Entries Tagged 'GM' ↓

General Motors may have been a little slow in capturing the India growth story but it is trying hard to make up for lost time. The company, which lays claim to barely 3 per cent of the domestic passenger car market, is pulling out many stops to script the growth saga: a second small car priced lower than the Spark is under development and if things work out well, low-cost commercial vehicles such as pick-ups and vans would also be sold in India.

The auto giant’s second manufacturing facility with 1.4 lakh unit annual capacity at Talegaon is ready for trial production; a separate powertrain facility is also already in the works.

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By TIM HIGGINS

FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

General Motors Corp. sales dropped 11% in the U.S. market last month compared to November 2006, the company announced today.

GM’s U.S. dealers sold 263,654 cars and trucks last month.

Bright spots for the automaker include a 40% increase in the Chevrolet Malibu retail sales. The launch of the new CTS helped Cadillac car sales increase 15%.

“Integral to our strategy is to grow our share in the key car segments. The retail performance, especially from the new Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac CTS, demonstrates the enthusiasm customers have for these outstanding new vehicles,” Mark LaNeve, GM North America vice president for vehicle sales, service and marketing, said in a statement. “The recognition of the 2008 CTS as Motor Trend’s Car of the Year reinforces what we are hearing from customers about this phenomenal car. And, not to be outdone, the new Malibu is flying off dealer lots.”

The three top Japanese automakers all posted small gains in November, giving each a record for the month. Rival Ford Motor Co. also showed a small gain in November — its first increase after 12 months of declines. Chrysler LLC sales declined slightly.

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The 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid — the first General Motors vehicle to use the company’s all-new two-mode hybrid system — has been named Green Car Journal’s 2008 Green Car of the Year(R). The award was presented at a press conference this morning at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

“This is a milestone in many respects,” says Green Car Journal editor and publisher Ron Cogan. “People don’t think ‘green’ when SUVs are concerned, and for generally good reason since SUVs often get poor fuel economy compared to most other vehicles. Chevrolet’s Tahoe Hybrid changes

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Chevrolet Lacetti/Optra/Nubira 2008-2009 spied 

TASHKENT. Nov 21 (Interfax) - Uzbekistan plans to start producing the Chevrolet Lacetti at UzDaewoo Auto by 2009, a source from Uzavtoprom, which unites the country’s vehicle manufacturers, told Interfax.

The government of Uzbekistan has adopted a resolution on organizing commercial production of the Lacetti at UzDaewoo, which approves the implementation of this project, he said.

UzDaewoo Auto and GM DAT signed a contract on September 14 2007 for delivery of the machinerya and equipment required to set up Chevrolet Lacetti production. The project’s feasibility study puts projected capacity for the new conveyer line at 30,000 cars per year. The project is to take 16 months to set up.

The government has given Uzautoprom permission to allocate an interest-free loan equivalent to $47.69 million to UzDaewoo Auto, of which $41.2 million will be used to buy machinery and equipment.

UzDaewoo Auto was established jointly by the Uzbek government and Korea’s Daewoo motor. The company launched construction of an auto plant in Andijan region in 1996 with projected capacity of 200,000 vehicles a year.

Uzbekistan purchased the Daewoo Motor stake in UzDaewoo Auto in October 2005 and Uzautoprom now holds all the shares.

Uzautoprom and General Motors set up the joint venture GM Uzbekistan in October 2007 to produce and sell Chevrolet cars in Uzbekistan on the basis of UzDaewoo Auto. GM owns a 25% stake and Uzbekistan 75% of the joint venture. Projected capacity is 250,000 vehicles annually.

UzDaewoo Auto currently produces seven car models, with commercial production of the Nexia, Matiz and Damas and assembly of the Lacetti, and Chevrolet Captiva, Epica and Tacuma from October 2007.

UzDaewoo Auto produced 140,080 cars in 2006, up 38.7%. The company plans to turn out 170,000 cars in 2007. Me (Our editorial staff can be reached at

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General Motors (NYSE: GM) is setting itself up for what could be the largest unveiling of an electric vehicle ever with its Volt line of electrically-powered vehicles. As gasoline reaches and surpasses the $3/gallon mark nationwide, customers have to wonder why no car manufacturer has fulfilled the need for an electric car; and one that does not have limitations rendering it non-competitive to a standard gas-powered passenger car, like these Zapcars pictured here.

GM executives have recently said that the Volt is on track for sale for late 2010, and it will be a rechargeable vehicle that is 100% electric, not a hybrid. It’s not only nice looking, it would eliminate gas as a variable in that daily commute. To some, that means a savings of a few hundred dollars (or more) per month. GM, however, is not going at this effort alone. Toyota is in the race as well, and there will soon be a “showdown” with GM, according to a senior GM executive last week.

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Hyundai

January 2008 : Large Luxury Sedan (BH Codename)

Fisrt Half 2008 : Tucson Minorchange, Grandeur Minorchange

Second Half 2008 : Next generation of Tiburon (BK codename), Bernard Minorchange, Successor of Click/i20(PB codename) ,Next Gen C8 (Po Codename)

First Half 2009 : successor of Equus, Elantra/Avante Minorchange

Secon Half 2009 : Veracruz Minorchange, New Model Small car

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Kia

9 January 2008 : Borrego/mohave

First Half 2008: Morning/Picanto Minorchange, Soul crossover(AM codename), Pride/Rio Minochange, Successor of Cerato (TD codename), Lotze minorchange

First half 2009 : Next gen Sorento (XM codename), VG (Grandeur badge)

Second Half 2009 : Successor of Opirus (CH Codename share with Hyundai BH), XK coupe (Hyundai BK brother model), SL Suv

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GM Daewoo

First half 2008 : Tosca/Epica minorchange, L4X (stateman replacement)

Second half 2008 :Nubira/Lacetti/Optra (J300 codename),Matiz/Spark (M300 codename)

2009 : New model

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Renault-Samsung

November 2007 : QMX suv (H45 codename share with renault kaleos model)

First half 2008 : SM7 minorchange

First half 2009 : MPV

Second half 2009 : Large SUV (H49 codename), new SM3, new SM5

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Ssangyong

early 2008 : W200 large sedan

lately 2009 : C200 small suv, Y300 suv

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FLINT - General Motors plans to cut production of its long-running 3.8-liter V-6 engine at Flint Powertrain North in December, as it prepares to quit building the engine altogether in 2008.

In a letter to workers Friday, plant managers said engine production will be cut from about 1,016 engines per day to about 500 starting in December.

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Oct. 22 (Bloomberg) — General Motors Corp. outsold Toyota Motor Corp. in the first nine months of the year, buoyed by sales outside the U.S., in the battle to extend its 76-year reign as the world’s largest carmaker.

GM sold 7.06 million vehicles through September, taking a lead of 10,000 units over Toyota’s 7.05 million, the two companies said in separate statements. At the end of the first half, Toyota led by 39,000 vehicles.

Toyota’s sales in the U.S., its largest overseas market, dropped each month of the third quarter, the longest stretch of declines since 1995. Detroit-based GM won customers in Brazil, Russia and China, boosting sales by 4 percent in the quarter.

“Both companies face mature home markets and have to look to emerging markets for growth,” said Koichi Ogawa, who helps oversee $28 billion at Daiwa SB Investments Ltd. in Tokyo. “Being the top in sales is a matter of pride. Profits are still what investors care about.”

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