GM's New China Brand Baojun Launches first Car, the 630 Compact Sedan
November 22, 2010
SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW), GM's mini-commercial vehicle joint venture with China's SAIC and Wuling Motors, today rolled out the first Baojun branded passenger vehicle at its plant in Liuzhou, southern China. The Baojun 630 is a low price, four-door compact sedan developed locally using GM technology that will go on sale in early 2011 through a new network of dedicated Baojun dealers.
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MG to Build First All-New Model in 15 Years at its UK Plant
October 6, 2010
MG Rover's old Longbridge car plant is set to comeback in a big way when SAIC / MG begins building its first all new car in 15 years at the end of the year. The plant will start producing the MG6 mid-size model from knocked-down kits imported from China, preceding the UK relaunch of MG as a "value brand" in 2011.
The all new car will be available initially as a five-door fastback, with a four-door saloon to follow later on. The automaker optimistically told the Financial Times that customer clinics have compared the MG6 with the likes of the Ford Mondeo, Skoda Octavia and even with small BMWs. Prices in the UK are said to range between £16,000 to £20,000 (US$25,425 to US$31,780).
China's SAIC Considering Buying Stake in General Motors
September 21, 2010
Industry insiders are reporting that China's SAIC has expressed interest in buying a stake of General Motors come its public offering in November, though it has yet to make a solid commitment. GM has declined to comment on the matter.
The U.S. government is eager to unload its 61% stake in GM after taxpayers bailed out / loaned the iconic automaker to the tune of US$50 billion. This comes despite the political ramifications of selling part of the brand to foreign investors or sovereign-wealth funds.
MG Rover MG6 Concept Based on Roewe 550 to Debut in Shanghai
April 7, 2009
Having already announced the Roewe N1 Concept, China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) that owns the rights to the MG Rover brand, revealed that its 2009 Shanghai Auto Show booth will also host the world premiere of the MG6 Concept. The five-door liftback model is based on the underpinnings of the Roewe 550 which was designed as SAIC's successor to the Rover 45.Although details are still sketchy, the MG6 will most likely lead to a production version that might very well find its way into Europe where MG Rover already sells the resurrected TF LE500 in the U.K.
Powertrain options for the MG6 will be identical to those offered in the Roewe 550 including a 1.8-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine.
NAC MG TF Pricing Announced – More Expensive Than an MX-5!
July 2, 2008
Chinese carmaker NAC MG has announced But we ask; more than 16,000 pounds for a car that's practically a facelifted version of the original MG TF that was introduced in 1995? That's a lot for a car that was already outdated compared to its rivals when it went out of production in 2005, let alone in 2008. For example, prices for the Mazda MX-5 1.8 start from 15,750 pounds while you can get a nicely equipped MX-5 1.8 Icon for 16,825 pounds. We drove the last TF130 back in 2005, and while the MG had its fun side, even then, it showed its age in more ways than one.
Volkswagen Lavida: Chinese Mid-Size Sedan Coming to Beijing Auto Show
March 26, 2008
A teaser shot of Shanghai Volkswagen’s forthcoming Chinese built and designed mid-size sedan that will debut at the Via: es.autoblog.com
SAIC Motors Buys 50.3% Stake In Shanghai Diesel Engine Co.
January 3, 2008
Hot on its heels from the purchase of domestic rival car maker Nanjing Auto –see here, SAIC Motors today announced that it has agreed to pay 923 million yuan ($127 million) to Shanghai Electric Group Co Ltd in order to acquire a 50.32 percent slice of Shanghai Diesel Engine Co. "The purchase will enable SAIC to develop its own engines and complete products with well-established core spare parts," said SAIC in a statement that it issued. "It will lift our company’s competitiveness in the commercial vehicle segment." -Continued after the jump
The Chinese Group has announced that it plans to produce 600,000 units annually of its own brand of vehicles by 2010, a number that includes 200,000 passenger cars and 400,000 commercial cars. SAIC’s overall plan is to reach an annual production of 2 million units, for both passenger and commercial vehicles, by then. Most of the vehicles produced by SAIC today are made in collaboration with its joint ventures (GM and Volkswagen AG), and all those cars carry the foreign partners' brand nameplates.
China: Shanghai Automotive Buys Nanjing Auto
December 26, 2007
State-owned Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC) has come to an agreement with Yuejin Motor Group (also state-owned…) to buy its Nanjing Automobile’s auto-assembly and component-making businesses. The deal, which is valued at 2.1 billion Yuan or approximately $286 million, will set Of course a deal like this wouldn’t have been carried out without the consent of the all-mighty Chinese government who wants to see more mergers in China's fragmented passenger car market which kinda reminds the US and European car industry in the first half of the 20th century when there where like 50 or more independent car makers. -Continued
Interestingly, Nanjing Automobile owns MG Rover assets along with the right to the brand MG, while Shanghai Automotive (SAIC) obtained design rights for two Rover models including the 75 which it sells under the name Roewe.
