SGM (Shanghai General Motor) announced recently that Buick Encore will put into production in China in 2012. Encore will be the first compact SUV model made in China by Buick.

The sales volume of SUV in China was 1.59 million vehicles in 2011, up 20.2% YoY, but the growth rate dropped significantly comparing with that in 2010. However, compared with China's overall passenger car market, the SUV segment market still saw a faster development. The sales of passenger vehicle in 2011 were 14.47 million, only an increase of 5.2% on Year-on-Year basis.

SGM’s business in urban SUV market started relatively later. Though SGM’s localization R & D has always been conducting, it launches SUV at a rather slow pace over the past few years with a rapid development in SUV market. Buick Encore will be an important vehicle model for SGM’s expansion in SUV segment market when it is put into production in China in 2012.

Source:ResearchInChina