After years of discussion, teases, and speculation, Chinese automaker GAC Motor is heading to the U.S. next year.
On display at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, China’s Guangzhou Automotive Group has revealed firm plans for entering the U.S. market in 2019. The company will recruit dealers at the upcoming National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention, and will launch a North American sales company in the first half of this year. The plan is to launch sales of its seven-seat GS8 SUV in the fourth quarter of 2019, and the automaker will explore all sorts of channels, including partnering with other dealership groups, said president Yu Jun. “We will also try to build our own dealership network in the future,” he added. “All of these options are on the table.”
2018 Detroit Auto Show Coverage
GAC Motor has expressed interest in entering the U.S. market since 2014, and has displayed at the Detroit Auto Show three times. The Chinese automaker has already opened a technical center in Silicon Valley and is planning to open a second facility in Detroit. After that, it plans to establish a design studio in Los Angeles.
Last year, the company reached its target annual sales goal of 500,000 units in China, marking a 37.2-percent year-over-year increase. It has also received high-quality ratings from J.D. Power for five consecutive years, something it will have to continue in the U.S. in order to convince buyers that its vehicle quality is U.S. grade.
[Source: Automotive News]
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