GM’s compact pick up for China
GM recently got into the truck making business in China with First Automobile Works, but they are not making American style mid to large size trucks in China, instead they are working on compact trucks.
Tucked away on the FAW stand at the Shanghai Auto Show was GM and FAW’s first pick up truck offering for the Chinese market, there was no glitz, no glamor, just a simple compact truck with an FAW badge on the front – easy to miss when you’re covering the launch of 75 new cars, and even easier to forgive when you learn that FAW-GM’s truck was outside in the center courtyard with all the other trucks rather than being in a show hall.
The new truck, named the Kun Cheng, which roughly means ‘Earth Journey’ came down the production line at FAW-GM’s factory in Harbin yesterday, GM and FAW apparently have the ability to produce 280,000 of these each year if the need so arises.
FAW-GM CEO Mr. David Dunahay was on hand in Shanghai to explain that the Kun Cheng is based on ‘mature’ technology from FAW but uses a global design language from GM. Engine power comes from a 2.2L gasoline engine, and will be able to power either the rear wheels or all four wheels on demand. Pricing has not yet been announced, but is expected to be low.
Tweet This
Share on Facebook
Digg This
Save to delicious
Stumble it
RSS Feed
What did GM do for the Pickup? It looks like a average Chinese local pickup
Is this one of the famed pickups that uses an ancient but cloned Isuzu chassis?
the rear does look like it cam from an Isuzu
I agree Gong, it certainly doesn’t stand out from the hackneyed pack of dual cab pickups. And the short bed sans a full wheelwell is unappealing.
GM had a partnership with Isuzu, making the D-Max and the Chevy Colorado alongside each other. This may just be a derivative of those two pick-ups
I thought that as well but when you look at the side profile, you definitely see the old Isuzu truck. The reason I didn’t assume it was one of Isuzu/GM’s design was because in the article it stated, “mature technology from FAW”.
“….2.2L gasoline engine, (and) will be able to power either the rear wheels or all four wheels on demand.”
It’s hard to believe that the GM-FAW jv would choose the underpowered XG491Q-ME engine to power these wheels of their first product.