In a somewhat ironic twist as we’re seeing the importation of some of the first China-built models from Buick and Volvo to the U.S. market comes a report from Automotive News that General Motors is planning on selling a limited number of U.S.-built Colorado and Silverado pickups in four provinces in mainland China. The two trucks were show at this year’s Guangzhou auto show.
Pickup trucks have been targeted in many urban areas in China as excess polluters as the national and municipal governments have been striving to improve the abysmal air quality in many of the country’s urban centers. However, utility vehicles are still widely used in the country’s less-urbanized areas. GM says it will sell the Colorado and Silverado in the Henan, Hebei, Liaoning, and Yunnan provinces.
GM already produces a global version of the Colorado at its plant in Thailand, which is sold in Australia and Southeast Asian markets. Fullsize trucks are extremely rare outside of the Western Hemisphere, with the U.S., Canada, and Mexico being the primary markets, with some sales in other parts of Latin America. Earlier this year, Ford announced it would sell its F-150 Raptor off-road performance truck in China.
