General Motors continues its push to get a bigger market share in the world's second-largest economy with the launch of a new series of sports utility vehicles (SUVs). The company officially launched a series of new Buick-branded SUVs in China as part of its strategy to solidify the brand's presence in the country.
The launch of the new Buick SUVs was made in China's southern city of Guangzhou. The company launched all-new models of its Enclave and Enclave Avenir full-sized SUVs along with the 2020 model of its Envision mid-sized SUV.
The new models, including the company's existing Encore compact SUV and its long-wheelbase Encore GX compact SUV, now complete its lineup to cover all of the SUV segments. According to the executive director of Buick under the SAIC-GM partnership, Molly Peck, the company now has all of the products that cater to the Chinese consumer's SUV needs.
Peck stated that the launch of its new Enclave models now completes its SUV family with a premium offering that should be able to keep up with China's fast-changing market.
The Buick Enclave Avenir, which was described as a "mid-size plus" version of the standard Enclave was specifically built for the Chinese market. GM first unveiled the model in April, stating that it would be utilizing the company's C1 short-wheelbase platform. The Chinese version of the Enclave is different from its North American counterpart and was specifically designed with Chinese consumers in mind.
GM first brought the Buick brand to Chinese sores in 1998. Since then the company has sold more than 10 million vehicles in the country. Last year, the company reported a significant decline in sales amid the overall downtrend in China's car market. For its third quarter this year, GM reported a 17.5 percent decline in total sales in China when compared to the same period last year. For its Buick branded vehicles, GM reported a 20.6 percent drop in total sales for the period.
In an attempt to turn around its sales numbers, GM previously announced that it would be revamping its product offerings in China. The the company revealed plans to launch more than 20 new and refreshed models specifically for the Chinese market. The carmaker stated that it would mainly be focusing on luxury vehicles and mid-sized to large SUVs, which are becoming very popular with Chinese consumers.
GM unveiled 13 new and refreshed models at the recently held 2019 Auto Guanzhou event. Most of the models that were on display at the event have yet to hit dealerships in China, but GM is expected to roll all of them out in the coming months.
