After GM Authority exclusively reported back in March that General Motors is establishing a new imported vehicle business in China, the automaker has just officially announced the establishment of its GM Premium Import business in the Asian country.
GM signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the government of Shanghai’s Pudong New Area to invest $100 million in the new GM Premium Import business unit, which the company will use to import high-end vehicles into China that complement the wide range of locally manufactured models. As such, the new entity will function as an incubator within GM China in addition to its core business with SAIC-GM.
“Our latest agreement demonstrates GM’s long-term confidence in Pudong, Shanghai and the Chinese market,” said GM Executive Vice President and President of GM China, Julian Blissett, in a statement. “It will enable us to capitalize on emerging opportunities to delight consumers with a greater array of products and services,” he added.
In particular, the new GM Premium Import business will introduce a new portfolio of iconic GM products to the Chinese market, ranging from full-size SUVs and pickup trucks to performance cars built in the United States. This will allow it to market iconic cars such as the Corvette, the Cadillac Escalade and the all-new GMC Hummer EV that was unveiled at the 2021 China International Import Expo (CIIE) for the first time in China.
“We are extremely excited about the personalized products and experiences we will offer to our customers in China,” said Felix Weller, Vice President of GM Premium Import for the country. “We will also bring in top talent to make our new business a success,” Weller added.
This new investment will increase GM’s product offering in China to serve emerging market niches. In addition, the agreement strengthens GM’s 25-year strategic cooperation with authorities in Pudong, where the company’s country headquarters, the SAIC-GM joint venture headquarters, the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) and the main manufacturing centers are located.
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Comments
I hope the liberating experience driving a v8 will eventually lead to Chinese people freeing themselves from their government.
EVs move quicker and faster but it’s had no effect on government. I gew up on ICE powered V8s, too, it’s a generational thing, but nothing beats the 0-60 time, that sensation of G-Force more than BEVs.
Yeah I had a Tesla Twin Motor on my tail in my Camaro RS V6. He was up my tail until the supercharger kicked in at 4500 RPM. He had a governer at 155. I do NOT.
But if my car was a stock 335hp V6 he would have beaten me. By a lot. It wasnt even a Tesla S. It was the 3 I believe. It even had Brembo brakes. But I guarantee you there was no stick shift like mine (swapped the clutch friction disc for a heavy duty unit, pressure plate, and throwout bearing). It hauls the mail man. But EV sports cars are going to be the future, and larger commercial trucks will use fuel cell tech as it can be refuelled quickly and scales well for heavy hauling.
Oh look another ignorant, unpatriotic, greed driven decision by the liberal morons (Mary Barra) ruining GM. Keep promoting a country that’s doing all it can to destroy our country and take over the world. SMH.
That ship sailed a very long time under Kissinger/Nixon. Here is the thing, we can either be important as a trade partner with China or we can cede that to Russia/India/Africa/Middle East. Do you want the US to become irrelevant?
I must say that’s a very near sighted prospective. How about we start manufacturing everything like we once did and then we don’t need all of Chinas poorly made products. Let them sell there shît to the rest of the world, we don’t need it. And this all started with Clinton, another useless liberal President.
WS6:
What is “unpatriotic” about selling very expensive, American made vehicles to the Chinese?
At this point in time it’s pretty obvious to anyone with a modicum of intelligence what Chinas agenda is. The United States needs to aggressively start manufacturing its own products even if it raises the cost of goods which is happening now anyway thanks to our reliance on China. China is doing all it can to becoming THE world super power, think about what this world would be like in that scenario. They steal our intellectual property, push their garbage goods into this country, devalue their currency to manipulated ours, they are establishing colonies all over the world causing those countries to be reliant upon them and the list goes on and on and on including the treatment of their own people. GM has it’s head completely up Chinas ass and it’s all for profit thanks to Mary Barra. Oh and did I leave out that they are solely responsible for a pandemic that killed millions of people worldwide, yeah but let’s sell them some high end cars, that oughta help resolve everything. SMH.
GM NEEDS TO WAKE UP AN GET THEIR COMMEN SENCE BACK! DON’T THE ONES THAT LIVE IN THE CRYSTAL PALACES SEEING WHAT CHINA IS DOING TO OUR BUSINESS AN ECONOMY? THEY ARE SLOWLY TAKING OUR BUSINESSES AN COPYING OUR PRODUCTS AN BUYING THE UNITED STATES THERE WON’T BE A UNITED STATES ANYMORE! WE NEED NOT WORRY ABOUT RUSSIA WE SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT “CHINA ” !! WE ARE LOOSENING BIG MAJOR MANUFACTURERS TO CHINA, IF THEY WANT OUR PRODUCTS TNAN DAMN IT MAKE THEM BUY FROM US IN THE U.S.A. WHERE THEY ARE BORN AN MADE INSTEAD OF BUILDING PLANTS OVER IN A COMMUNIST COUNTY WHERE THEY HAVE CONTROL! ” WAKE UP “
I want Trump back. He was hated because he didnt play politics. He is a businessman, he can read people well; and he kept every promise he made to US! THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!
Russia would have NEVER invaded Ukraine under Trump. Trump told Putin straught up: We will directly fight you with all Nato allies. No proxy war. All out war. And Puta did NOTHING until Biden got in the chair. I’m sorry. I am doing my part to buy American. My Camaro: Mase in Detroit, USA. My Optima
Turbo….made in USA.
Our family even makes sure our f***ing seafood and beef are USA products. China should not be allowed to own land here. Ever. Ok, I am ranting. Sorry. I feel so strongly that we need to support our country in every way possible. By buying it back. I think that we are a young country with MUCH TO LEARN. China is old and wise. If we cant do something right, then we need to do something smart. My fathers military mantra. I believe he was right.
And how much will the tariffs be? Trump was fighting for America and now don’t be surprised if the tariffs range from 35% to 200% per vehicle.
As I remember Trump admin was the one that hiked up tariffs on all goods, even goods that are not made here, nor ever will be. This negatively affected my business. I also noticed Biden administration hasn’t made any changes to the tariff hikes. Repulicrates working hard for corporate America.
Not just corporate America. Without “Corporate America” we wouldn’t have Empire State Buildings or huge cities. There wouldn’t BE AN ECONOMY OR THE STANDARD OF LIVING WE ALL ENJOY. I am an Independant. I vote for who makes sense. America NEEDS TO BE RUN AS A BUSINESS. Everything has to make fiscal sense. The spirit of competition drives our economy. Sometimes people get hurt in the process. We care deeply about these deaths, but China and the DPRK doesn’t. China killed over a million Americans. But there have been reports that 2 million Chinese died from Covid. They are on everyones s**t list as a result of Covid’s continuing to kill. That catalyst made Nato far stronger. Everything will work out for the best. I truly believe that.
The tarriffs in communost countries and “emerging automotive markets”….like Vietnam. There are huge taxes for importing a high performance car, while in the UAE; 70% of the population drive exotic cars. As seen on “Top Gear” (the UK original version). They had to roll in with a giant red “SOV” (Sport Overkill Machine. I think it had 8 wheel drive, auto air pressurw mansgement so you can drive in the desert at 20psi and then reinflate at will. Richard Hammond drove it in downtown Dubai. Alao deove it in a Swimming pool 10 feet deep.
All I have and need is my blown V6 and some good tuning.
It’s how the Chinese government controls the companies selling in their country. Meaning if GM were to come out against them or something they believe in anyway and make China look bad, the consequences would be severe. The deeper companies get into China the more China has a influence on them.
This is not a political statement. This is actually stuff we are taught at my job so that we can understand what we are up against with China as an adversary. Yes they are an adversary.
Yea, it is good for business, ONLY, if they stay in line.
Is it GM’s job to protect the USA? No, they are in the business to make money but it isn’t wrong for people to be upset about it when they are doing business as usual over there but we must change the way we think and live to appease them or save the environment or whatever else is trending on TikTok.
Also, this push toward EVs. Where is that influence from? What country is highest in the supply chain for battery minerals?
I’ll let you search that one or you can probably guess since we have been talking about them…
gm’s getting more slant eyed every day
Dude come on man. There is a fine line between disliking the Chinese Government and disliking Chinese people.
I dont like what their Government is doing. I also dont know how a Country can have 1.5. Billion people to feed, and India is just as bad.
It seems like the only way we will all get along is like an Asteroid on a collision course. Something that forces us to put our feeling’s aside and work together toward a common goal. I hope we can fight for our race. The human race.
And for GM to start making more good cars!
The clueless gm fools under Queen maryb those hideous Ivory Towers in Detroit just don’t get it. Ship on over your best auto tech & allow the CCP Chinese Communist Party to reverse engineer the best. Then when they move on Tiawan & dementia Joe or successor blocks all trade with the Communists world domination plans, they got what they need to make it all themselves. Got that Apple etc you globalist fools???
I dont disagree. It is a serious issue. I do know a 4 Star General that I do Networking for, that the Military is taking it very serious. It is lucky that our GDP is still ahead of theirs. So we are still #1 in very hi-tech industries like Space exploration and modern (not Russian 1967 Soyuz throwbacks the Chinese are using with blue instead of red paint) spaceships like the Crew Dragon glass cockpits and very safe cars, trucks, and specialty vehicles. Also, they are polluting their own country at a a staggering rate. With rivers full of chemicals that will eat your skin in parts of the Yangtzee and its tributaries. There is one city so polluted that you can’t get away from it. I mean cities with millions slowly suffocating on whatever the smokestacks are producing.
Lets make it abnormal to buy from over there. Lets buy what we make here.
-Chris
Wow. It seems like we are all on the same page but it feels like there is a lot of bickering and people being down on GM’s leadership. Why arent we getting together here and do somthing about it,? It cost me a small fortune to make my “RS” truly track ready. The suspension was terrible and the fit and finish cost me a small fortune to address. GM needs to make vehicles that wow their customers. I am hsppy with it now…but it took a lot of $$ to make it classy and add about 80 hp.
The question to ask is, – If gm were to go into bankruptcy again would the U.S. Government allow China to purchase gm? In the short haul China would probably keep the U.S. workforce employed for a while. It would get real interesting a few years after taking ownership………..