SAIC-GM-Wuling to launch self-developed sedan in Q3

Shanghai, May 25 (Gasgoo.com) SAIC-GM-Wuling, General Motors Corp's minivan venture in China, plans to launch a new self-developed sedan in the third quarter of this year and officially put it into production at the end of 2010, according to Daily Economic News.

Guangzhou-Honda's concept cars have been getting much attention from the media for being the first own-brand passenger car made by a joint venture in China. The upcoming SAIC-GM-Wuling passenger car is now "making the carmaker the second brave joint venture to eat an oyster."

The new passenger car is codenamed GP50 and is a very important product of SAIC-GM-Wuling's due to years of research and development. Early media reports said the mid-size GP50 is based on the prototype of GM's Excelle model and is currently under development in the Pan-Asia Technical Automotive Center, a joint venture between GM and SAIC.

In response to the media's doubts on the company's production and marketing experience, SAIC-GM-Wuling vice manager, Yuan Zhijun, confidently said that many experiences, like R&D, purchasing, production, sales and services, have been accumulated from operation of the Chevrolet Spark car.

Reportedly, the remodeled Spark will be launched to the market soon.