SAIC-GM-Wuling

SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co., Ltd. (Chinese: 上汽通用五菱汽车股份有限公司, abbreviated as SGMW) is a joint venture between SAIC Motor, General Motors, and Guangxi Auto (previously Wuling Group). Based in Liuzhou, Guangxi in southwestern China, it produces passenger and commercial vehicles sold in China under the Wuling and Baojun brands.

Founded in 2002, SGMW became well known for manufacturing microvans, which are especially popular in China's less affluent regions. Since 2017, SGMW has operated a manufacturing and sales subsidiary in Indonesia, known as SGMW Motor Indonesia. The company also manufactures vehicles in China for export under the Chevrolet brand for General Motors.

Both SGMW and Liuzhou Wuling Automobile Industry Co. Ltd. use the Wuling brand name and the five-diamond "W" logo.

In 2002, the joint venture SAIC-GM-Wuling was established, with SAIC holding 50.1% of the shares, General Motors 34%, and Wuling Group (later renamed Guangxi Auto) 15.9%. Wuling transferred its microvan and small truck production to the joint venture. By 2011, GM increased its ownership stake to 44%, reducing Wuling's share to 5.9%.

In 2005, SGMW acquired Etsong Vehicle Manufacturing, a small-scale manufacturing company in Qingdao, China. This factory, originally established in 1997 by a tobacco company, was later owned by FAW Jiefang before being acquired by the SAIC group. The factory had previously produced Austin Maestro/Montego derivatives under the Etsong Lubao and Etsong Lande brands. After SGMW's acquisition, production of these models ceased, and the facility was repurposed to expand SGMW's mini-vehicle capacity.

SGMW became significant mass-volume vehicle producer in China's interior. In 2011, the company sold 1,286,000 vehicles domestically, with sales increasing to 1,445,000 in 2012. Its vehicle offerings are priced between $5,000 and $10,000, catering to budget-conscious consumers. SGMW is also one of China's leading manufacturers of microvans, known locally as xiao mianbao che (小面包车), or "small bread box cars." These compact commercial vehicles, comparable in size to a compact car, have been particularly successful in the country's less affluent interior regions. Among its popular models, the Wuling Sunshine stood out, selling over 450,000 units annually at its peak. At that time, SGMW has claimed that no other model in China surpasses the Wuling Sunshine in sales volume. In late 2012, SGMW inaugurated a new factory in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with an annual production capacity of 400,000 Baojun passenger cars. A powertrain factory with equal capacity was also under construction.

In 2010, SGMW launched the Baojun brand to compete with domestic Chinese automakers. Focusing on passenger vehicles, it targeted consumers in third- and fourth-tier Chinese cities, which are medium- and large-sized cities outside the top four in terms of population or GDP contribution. Its first product is the Baojun Lechi, based on the Chevrolet Spark/Daewoo Matiz M150. In 2012, Baojun introduced the 630, a small four-door sedan. In 2016, Baojun sold 688,390 vehicles, with sales increasing to 996,629 in 2017, largely driven by the success of the Baojun 510 SUV. The 510 became the best-selling crossover in China in 2018, with nearly 800,000 units sold by June 2019. Despite early success, Baojun's sales declined in subsequent years. In 2019, the brand launched the "New Baojun" strategy with modern designs and higher-end models, but it failed to boost demand, leading to several model discontinuations. Consequently, Wuling largely took over Baojun’s role in affordable passenger vehicles.

In 2015, SGMW began building its first overseas manufacturing facility in Cikarang, Indonesia, within the Greenland International Industrial Center. Spanning 600,000 m², the facility was designed to produce vehicles for the Indonesian market and export to Southeast Asia, with a $700 million investment and a production capacity of 150,000 vehicles annually. The plant started operations in July 2017, producing the Confero MPV, and by the end of 2017, Wuling Motors had ranked among the top 10 automotive brands in Indonesia.