Micro to become macro? GM looking at competing with the Nano
Click image for a gallery of the GM China Chevrolet Spark
If everyone else is going to build cars like Tata's headline-grabbing Nano, GM's going to pile on, too. The Lutz cites GM's part-ownership stake in Wuling Motors, a Chinese manufacturer of sub-$3,000 utility vehicles as a possible source of a GM Nano competitor. Lutz went on to say that one way to make an inexpensive car for the developing world is to repurpose a legacy platform that has become obsolete. The tooling and design will have long been paid off, and there'll be plenty of experience from the manufacturing side, too. This is essentially what GM China is already doing with the Daewoo Matiz/Chevrolet Spark. It might smack of dumping an old product that isn't safe or clean enough for mature markets, but is 'good enough' in other parts of the world. That said, it could also be a way to maximize the life of an investment while also providing developing markets with a better product than they'd have otherwise. Lutz also called into question whether the average Nano would sell for its rock-bottom $2,500 price of entry, anyway. Adding extra amenities will likely push the price of most Nanos higher, says Bob.
Gallery: GM China Chevrolet Spark
(Via Autoblog.)
