GM Divides Emerging Market Strategy Between SAIC and PSA

GM’s CEO Dan Akerson said that the automaker is reconsidering its strategy in the emerging markets.

Almost three years ago Dan Akerson said that GM might use SAIC, with which manufactures with the US automaker affordable no-frills vehicles, as its favorite partner to expand in the emerging markets globally. But over the past months GM has also considered to partner with PSA Peugeot Citroen not only in Europe but also in Latin America and Russia.

“Our first obligation to one another is to fix our European operations, and potential exists — and it’s a real potential — for other areas where they operate and we operate too,” Akerson said in a recent interview in Detroit.

The GM-SAIC joint venture was formed in 2010 and it is aimed at exporting the Chevy Sail compacts designed and manufactured in China to Chile and Peru. The JV also exports Wuling microvans produced in China, using the GM dealer network to sell the products in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Agypt.

Akerson’s comments are a clear sign that GM plans to divide its emerging-markets plans between SAIC for Asian markets outside China and PSA Peugeot Citroen for Latin America and Russia. GM’s CEO said that the Southeast Asia and India are perfect for SAIC and that it was indeed in talks with the Chinese automaker to create a manufacturing and sales JV in Indonesia.