GM Vows to Push Chevrolet Brand in China

General Motors Co. tells Bloomberg News it will tout its Chevrolet brand in China more heavily next year to help defend the company's market position there.

GM was China's best-selling foreign carmaker in China in 2012. But it lost the lead in in the first three quarters of this year to Volkswagen AG.

The company's best-selling brand in the market is Buick (606,300 units in January-September), followed by Chevrolet (472,600 units). Next year GM will introduce the Chevrolet Cruze small sedan at 108,900 yuan ($17,900).

Tim Lee, who took over as chairman of GM's China operations in August, hints to Bloomberg that Chevy will add another SUV model. Demand for such vehicles in China has soared 45% this year, according to the China Assn. of Automobile Manufacturers.

Lee says GM will use the Chevy brand to expand sales into China's smaller cities, in part through 1,000 new dealerships it plans to open in the western part of the country by 2017.