GM Daewoo is `Heart of GM`s Subcompact Market`

“GM Daewoo is the heart of the subcompact car development of General Motors,” said General Motors` global vehicle line executive Jack Keaton to the Dong-A Ilbo at the Korean company’s headquarters in Incheon.

He said his office is responsible for all subcompact car development projects across GM factories.

“GM Daewoo, one of GM’s eight home fronts across the world, is responsible for more than 90 percent of subcompact car development,” he said. “No other place is as good as Korea in the developmental technology of subcompact cars.”

The parts suppliers of subcompact cars including GM Daewoo are outstanding in technology and cost competitiveness and good at exports.

As such, it plans to produce and sell the Matiz Creative in Uzbekistan and South America starting next year, but GM Daewoo’s Changwon factory will continue to be a central production base for the Matiz Creative.

As for the eco-friendly subcompact car development, Keaton said, “We are developing an electric version of the Matiz in India with a plan to mass produce it before 2012. GM’s next generation subcompact cars will be developed after we make electric or gasoline-based cars that excel in fuel efficiency.”

sukim@donga.com