GM will sell Chinese-made Buicks in North America next year

The Detroit auto giant has a large manufacturing footprint in China and is planning billions of dollars in additional investments in that country in coming years.

While the Envision will be built at a Yantai, China plant, a statement from GM emphasized that it had been designed, engineered as well as tested in MI.

GM has sold 127,085 Buick Envision SUVs, made in the eastern province of Shandong, since January in China. By comparison, earlier this week the automaker reported that it sold 229,296 cars and light trucks in a robust US market in November.

Foreign companies have encountered a cold current in China since 2015, falling into a price-reduction craze, which is closely related to the slowdown of macroeconomic growth and the disadvantages of foreign brands in controlling SUV sub-markets compared with self-owned brands. However, with the issuing of the new policy of halving purchasing tax for passenger cars with displacement less than 1.6L in October, automobile companies including GM is embracing a new opportunity.

GM said it wasn’t economically feasible to produce the Envision in a second location as it expects China to be the largest market for the model, accounting for more than 75 percent of sales. Sales of Buick’s three sedans through November fell 21 percent from a year earlier. Several automakers, including GM and Volkswagen reduced production.

Baojun sales more than doubled (up 110%) to 58,051.

In addition to a punchy engine, the Envision will be well-equipped.

Sales of the ATS-L jumped 182 percent in November. Urban SUV Lova RV was officially launched and the new Flagship generation Malibu XL made its Asian debut on the Guangzhou Auto Show last month. SUVs contributed 20% of the auto sales in November, while the government incentive is also helping the auto customers to boost sales.