Shanghai, January 14 (Gasgoo.com) The Indian venture between General Motors and its Chinese partner SAIC Motor will foray into the light commercial vehicle (LCV) segment in India next year with three LCV variants of the Chevrolet brand besides another compact car in 2012, local media reported today.
Karl Slym, president and managing director of GM India, said the first products from the SAIC JV will come by the end of 2011. SAIC has got from GM a majority stake in the venture and, in early December when the JV was announced, the Chinese auto giant said it would invest $350 million in the India initiative.
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of its new car Beat in the city yesterday, Slym said the commercial vehicles would be manufactured at the Hallol plant. The production of all passenger cars, except Tavera, would be shifted to the Talegaon plant.
"We are planning to sell the commercial vehicles under a new brand in India. All the passenger vehicles will be sold under Chevrolet brand. We see space for us in the high-volume light commercial vehicle segment in the country."
He added that the production of petrol engines would be followed by diesel engines and the company would manufacture 1.6-lakh units in the first phase. "By 2011, we are planning to manufacture three lakh units."
Slym said the electric version of Spark would be launched by the end of this year. SAIC-GM-Wuling, GM's mini commercial-vehicle venture in China, sold 60,000 Chevrolet Spark mini-cars last year.
