Shanghai General Motors To Develop Chevrolet Brand In China

General Motors said Tuesday its China joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. would develop a new line of Chevrolet-branded cars for the mainland market. Shanghai GM, already the makers of Buicks in the eastern business hub, would begin rolling out locally built Chevrolets in late February through 100 new sales outlets across China, a GM statement said.

The plan would extend GM's presence in China's small and medium-sized vehicles market, which has quadrupled over the past three years and now accounted for about 70 percent of the country's auto sales, said Joseph Liu, executive director of General Motors China. "Our Chevrolet line-up will be tailored in China to meet local customer requirements," Liu said. The Chevrolet brand would target young professionals between the ages of 23 and 40 who wanted a vehicle mainly for personal use, the company said.