Two years after building the 4,000,000th unit at Brazil’s Gravataí plant, General Motors is celebrating the 4.5 million vehicle-built mark at the Brazilian complex.
GM Gravataí plant in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
On March 21st, 2023, the automaker held a special ceremony to celebrate the production of the 4.5 millionth vehicle at the Gravataí plant, a new milestone for the facility that is one of GM’s most productive factories worldwide, and the birthpalce of the popular Chevy Onix. In fact, the Gravataí plant is dedicated exclusively to manufacturing the Onix for the Brazilian market and all of South America.
“We are very proud to reach this milestone, the result of the work of a multidisciplinary team, trained to achieve the highest quality standards,” said Executive Director of Manufacturing at GM Gravataí plant, Marcel Querotti. “Currently, our factory in Gravataí is a reference in productivity and efficiency in the world. Our goal now is to continue our successful path in the region and continue contributing to the development of the local community,” he added.
Specifically, the 4,500,000th unit manufactured at the Gravataí plant corresponds to a Chevy Onix hatchback painted in Vermelho Carmim (Carmine Red) which, according to the company, is a symbol of the historical feat. In addition to being the place of origin and only industrial center of the company that has produced the Chevy Onix since its introduction in 2012, the Gravataí factory stands out for being the only one that manufactures the five-door version of the subcompact car. It also builds the Onix Plus sedan variant.
Since its inauguration on July 20th, 2000, the Gravataí plant has become a strategic manufacturing site for the most popular GM vehicles in Brazil and the entire South American market. It began its manufacturing operations with the Chevy Celta, a direct and even cheaper derivative of the first-generation Chevy Corsa that was marketed for 14 years in the region. Soon after, the plant received an investment to produce the Chevy Prisma.
The second expansion of the GM Gravataí plant took place a decade ago to manufacture the first Chevy Onix and its derivative sedan, which revolutionized the entry-level car segment and, within a few years, became the best-selling vehicle in Latin America. The most recent expansion was completed in 2019 with the arrival of the second-generation Onix, which became a global and better-equipped model, while its sedan configuration also being built in other regions.
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Comments
Its a shame we could not get the Onix Sedan and 5 door here in North America !!!
This would be a great replacement for the Spark, Sonic etc and give Loyal GM customers a small car to buy.
I agree that GM should import its own international products here to kill foreign brands. Each sales still leaves money in U.S. banks
Congratulations. I know that to do business in Brazil with large tangible products like motor vehicles and heavy equipment, the Brazilian government mandates that the manufacturer must make at least 50% of the product in country. This is why Caterpillar has manufacturing operations in Brazil.