General Motors has lead the sales front in China, which is the world’s single biggest car market, for the past six years, with the automaker expecting to break the 2 million sales mark for the second year in a row in 2011.
Therefore, it makes perfect sense for China to be one of the first overseas markets to receive the Chevrolet Volt. GM’s extended-range hybrid will be available in eight cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Wuxi, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Foshan, through 13 Shanghai GM Chevrolet dealerships.
The announcement was made during this week’s 2011 Auto Guangzhou exhibition in which two of GM’s local joint ventures, Shanghai GM and SAIC-GM-Wulling, are displaying more than 30 Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac and Baojun models.
Introducing the Volt in the Chinese market is part of Shanghai GM’s “Drive to Green” initiative, which centers on offering models with lower consumption and emissions.
The bad news for Chinese buyers is that the Volt will carry a price tag of RMB 498,000, which is equal to US$75,533, or close to twice the cost of the car in the States.
Just to get an idea of what that means for your average consumer, China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security recently said that the city of Shenzhen located next to Hong Kong, has the highest minimum wage in the country at 1,320 yuan or about US$208 a month…
On the bright side, those fortunate enough to have such a high income in China to justify the buy, will be able to join the V+Club, a 24-hour bilingual hotline offering one-on-one service, and be invited to participate in eco-friendly activities.
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