To secure its future in promising emerging markets like India, Mexico, Brazil and China, GM will invest USD 5 billion dollars in developing a family of exciting budget cars.
The platform which will spawn an array of products is reported to be codenamed Amber and it will be developed in association with GM’s long standing partner SAIC of China. The first car from this family is slated to roll out in 2019.
Talking to Automotive news, GM President Dan Ammann said that the emerging market spec products will be richly equipped since the customers in such markets demand adequate safety features, high fuel economy and modern styling. However he stopped short of divulging the body styles of the top-hats planned for the platform.
Going by the current market demands, a hatch, compact sedan, a compact crossover SUV (both sub-4m in India’s case), and an MPV are expected to be body styles that will arise from the new budget platform. It will also be one of only four architectures that will cover GM’s global portfolio by 2025.
The first product is slated to roll out in 2019.The top official also added that the new products will replace an assortment of existing products throughout the world. As far as India is concerned, hatchback would replace Spark and Beat (could be marketed as next gen Beat). Compact crossover is most likely to be the production version of Adra concept which world premiered at Delhi auto expo last year.