Chinese Automaker GAC’s Import Plans Six Months has be put on holds

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GAC Motors’ plan to enter the U.S. market with a midsize crossover SUV has been delayed by about half a year to the first half of 2020, company officials said Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The automaker announced a year ago at the same show that it planned to sell the first of its cars here by the end of 2019. “I cannot say that there is no impact at all,” from the U.S.-China trade dispute, Yu Jun, president of GAC Motors, said.

The automaker’s product rollout plan is unchanged. Officials said it will first launch the GS8 two-row midsize SUV with front- or all-wheel-drive and a 199-hp 2.0-liter four. Numerous models will then follow as GAC builds out its U.S.-market lineup.

GAC officials won’t say whether it will require North American dealerships to sell its vehicles in dedicated sales and service facilities, or whether it will allow “dualed” dealerships with other brands. GAC attended the U.S. National Auto Dealers Association meeting and met with hundreds of dealers, officials said, and they plan to return to this year’s meeting at the end of January, in San Francisco. An announcement on which dealers GAC has signed up is expected at that conference.

To try and underscore its commitment to the North American market, Wang Qiujing, president of GAC Engineering Institute, said that operations have begun at the automaker’s new research & development center in Farmington Hills, Michigan, near Detroit. GAC also announced that its regional sales headquarters will be located in Irvine, California.

GAC says it sold about 535,000 vehicles in its home country in calendar year 2018, up about 5 percent over 2017, while the entire Chinese auto market declined about 4 percent. It remains the world’s largest market.

In the meantime, Kia Motors has unveiled 3-row, 8-seat crossover Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) identifies as Telluride.

Expected in 2020, the Telluride is the production version of Kia’s well-received concept of the same name that was unveiled at 2016’s Detroit auto show, and it’s being built right now at Kia’s plant in West Point, Georgia. It’s not only built locally but Kia also boasts that the Telluride is also its first model designed specifically for the United States, with the design work handled at the Kia Design Center in Irvine, California.

The Telluride is several inches longer and wider than Kia’s mid-size Sorento, making it a proper full-size SUV, and there’s a car-like unibody structure underneath, which should mean a compliant ride. For added comfort, buyers will be able to opt for self-leveling rear suspension, which is particularly useful when towing or carrying a heavy load. The standard tow rating is 5,000 pounds.

Just one powertrain will be available at launch, a 3.8-liter V-6 mated to an 8-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. Peak output is 291 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque. A plug-in hybrid powertrain pairing a V-6 with an electric motor could be added at a later date. Such a powertrain, generating a combined 400 hp, was shown in the original Telluride concept.

For 2020, the Telluride will be offered in LX, EX, S, and SX trim levels. A 3-seat bench is standard for the second row while captain’s chairs can be added, though this drops the seat count from eight to seven. Numerous electronic driver aids are standard, as are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. Premium touches can be added, such as Nappa leather trim, a 10-speaker Harman/Kardon audio system, and a larger, 10.25-inch screen for the infotainment system.


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