GM and Hyundai announced the joint development of five models
After months of rumours, General Motors and Hyundai have officially announced plans to jointly develop five car models. Most of them are intended for Central and South America.
Here's What We Know
The companies aren't revealing all the details, but have confirmed plans for a compact passenger car, a compact crossover and a small pickup truck. There will also be a mid-size pickup truck, which GM will develop. Hyundai will lead the development of the rest of the vehicles, and all of them will have the option of both internal combustion engines and hybrid powertrains.
The only model for North America will be an electric commercial van. Rumour has it that GM could get its own version of the Hyundai ST1 or the Kia PV5, which would be the successor to the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana.
If all goes according to plan, the companies could sell more than 800,000 jointly developed vehicles a year. The automakers added that while the vehicles will share many similarities, each version will have "unique interiors and exteriors consistent with their brands."
Design and development is already underway. Models for Central and South America will be launched in 2028. A commercial van could also come in 2028.
In addition to the new models, the companies are planning joint initiatives for material procurement, transport and logistics in the Americas. They are also looking at other areas of co-operation, including raw materials, components, low-carbon steel in the production chain and "complex systems".
GM senior vice president Shilpan Amin said the commercial van will be the "little brother" of Chevrolet's BrightDrop electric vehicles. He added that the partnership makes a lot of sense because by joining forces the companies can cut costs, optimise production and launch new vehicles faster.
Of course, GM is not new to van partnerships, as the company has offered the Chevrolet City Express before. That was the renamed Nissan NV200, which wasn't in high demand and was discontinued in 2018.
Source: GM
