the competition has literally sales in every country, GM has shrinked to a handful. Just look at the Toyota Hilux. Their sales double that of the Tacoma and it is not sold in the US.