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Category: Automotive

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Auto and Car news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • VW makes ‘substantial progress’ toward 3.0 liter diesel agreement

    VW makes ‘substantial progress’ toward 3.0 liter diesel agreement

    U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said on Thursday that Volkswagen AG has made substantial progress in talks with the U.S. Justice Department and other government agencies toward resolving the fate of about 80,000 polluting diesel 3.0 liter vehicles.

    At a San Francisco court hearing, Breyer set a Dec. 1 deadline for a report on the status of the talks and said he is “very optimistic” an agreement will be reached. VW previously agreed to spend up to $16.5 billion, including as much as $10.3 billion to buy back up to 475,000 polluting 2.0 diesel vehicles.

    Volkswagen submitted proposed fixes for larger Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen diesel vehicles earlier this year and has been in intensive discussions with U.S. and California regulators. People briefed on the talks say VW may agree to buy back at least 21,000 older Volkswagen Touareg and Audi Q7 diesel vehicles and might only offer to repair the 60,000 newest ones if regulators agree, but no final agreements have been reached.

    If VW were required to repurchase all of the larger, more expensive 3.0-liter vehicles, its costs could increase by billions. They include the diesel Porsche Cayenne, Audi A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, Audi A8 and Audi Q5.

    Among the undecided issues is how much Volkswagen may be willing to compensate owners of the 3.0 liter vehicles.

    VW agreed to offer owners of the 2.0 liter vehicles between $5,100 and $10,000 in compensation, in addition to the estimated value of the vehicle.

    The 2.0 liter diesel vehicles have software that allowed them to evade emissions rules in testing and emit up to 40 times legally allowable emissions in onroad driving. The 3.0 liter vehicles have an undeclared auxiliary emissions system that allowed the vehicles to emit up to nine times allowable limits.

    VW has been barred from selling diesel vehicles in the United States since 2015 and has said it has not decided whether it will resume U.S. diesel sales.

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  • Minister wants increase in exports of motorcycles

    Minister wants increase in exports of motorcycles

    The countrys motorcycle industry has recorded a leapfrogging increase in production over the past several years, but the industry is still a minor player in export, Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto has said.

    “The countrys production of motorcycles has increased 800 percent in the past three years but exports averaged only 300,000 units year,” the minister said here on Thursday.

    Motorcycle sales in Indonesia averaged 6 million units a year that means exports are only 5 percent of the domestic sales, he said.

    Airlangga said currently the country had 90 million units of motorcycle on the street or more than one third of the population of around 250 million.

    The number shows that motorcycles have become the main alternative of public transport in the country, he said.

    Growing demand for transport service has contributed to the expansion of motor vehicle industry including motorcycle industry in the country, he said.

    In the past five years , motorcycle industry in Indonesia has grown significantly with production averaging more than 7 million units per year.

    The industry ministry said it is optimistic the rising trend would continue in the coming several years.

    Airlangga said with the increase, the countrys position as the third largest producer of motorcycle in the world after China and India would not change.

    He said motorcycle industrialists need to expand research and development to keep pace with the market requirement domestically and internationally.

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  • Scania Strengthens Position in Indonesia

    Scania Strengthens Position in Indonesia

    Scania continues to reinforce its position in the Indonesian bus market. Transjakarta has now placed an order for 150 low-entry city buses in addition to the previously ordered 110 3-axle Scania buses that will be delivered later this year. The public transport operator in the Indonesian capital already has 108 articulated Euro 6 Scania gas buses in its network.

    The Transjakarta Bus Rapid Transport system is considered to be the world’s longest busway, serving more than 10 million passengers monthly. The forthcoming delivery of low-entry buses will replace the existing, highly polluting, old buses that operate outside the busway corridors. The new Scania buses, delivered by United Tractors and bodybuilt by Laksana, will feature wheelchair ramps.

    On announcing the order, Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama particularly highlighted the greater accessibility and said, “this is the world-class bus we expect to have. Jakarta has never before had low-entry buses.”

    Scania, through its Indonesian partner United Tractors, has established the bus depot workshop facilities and parts supply systems in Jakarta needed to uphold an uptime of over 90 percent.

    United Tractors is the leading and the largest distributor of heavy equipment in Indonesia, providing products from world-renowned brands, including Scania. The partnership between United Tractors and Scania was established in 2004, initially focusing on heavy-duty trucks for the Indonesian mining industry.

    Scania is major supplier of buses for BRT systems throughout the world. “We are convinced that bus systems offer the quickest and most cost-effective solution for cities to increase urban mobility and alleviate traffic congestion,” says Karin Rådström, Head of Buses and Coaches. “The Jakarta BRT system serves as a model for many growing cities.”

    Scania is a part of Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH and one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications. Scania is also leading provider of industrial and marine engines. Service-related products account for a growing proportion of the company’s operations, assuring Scania customers of cost-effective transport solutions and maximum uptime. Scania also offers financial services. Employing some 44,000 people, the company operates in about 100 countries. Research and development activities are concentrated in Sweden, while production takes place in Europe and South America, with facilities for global interchange of both components and complete vehicles. In 2015, net sales totalled SEK 95 billion and net income amounted to SEK 6.8 billion.

  • Guangzhou Auto raising up to $2.2 bln in green car, proprietary brand push

    Guangzhou Auto raising up to $2.2 bln in green car, proprietary brand push

    China’s sixth-largest car maker by sales, Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC Group) , plans to sell up to 15 billion yuan ($2.2 billion) worth of shares to fund development of its green car business, proprietary brands and factories, the firm said late on Monday.

    Chinese automakers have invested billions in developing electric and petrol-electric hybrid vehicles at the direction of the government, which sees green cars as a way to leapfrog global competitors more experienced in traditional petrol engines while also cutting heavy pollution.

    Five investors involved in the private placement of GAC Group A-shares are mainly controlled by the government in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou, Thomson Reuters’ IFR reported on Tuesday.

    The automaker, like most domestic peers, is a state-owned enterprise.

    GAC Group said in an exchange filing that the proceeds would be used in 10 projects, with nearly a third of the funds to be spent on research and development of green energy cars and other technology.

    Other projects include factory expansion and improvement and developing a host of new models for its GAC Motor brand.

    The automaker’s Shanghai-listed shares jumped 9.6 percent after resuming trading on Tuesday, closing the session up 6 percent. Trading had been halted on Oct. 18 pending the announcement.

    The newly issued shares account for roughly 10 percent of the automaker’s outstanding stock.

    In addition to making cars under a wholly owned brand, GAC Group also makes vehicles through joint ventures with Toyota Motor Corp, Honda Motor Co Ltd and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV.

  • Honda raises profit forecast on strong China sales

    Honda raises profit forecast on strong China sales

    Honda Motor Co lifted its full-year net profit forecast by 6 percent, betting that Chinese customers will keep buying its XR-V and Vezel SUVs and the popular Civic sedan after robust demand there boosted Asian sales sharply in the latest quarter.

    Japan’s third-largest automaker by sales said on Monday it expects full-year net profit to hit 415 billion yen ($3.95 billion), compared to its previous forecast of 390 billion yen. Honda upgraded its global sales forecast to reflect strong demand in China, the world’s biggest auto market and the company’s second largest.

    It also expects cost cuts and lower quality-related costs to offset the impact of a stronger currency and lift its bottomline this year, after taking a hit last year due to hefty provisions for costs to recall Takata (7312.T) air bag inflators.

    Strong demand in growing cities has pushed Honda’s Chinese sales up 26 percent higher year-on-year to 872,000 in the first nine months of 2016, boosted by a near doubling in sales for the Civic, which underwent a model change this year.

    This prompted it to lift the forecast for group vehicle sales in Asia by 11 percent on the year to 1.915 million for the year ending in March 2017, after overall Asian sales rose 22 percent on the year in the second quarter.

    As a result, it sees global sales rising by 5 percent from last year to 4.98 million cars.

    “We’re seeing a positive impact from our new models. The Civic is doing very well in North America, China, and South America,” Honda Executive Vice President Seiji Kuraishi told reporters at a briefing, adding that strong demand for the XR-V compact SUV crossover was also lifting Chinese sales.

    To keep up with rapidly growing demand for its sedans and SUVs in China, Honda is planning to build a new factory in the country with partner Dongfeng Motor Group Co (0489.HK), two people familiar with the matter told Reuters earlier this month.

    Honda sells roughly 40 percent of its global production in North America, but as growing demand in China drives Asian sales higher, the automaker expects sales in the two regions to be roughly the same this year.

    Despite the rosier profit outlook, Honda’s new profit forecast remains lower than the average 482 billion yen profit expected by 21 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters, and Honda said that its conservative outlook was largely due to global uncertainties.

    “At the moment we see uncertainties related to the U.S. elections, Brexit and a weaker sterling, and in Asia, the outlook for Thailand after the death of the country’s monarch,” Kuraishi said.

    “We haven’t seen the impact of these factors yet, but we’re taking a cautious approach to our forecasts.”

    Honda operates a plant in Britain, producing around 140,000 vehicles per year, including the CR-V crossover SUV and Civic sedan at its plant in Swindon. Half of its production is exported to the EU.

    Kuraishi said that the automaker had no plans at the moment to shift its production away from Britain, adding that it would consider factors including the value of sterling and the likely introduction of tariffs when deciding its future in the country.

    Honda is assuming an average rate of 103 yen to a dollar for the current year, against its earlier forecast of 105 yen.

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  • Chinese automaker BYD forecasts up to 84 percent profit rise for 2016

    Chinese automaker BYD forecasts up to 84 percent profit rise for 2016

    Chinese automaker BYD Co Ltd, backed by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, on Sunday said 2016 full-year profit was likely to rise as much as 84.17 percent, as rapid growth of the green car market eases.

    The Shenzhen-based manufacturer, which has invested heavily in making electric and hybrid petrol-electric vehicles, forecast a 77.09 percent to 84.17 percent increase in net profit for the year, at 5.0 billion yuan ($737.90 million) to 5.2 billion yuan.

    For the first nine months of 2016, BYD reported 3.66 billion yuan in profit, an 86.82 percent increase year-on-year. That compared with the automaker’s forecast in August of 83 percent to 91 percent for the period.

    BYD reported triple-digit profit growth for the previous four quarters. But its earnings expansion in the first nine months of 2016 slipped below 100 percent as the overall market for green-energy vehicles moderates after government support helped it quadruple last year.

    Overall sales of electric and plug-in hybrids in China totaled 289,000 vehicles in January-September, according to China’s automakers association, far from its target of 700,000 vehicles for 2016. An association official said Friday that sales were now likely to miss that target.

    Analysts said China may struggle to meet that target following the revelation that dozens of companies had been cheating the subsidy system.

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  • BMW recalling 154,472 vehicles over fuel pumps

    BMW recalling 154,472 vehicles over fuel pumps

    BMW is recalling 154,472 vehicles registered in the United States and Canada for a fuel pump problem that could cause stalling, according to a filing with U.S. safety regulators and BMW.

    BMW told regulators that no injuries have been reported. Since 2014, the German-based company has conducted safety recall campaigns in China, Japan and South Korea for the same issue, according to a filing posted on Friday by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

    Of the vehicles recalled in North America, 88 percent are registered in the United States.

    BMW is recalling certain vehicles in the United States and Canada for model years 2007-2012. Among them in the United States are the X5 3.0si, X5 4.8i, X5 M, X5 xDrive30i, X5 xDrive35i, X5 xDrive48i and X5 xDrive50i, 2008-2011 X6 x Drive35i, X6 xDrive50i and X6 M, 2010-2011 X6 ActiveHybrid, according to the filing.

    Also the 535i xDrive Gran Turismo, 535i Gran Turismo, 550i xDrive Gran Turismo and 550i Gran Turismo, 2011-2012 528i, 535i, 535i xDrive, 550i and 550i xDrive and 2012 535i ActiveHybrid, 640i Convertible, 650i Convertible, 650i xDrive Convertible, 650i Coupe and 650i Coupe xDrive vehicles.

    BMW will notify owners and dealers to replace a fuel pump module free of charge beginning in early December. BMW owners can call BMW customer service for details.

  • Tesla’s Musk unveils solar roof tiles, longer-lasting batteries

    Tesla’s Musk unveils solar roof tiles, longer-lasting batteries

    Tesla Motors Inc Chief Executive Elon Musk on Friday unveiled new energy products aimed at illustrating the benefits of combining his electric car and battery maker with solar installer SolarCity Corp.

    The products include solar-powered roof tiles that eliminate the need for traditional panels and longer-lasting batteries aimed at helping to realize Musk’s vision of selling a fossil fuel free lifestyle to consumers.

    “This is sort of the integrated future. An electric car, a Powerwall and a solar roof. The key is it needs to be beautiful, affordable and seamlessly integrated,” Musk said during an event to showcase the products at the Universal Studios theme park near Los Angeles. “If all those things are true why would you go any other direction?”

    Musk is the biggest shareholder in both Tesla and SolarCity, which is run by two of his first cousins. Analysts have been dubious of the deal’s proposed synergies, with some suggesting the merger is a way for Tesla to rescue money-losing SolarCity. A vote on the acquisition is scheduled for Nov. 17.

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  • Toyota to recall 5.8 million cars in Japan, China, Europe over Takata airbags

    Toyota to recall 5.8 million cars in Japan, China, Europe over Takata airbags

    Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp on Wednesday said it was recalling a total of about 5.8 million cars at home and abroad over potentially faulty air bag inflators made by Takata Corp.

    The recall, which includes the Corolla and the Vitz subcompact hatchback model which is marketed overseas as the Yaris, covers models produced between May 2000 and November 2001, and April 2006 and December 2014, the company said in an email.

    It affects about 1.16 million vehicles sold in Japan, and also includes about 820,000 cars sold in China and around 1.47 million cars in the European market.

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  • VW brand profit plunges, Porsche lifts group

    VW brand profit plunges, Porsche lifts group

    Volkswagen said third-quarter operating profit at its core brand plunged more than half, adding weight to management calls for cutbacks at VW’s biggest division.

    Operating profit at the VW namesake brand dropped to 363 million euros ($396 million) from 801 million a year earlier, VW said on Thursday, or just 1.5 percent of sales.

    The figure was well below a consensus forecast of 462 million euros in a Reuters poll of analysts.

    Europe’s largest automaker needs to make savings at high-cost operations in Germany to help fund a shift to electric cars and self-driving vehicles while facing billions of euros in costs from its diesel emissions test-cheating scandal.

    “The results reinforce the need for cost cuts at the VW brand,” said Commerzbank analyst Sascha Gommel, who has a “hold” recommendation on the stock.

    In the seasonally slow July-to-September period, business at the VW brand was marred by suppliers halting parts deliveries to protest against the cancellation of a contract by VW, curbing output of the top-selling Golf and Passat models at the Wolfsburg and Emden plants by about 20,000 units.

    Analysts estimated the supplier dispute shaved a three-digit million-euro amount off the brand’s quarterly profit and said the carmaker also offered incentives to offset the impact of its emissions scandal on sales.

    Year-to-date sales of the VW brand swung back to growth on a 6.7 percent gain in September and posted the strongest growth in two-and-a-half years last month at group level, helped by strong demand in China and Europe.

    The VW group raised its guidance for profit and revenue this year after posting higher-than-expected quarterly earnings of 3.3 billion euros, adjusted for special items, reflecting strong gains at premium brand Porsche.

    The group said it expected revenue to match last year’s 213 billion euros after predicting in July that revenue would fall by as much as 5 percent this year.

    The group’s operating margin may come in at the upper end of VW’s 5-6 percent target range before special items, the carmaker said. It previously forecast the profitability benchmark to fall within that corridor.

    The shares were trading up 0.1 percent at 126 euros as of 0804 GMT.

    “Despite major challenges and the negative impact of the diesel issue, the Volkswagen Group remains on a solid financial footing,” finance chief Frank Witter said.

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  • Japan’s Nissan to sell parts maker Calsonic Kansei to KKR

    Japan’s Nissan to sell parts maker Calsonic Kansei to KKR

    Nissan Motor Co has decided to sell its entire stake in Japanese auto parts maker Calsonic Kansei Corp to U.S. private equity firm KKR &Co as part of a $3.8 billion takeover, the Nikkei daily reported, without citing its sources.

    KKR then will try to buy the remaining shares in Calsonic from other shareholders through a takeover bid, bringing the total deal to as large as 400 billion yen ($3.80 billion), the report said.

    Bain Capital and MBK Partners were also bidding to buy the auto parts maker, which has a market value of about 280 billion yen, Thomson Reuters LPC had reported earlier.

    Trading of Calsonic Kansei was suspended by the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Friday morning. A Calsonic Kansei spokesman said the company had not announced a sale to KKR.

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  • Recall, product launch costs slash Ford third-quarter profit

    Recall, product launch costs slash Ford third-quarter profit

    Ford Motor Co reported a more than 50 percent drop in third-quarter net income on Thursday, saying its North American business suffered from lower sales, higher recall costs and a complicated introduction of a new pickup truck.

    The profit exceeded Wall Street expectations, however. The automaker said it still expected full-year earnings of $10.2 billion and a return to positive cash flow after burning through $2 billion in the third quarter.

    Net income dropped to $961 million, or 24 cents a share, from $2.2 billion, or 55 cents a share, a year earlier.

    Excluding one-time items, Ford said earnings were 26 cents a share, beating the analysts’ average estimate of 20 cents compiled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

    Third quarter revenue was $35.9 billion, down 6 percent, and North American operations revenue was $21.8 billion, down 8 percent.

    Ford had signaled most of the major numbers at a September investors presentation, and the results released on Thursday were little changed. The company’s shares were down about 1.4 percent at $11.76 in afternoon trading.

    Ford’s pretax operating margins were down by about half at 5.8 percent in North America and 3.3 percent worldwide.

    “What’s happening to the company is what’s happening in North America,” Chief Financial Officer Bob Shanks told reporters on Thursday.

    Shanks said three factors accounted for a $1.6 billion decline in Ford’s North American pretax profit: costs of ramping up the new Super Duty pickup truck, which has an average price of about $62,000; a door-latch recall charge of $600 million recall; and lower profits from the company’s F-150 pickup truck.

    Ford is cutting production of the F-150 in the fourth quarter and, in a new action, will idle one shift for a week at a plant in Kansas City, Missouri, to reduce inventories of the truck, Shanks said. The F-150 is Ford’s best-selling vehicle and one of its most profitable models.

    The company said pretax profit in Europe jumped to $138 million from $9 million.

    However, Shanks said the falling value of the British pound would cost Ford $140 million in the second half of 2015 and $600 million next year. Ford is 80 percent hedged against the currency for 2017, he said.

    Income from Ford’s Chinese joint ventures rose 26 percent to $320 million. “China is very, very strong,” Shanks said.

  • Nissan Philippines opens new Sucat dealership

    Nissan Philippines opens new Sucat dealership

    Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) continues to expand their dealer network in the country with the opening of their latest showroom in Paranaque. Located along the stretch of Dr. A. Santos Avenue, the new Nissan Sucat dealership features the brand’s new global retail visual identity called Nissan Design Initiative (NREDI) 2.1.

    “This new visual identiy is intended to become more inviting to our customers and at the same time showcase Nissan cars at its most attractive and exciting way. It also gives our dealers a fresh, new look that projects a reinvigorated, stronger Nissan,” said Ramesh Narasimhan, NPI president and managing director.

    According to Nissan, NREDI 2.1 aims to unify different markets / dealerships under one visual identity. Its philosophy centers on enchancng the Nissan customer experience through premium comfort and innovative services.

    nissan

    Managing the new dealership is Tetra sales and Services Inc. (TSSI), who considers the opening of the new dealership a major milestone for Nissan and their company.

    “With the implementation of NREDI 2.1 for the first time under our group, we at TSSI are proud to continue upholiding the driving spirit of innovation and excitement that is inherent in the Nissan DNA. We are also proud to say that, as the largest dealer group, we are committed to help boost a stronger consumer trust and confidence for the Nissan brand,” said Felix Limcaoco III, TSSI president.

    felix-k

    The new showroom, according to the company, is twice the size of a normal dealership with a total area of 781 square meters. It gets a variety of consultation areas along with a spacious lounge with a bar. Also present is an exclusive delivery area where clients can receive their brand-new car for the first time.

    The new Nissan Sucat Dealership is located at 8390 Dr. A Santos Ave., BF Homes, Paranaque City

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  • Apollo Tyres setting up around Rs 3,460 cr greenfield plant in Hungary

    Apollo Tyres setting up around Rs 3,460 cr greenfield plant in Hungary

    Apollo Tyres is setting up Europe’s largest greenfield plant in Hungary with an investment of 475 million euros to produce nearly 62 lakh tyres for passenger cars and heavy commercial vehicles per annum.

    The facility at Gyongyoshalasz, located less than 100 km from here, will start production early next year and it will produce tyres to cater to the entire European market.

    “Construction of Apollo Tyres’ first European greenfield plant at Gyongyoshalasz has started on April 10, 2015 and we will start production in early 2017. It will be Europe’s largest greenfield tyres plant,” Apollo Tyres (Hungary) KFT, Head – Project Controller, Amitabh Arya told .

    The Hungarian facility will be a state-of-the-art plant and once completed it will have a capacity to produce 5.5 million (55 lakh) passenger car and light truck (PCLT) tyres and 6,75,000 heavy commercial vehicle (HCV) tyres per annum.

    The total investment in the facility will be 475 million euro (about Rs 3,460 crore) and the Hungarian government was very excited about the investment from a leading Indian company.

    Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, at a joint press conference with visiting Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari last week, had specifically mentioned about the Apollo Tyres plant saying it was one of the largest foreign investments in Hungary.

    The Gyongyoshalasz facility will produce both Apollo and Vredestein branded tyres and will cater to the entire European market.

    Apollo Vredestein B.V. is part of Apollo Tyres Ltd and has its head office in Enschede, the Netherlands. It designs, manufactures and sells high-quality tyres under the Apollo and Vredestein brands in Europe and North America.

    Onkar S Kanwar headed Apollo Tyres Ltd, with its corporate headquarters in Gurgaon, is in the business of manufacture and sale of tyres since its inception in 1972.

    The company has grown manifold, establishing its footprint across the globe. It has manufacturing units in India and The Netherlands.

    The company markets its products under its two global brands – Apollo and Vredestein, and its products are available in over 100 countries through a vast network of branded, exclusive and multi-product outlets.

    At the end of its financial year on March 31, 2016, Apollo Tyres had clocked a turnover of USD 1.8 billion, backed by a global workforce of around 16,000 employees.

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  • GM to add SUV production line at China JV in 2017

    GM to add SUV production line at China JV in 2017

    General Motors Co (GM.N) plans to launch a new SUV production line at its joint venture factory in the Chinese central city of Wuhan during the first half of 2017, the official Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday, citing company sources.

    SAIC General Motors (SGM), a joint venture between China’s SAIC and General Motors, started operations at the Wuhan plant last year. The new production line will be able to produce 360,000 vehicles a year, bringing the combined capacity to 600,000, Xinhua said.

    SGM said it has invested 7.5 billion yuan ($1.1 billion) for the new production line, which has been under construction since January 2015, the news agency reported. It will manufacture a new generation of GM Chevrolet Equinox SUVs.

    The plant generated revenue of nearly 23 billion yuan ($3.4 billion) in the first nine months of this year, Xinhua said.

    GM’s China chief Matt Tsien told a press conference in March that Wuhan plant was operating at maximum utilization, and a planned second phase is being added there that will double capacity.

    He said that sport-utility vehicles, multi-purpose vehicles and luxury cars will continue to be hot segments in China going forward, with SUVs and MPVs accounting for 40 percent of firm’s overall China growth to 2020.

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