General Motors (GM) has just announced an impressive 1-billion dollar investment in India to make the nation a manufacturing hub. The specifics of the initial announcement from GM left out some details. According to GM, it turns out that GM wants to build small cars in India. No mention of small/light trucks or vans.
Question answered – right?
There is the question of small vans. Vehicles that are very popular in India and are inexpensive to build, there is fierce competition for the people-mover market in India. Recently, GM sent over the Wuling Hong Guang van, which is built in China, and renamed it the Chevrolet Enjoy.
The Chevrolet Enjoy is fairly new to the Indian market and it’s somewhat unique compared to many of the small passenger vans currently sold in India. Despite being built like a front-drive vehicle (unit-body, small front overhang, low floor) it’s actually a front engine/rear drive van.
If this van, or other overseas General Motors vans becomes popular in the Indian market, why not build it there? This brings us back to the one-billion dollar investment and its repercussions for the truck market: if they do begin building vans that have a setup similar to the Chevrolet Enjoy, why not build small trucks too?
This is merely an intriguing possibility, one that’s worth having a closer look at in a few months.
Thoughts? Is this hefty investment via GM in India a good idea?
Check out this video… small trucks rule!
worldwide.
