Buick eyeing Chinese market

Buick's six seat luxury MPV Business Concept unveiled at today's Shanghai show is the first of a number of cars GM will engineer and produce in China, according to insiders.

Up until now GM's Pan Asian Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) has modified cars from other GM models. But the Business Concept is the first car which the company's Chinese division has developed from the ground up for the Chinese market.

The Business Concept is likely to make production, but a GM source admitted that it was 'just the start of showing the Chinese division's capabilities and later products will be more crucial'.

Hinting that future Chinese models from PATAC will be exported to the rest of Asia and possibly Europe and the US too, boss of GM Pacific, Brit Nick Reilly, told Autocar that GM China is likely to expand its exports to the rest of the world when so-called global models go into production in China.

This will start next year when the new Chevy Cruze will be made in China, although UK versions are likely to be sourced from Korea.

Chas Hallett

Shanghai motor show

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