![]() 11/20/2015 at 14:05 • Filed to: None | ![]() | ![]() |
In news that may be depressing to those leery of Chinese-made products, GM alludes to the possibility of a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! GM has been building up its manufacturing capabilities in China over the past decade due to the emergence of China as the leading global automotive market. However, due to China’s recent economic struggles and with sales growth slowing, GM may be looking to offset production costs by selling Chinese-built vehicles in other markets, particularly the United States.
There is no official news yet on what model may come to American shores, but !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! indicate a Buick SUV along the lines of the Envision concept will be the model of choice. Buick could use another SUV/CUV model in its lineup and sales don’t seem to be showing any signs of slowing down in the near future.
Whether a Chinese Buick will make it to American shores remains to be seen, but rumors like this are yet another sign that auto makers are contending with an ever-changing marketplace and may have to make unprecedented decisions in order to stay profitable.
Sorry about the old news/super dry posts. I’m working on journo skills because I’m applying for some jobs. Any feedback is welcome.
![]() 11/20/2015 at 19:53 |
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The UAW is all up in arms about this, but, I actually don’t think it would be a handicap.
Most American consumers have no idea where their cars are built, and even the ones that do know don’t really care (other than maybe pickup owners). We already have had Porsches made in Slovakia, Cadillacs made in Mexico, Fords made in Turkey, Fiats from Serbia, and Mitsubishis from Thailand, and nobody seems to mind any of those.
Cars built in Chinese joint venture plants under western nameplates, under the supervision of western automakers, follow the same quality control procedures that those automakers use in their plants outside of China. I would think that a Chinese made Buick would be pretty much indistinguishable from a Mexican or American made Buick at the same price point. And CUV buyers aren’t really the sort to know or care much about how or where a car is manufactured.
![]() 11/20/2015 at 22:20 |
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I imagine most of the parts are already made there. Might as well assemble it there as well.
People leery of things made in China seem to quickly forget that their latest iPotatoes are made there. As long as there’s decent quality control, I don’t see it being a problem.
![]() 11/21/2015 at 18:48 |
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If it is a success, it might encourage others to step up their game. Don’t want to be beat by a Chinese car.