GM Korea exports Malibu sedans to Middle East

By Jhoo Dong-chan

GM Korea is gearing up to export the all-new popular Chevrolet Malibu sedans manufactured at its Bupyeong plant, Incheon, to the Middle East, expanding the automaker’s global presence.

According to industry sources, the U.S.- automaker’s Korea unit exported some 900 cars to the region in August and 1,493 cars in September. GM Korea also expects to ship more than 1,000 cars this month.

Major Gulf Coast countries, including Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, along with Saudi Arabia, imported the locally manufactured GM cars in September, and the all-new Malibu midsize sedan will join the list in the middle of October.

The sources added that all of the Malibu sedans exported to the Middle East will be manufactured in Korea.

GM Korea expects that exporting the Malibu to the region will boost the company’s overseas sales.

GM Korea’s sales report said that since the locally made car started to be sold in the Middle East in August, the automaker’s export performance in the midsize sedan division has surged by 206.3 percent in the month compared to the same period last year. It also spiked 211.7 percent in September year-on-year.

“The all-new Malibu sedan is expected to expand its popularity in the Middle East as it did in North America, China and Korea,” said a GM Korea official. “The all-new Malibu exported to the region will contribute to raise GM Korea’s position as a global automaker.”

The automaker’s only concern is declining consumption in the domestic market.

Although GM Korea sold a total of 127,990 cars domestically in the January-September period this year, up by 12.3 percent year-on-year, its sales performance has started to decline with the termination of the government’s consumption tax cut in July.

GM Korea sold 14,078 cars domestically in September, a 14.1 percent decline compared to the same period last year. Of them, the all-new Malibu reportedly sold some 5,000 cars while 7,000 cars are ready to be delivered.

“As the management and union have recently reached a tentative agreement over wages, GM Korea will do its best to maintain its domestic performance to dispel such concerns,” said the automaker.

The all-new Malibu was unveiled here, April 27, with GM Korea Vice President Dale Sullivan’s confidently saying it will be the top seller in the nation's mid-sized sedan market.

The Malibu's sporty design received favorable responses from the market, attracting not only traditional sedan buyers in their 40s and 50s but also young motorists in their 20s and 30s.

6,000 orders were made for the car in four days following its introduction.