GM Tests Appeal of Chevrolet Impala Sedan in Korea

Next month General Motors Co. will begin shipping Detroit-made Chevrolet Impala large sedans to South Korea, The Wall Street Journal reports.

If the car can attract at least 1,000 buyers per month, GM says it might use one of its three assembly plants in Korea to build the Impala locally.

The Impala will succeed the Alpheon, a Korean version of GM's Buick Lacrosse sedan, whose monthly sales have dropped to about 500 units. The Impala's competitors will include the Hyundai Grandeur and Toyota Avalon.

GM Korea agreed in July to consider building the Impala in Korea as part of its one-year labor pact with hourly workers there. GM's Korean plants made 630,000 small cars last year, mostly for export. But the Journal cites analysts who say the facilities are operating at an unprofitable 75% of capacity.