GM considering Tata Nano competitor for emerging markets

Posted: Aug 18, 2009
Filed under: GM, Hybrids, Green News, Industry News

According to newly appointed vice president of international operations Nick Reilly, GM is considering a Tata Nano competitor for emerging markets. Reilly said that GM has plans to build a small car in Asia that would be sold for under $5,000.

“It’s definitely a segment that is interesting, and something that every manufacturer is looking at,” said spokesman Johan Willems. ”In response to a question about the Tata Nano, Nick basically said the Nano was a vehicle that was developed at a very low cost point for the Asian market and we are also interested in those kinds of vehicles,” Willems told Automotive News.

The Tata Nano is considered the world’s cheapest car.

During the first six months of 2009, nearly two-thirds of GM’s sales come from outside of North America.

- By: Kap Shah

Related Posts:

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  3. Tata struggling to keep a $2,500 price tag for Nano
  4. GM working on a Tata Nano competitor
  5. Hyundai to take on $2,500 Tata Nano in India

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  • zermatt
    GM spends taxpayer money to develop products for emerging markets when they can't even make products for this market?

    GM - get the job done here first and then we can talk.
  • GMfan87
    ....global economy....

    GM has a great line-up planned for the US already, y not try to make some money where there isn't a stigma that goes along with the GM brands and people actually give their cars a chance....and (get this) like them!
  • zermatt
    Great cars for the US remains to be proven. GM doesn't have the reputation provided by a track record to support a belief in future success.

    At this point, they are working with money from governments that are expecting that the taxpayer money spent will go to boosting operations in those countries.

    A Nano competitor cannot be made in the US or Canada, but possibly in Brazil or Korea. If GM is going to make the car is Brazil or Korea, then they should do the development and production with private investments or money from the Brazilian or Korean governments.

    Production in a country that GM isn't in now is even more of an argument for private funding or funding from the host country.

    I wonder if the Nana competitor was part of the plan proposed by GM to the government? Doesn't seem likely since cars like this have very thin margins and it would be inconsistent with the plan to return to profitability.
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