China’s SAIC to set up plant in Thailand for ASEAN

China’s SAIC to set up plant in Thailand for ASEAN

China’s SAIC, owner of the MG and Roewe brands, will set up a 50,000-unit capacity assembly plant in Thailand, Automotive News China reports. The Shanghai-based company will partner the Charoen Pokphand Group in this venture, which will build cars for sale in the ASEAN region. This is no big surprise, as news of their intentions surfaced earlier in the year.

SAIC and CP Group, the latter controlled by billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont, will initially invest 1.8 billion yuan (RM885 mil) in the JV and plan to start sales in 2014, according to an SAIC statement. The Chinese will own 51% stake, with CP holding the rest. Annual capacity is planned to eventually reach 200,000 units.

In China, SAIC partners market leaders GM and Volkswagen. It took control of the MG brand via a merger with Nanjing Automobile Group Corp, which bought the British brand and other assets for 604 million yuan (RM296 mil) in 2005 after MG Rover went bust.

Click here to see the MG3, MG’s five-door supermini class hatchback. Thai-made, China-owned MGs anyone?

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

Comments

  • abdullah on Dec 11, 2012 at 11:06 am

    Dr M – Father of Thai motor industry.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 43 Thumb down 5
    • works on Dec 11, 2012 at 2:23 pm

      yup thanks to dr apa nama and his cronies legacy…*sarcasm mode*

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 5
      • Kelvin on Dec 11, 2012 at 6:29 pm

        Malaysia always think that it is the ASEAN motor hub, but the reality is it is not. What we have is a government that always take advantage of poor average Malaysian. Proton can only sell to Malaysian, and it is overprice to average Malaysian. I don’t know if it is true, do we has the most highway with tolls? It has been so long, I don’t know why this government can even survive till today?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 2
  • great…another setup in Thailand. This government is an utter failure at managing both its local account as well as foreign investment.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 24 Thumb down 2
  • Reaz619 on Dec 11, 2012 at 11:56 am

    Hi, Paul…. Nothing to do with this post, is the evoque coupe comes with 5 cameras for local version?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Confused on Dec 11, 2012 at 11:58 am

    Hi, Paul…. Nothing to do with this post, is the evoque coupe comes with 5 cameras for local version?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 3
  • Jimmy on Dec 11, 2012 at 1:39 pm

    Confidence is urgently needed.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Josh Ling on Dec 11, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    As long as it doesn’t carry the “unique” Chinese design of many Chinese cars, and with the right pricing, i think the market should have no problem of accepting them.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 2
  • Kent Lim on Dec 11, 2012 at 2:51 pm

    With this new set up, not only the Japs and Koreans are giving Proton a run for its money, the Chinese are also joining the bandwagon. Hope Proton can sustain!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 2
    • Kelvin on Dec 11, 2012 at 6:37 pm

      Giving Malaysia runs of it’s money, not Proton. Proton is sucking Malaysian.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 2
  • kereta lembu on Dec 11, 2012 at 2:52 pm

    So sad to see MGs and Rovers become Chinese Milo-tins

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 13
  • along on Dec 11, 2012 at 3:03 pm

    Go go go NAP… yeahaaa

    NAP, NAP, NAp, Nap, nap, ZZzz, Zzzz, zzzz…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • gOOsh on Dec 11, 2012 at 7:05 pm

    keter nih??? baik aku beli PROTON….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 8
  • AsapHitam on Dec 11, 2012 at 10:11 pm

    krete pakai buang.. 2-3 tahun je, pas tu nak jualpun tak laku

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
  • skypirate on Dec 12, 2012 at 11:30 am

    The Chinese and Indians are really smart actually, they know that their efforts would be futile if they market their own branded vehicles and hence they embarked on a buying spree on established brands like jaguar land rover, MG and Saab to name a few. but of cause none of this is possible without truck loads of cash which the Chinese and Indian billionaires have no problem coming up with.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Interesting to see a Chinese company opening another facility wit such capacity outside their homeland but in d same region.

    But to d guys behind our NAP, hope u r aware of these happenings n not be ‘katak bawah tempurung’

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Jaybond on Dec 13, 2012 at 9:10 am

    I don’t think there’s any issue for MG being Chinese owned, as long as the MG cars are designed by the Longbridge workforce.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • skypirate on Dec 13, 2012 at 1:01 pm

      exactly, i wouldn’t mind either, just like how the Kuwait government owned 36.7% of Daimler AG, Renault owns 1.55% and Nissan owns 1.55% of Daimler AG, but that doesn’t make Mercedes-Benz a middle eastern or french or japanese product.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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