New SAIC Nanjing plant rolls out own-brand cars

SAIC Motor Co. Ltd. kicked off operations at a new plant for its own-brand cars in the capital of Jiangsu province, China, when a Roewe 350 compact sedan rolled off the assembly line. The 2.6 billion yuan (US$380.85 million) facility will have an annual production capacity of 200,000 cars and 250,000 engines, according China’s top auto group, which is also a partner of Volkswagen and General Motors. The Roewe 350, equipped with a 1.5-liter engine, uses 5.9 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers at a constant speed of 90 km an hour. The sedan is scheduled to go on sale in the next few months. SAIC didn’t reveal how many units of the model it expects to sell this year, but said the Roewe 350 is expected to give a big boost to its overall own-brand sales. (March 22, 2010)