Discerning vehicle buyers in China are
another step closer to experiencing what their U.S. counterparts have
been raving about for the past year: the hot-selling Buick Enclave
luxury crossover. Chinese officials visited the Lansing Delta Township
Assembly Plant Thursday and Friday to observe operations in preparation
for the manufacture of U.S.-built Enclaves crossovers for export to
China. Pending approval, China-bound Enclaves could begin rolling off
the assembly line as early as next month.
Buick
announced last year it would expand its international reach following a
four-year, $800 million (USD) agreement signed by General Motors and
Shanghai GM (SGM) to export Enclaves to China beginning in the fourth
quarter of 2008. Enclave will be imported by Shanghai GM and sold
through a network of more than 400 Buick dealerships across China. The
plant visit by Chinese Quality Certification Center and SGM officials
is another step in this agreement.
Buick
is one of the most well-known automobile brands in China, with more
than 1.7 million Buick owners. Last year, Buick sold more than 300,000
units there and more than 567,000 worldwide, a 17,000-unit increase
over 2006. Buick has a strong history in China, where Dr. Sun Yat-sen,
a Chinese revolutionary hero, and Pu Yi, the last emperor of China,
both owned Buicks.
"Our customers in China are going to fall in love with the Enclave's
beauty, luxury and functionality in the same way that this vehicle has
captivated buyers here," said Susan Docherty, vice president,
Buick-Pontiac-GMC. "Buick has been a revered brand in China for more
than 90 years, and Enclave is going to enhance our strong presence in
the Chinese marketplace, providing an elegant and premium vehicle built
in a world-class facility."
Enclave
is Buick's first luxury crossover. Known for its elegant design,
well-crafted and library-quiet interior, Enclave has segment-leading
fuel economy and space to transport up to eight passengers plus their
gear. It is one of GM's hottest-selling vehicles in North America,
having sold more than 55,800 since launching in 2007. GM recently
announced it was adding 7,000 units of additional Enclave production
for the United States for the remainder of this year.
The
Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant, which opened in 2006, uses
state-of-the-art manufacturing practices. Both the assembly plant and
the contiguous stamping plant are certified to ISO 14001,
an international voluntary set of environmental standards. In addition,
it is the only manufacturing facility in the world that has achieved
Gold Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification
from the U.S. Green Building Council's Green Building Rating System.
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