Guangzhou Automobile Group has committed to enter the US market in 2019, according to the Detroit News.
The announcement came Monday at the Detroit Auto Show, where the company, often referred to by the acronym GAC or GAC Motors, presented two new electric vehicles: a sedan and a concept SUV.
The sedan is called the GA4, while the SUV is dubbed Enverge.
For at least the past few months, speculation has been swirling that GAC Motors would move to export their Trumpchi line of SUVs to the ‘Land of the Free and the Home of the Tweeter-in-Chief,’ with a November report by the New York Times stating that the company “would begin selling Trumpchis in the United States by the end of 2019.”
While the timeframe appears to be correct (Monday’s announcement pegged the fourth quarter of 2019 as a realistic launch date), Trumpchi SUVs – in name anyway – will not be sold in the United States.
According to the Detroit News:
“GAC has marketed cars and SUVs known as Trumpchi in China since 2010, but the company says the name was not inspired by U.S. President Donald Trump and it will not be used here.”
So, which GAC Motors vehicle can American consumers expect to debut in 2019? According to Feng Xingya, chairman of GAC Motors and president of GAC Group, the Enverge will be the first SUV designed by the company for the US market and will be “all-electric.”
Vice President of Engineering for GAC Motors Zhang Fan is additionally quoted as stating the Enverge SUV will boast a 71-kilowatt hour battery and offer a driving range of more than 370 miles (approximately 595 kilometers).
As for the GA4 sedan, GAC Motor President Yu is quoted in the Detroit News as stating the car will be “another blockbuster model on a strategic level.” While the GA4 goes on sale this month in China, Kelley Blue Book has reported that GAC has no plans to roll the model out in the United States.
GAC is by no means the first Chinese car company to promise a US debut, but they do appear devoted to getting their vehicles on American roads – as indicated by their joint venture with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in Guangzhou's Panyu District.
Some, though, have pointed out that numerous hurdles remain to be overcome before the company can export vehicles to the US. According to Detroit Free Press, it’s presently unclear whether GAC can pass America’s rigid auto-safety requirements.
It’s also unknown how the company plans to sell vehicles without an established network of dealerships. Possible workarounds include partnering with an established automaker in America or selling their cars online. Alternatively, GAC could choose to drop considerable capital building its own dealerships.
READ MORE: GAC, Fiat Chrysler Open Guangzhou Manufacturing Plant
[Images via the Detroit News]
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