DETROIT (AP) — General Motors plans to start selling a Chinese-manufactured Buick SUV in the U.S. starting next year.
The company says the Envision midsize SUV will be built at a factory in Yantai, China, that’s part of a GM joint venture.
GM says the Envision will meet high quality standards set for the Buick brand. Spokesman Patrick Morrissey says it’s not economically feasible to build the SUV in another country at current sales projections. GM expects to sell three-quarters of the SUVs in China.
Morrissey says the Envision was designed in Michigan, and importing it from China helps GM respond quickly to customer demand.
It’s GM’s first import from China, but not the first for an automaker. Earlier this year Volvo began importing a stretched version of the S60 sedan.
