Four model variants and a choice of a gasoline or diesel engine are available.
FAW-GM officially launched the Kuncheng pickup truck today at the Changchun International Automobile Fair in Changchun, Jilin. Kuncheng was first shown at Auto Shanghai this past spring and will be delivered this fall with a retail price starting at RMB 60,550 or ~$10,000.
Unlike other versions of the pickup truck in mature markets, Kuncheng does not have airbags. It does have three point seat belts, antilock brakes, side impact door beams and child proof locks.
The new model from a joint venture FAW and GM China is targeted at small businesses and private companies in China’s smaller cities. The Kuncheng is the first vehicle from FAW-GM’s new manufacturing facility in Changchun.
“We see strong potential in China’s pickup market,” said Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of the GM China Group. “The Kuncheng has been developed to global standards for performance and quality to meet the needs as well as the expectations of domestic buyers.”
FAW-GM Light Duty Commercial Vehicle Co. Ltd. is a 50-50 joint venture between GM China and China FAW Group Corp. (FAW). It was launched on August 30, 2009, and is based in Changchun, Jilin. It is focused on the production and sale of light duty trucks and vans. The joint venture operates manufacturing facilities in Harbin, Heilongjiang; Changchun, Jilin; and Qujing, Yunnan. FAW-GM sold 88,224vehicles in China in 2010.
In April Wale predicted that GM would double its sales volume in China from about 2.35 million units in 2010 to around 5 million units by 2015. China has been GM’s largest market for the past two years where it is the Number One automaker.
The GM announcement – no surprise to industry observers who track sales and capacity numbers closely – came as Wale outlined a multi-brand strategy – under a five-year plan – that will see GM introducing more than 60 new models and major product upgrades. Its two mainstream brands, Buick and Chevrolet, will account for nearly half of the long marketing march. (See Great Leap Forward! GM China Announces Five Year Plan to Double Sales by Introducing 60 New and Upgraded Models)
