As an extension to GM Thailand’s commitment to the region, and its confidence in the demand from the emerging markets across the ASEAN region, in August 2008, GM Thailand announced an investment of a massive US$445 million in a brand new advanced diesel engine plant - the first of its kind for GM in Southeast Asia. Adjacent to the company’s existing assembly plant in Rayong, the first pillar of the plant was poured by General Motors Chairman & CEO, Mr. G. Richard Wagoner on 13 August, 2008.

Expected to be finished in 2011, the plant will be the core of GM Corporation’s regional strategy, producing four-cylinder diesel engines not only for locally manufactured Chevrolets, but for other GM brands around the world. The plant is projected to produce more than 100,000 2.5-liter and 2.8-liter turbo-diesel engines annually as its initial capacity, and will be supported by additional workforce of 340 workers.

Product Milestones

The first product of GM Thailand’s plant, the Zafira, created a new MPV segment in the domestic market in 1999. It also allowed GM Thailand to become the leading Thai automotive exporter at the time in terms of export value, eventually exporting to 19 countries around the world, including Japan and a number of European countries.

In May 2003, GM Thailand started production of a one-ton pickup truck designed under a joint agreement with Isuzu and which is exported — under various brand names such as Chevrolet, GMC, Holden and Isuzu — to export markets worldwide via both the Isuzu and the GM distribution networks.

Manufacturing for the mid-sized Chevrolet Optra started one month later. In addition to the Thai market, the Optra was also manufactured for export to other markets in the ASEAN region.

In March 2004, the Chevrolet Colorado, the first Thai-built American-style one-ton pickup truck, was introduced to compete in the domestic pickup truck market, the country’s largest automobile segment. To further enhance the product range, the Chevrolet Colorado G80 Diff-Lock, the Chevrolet-patented automatic rear differential locking system, was introduced for the first time in the truck industry in Thailand.

Another addition to GM Thailand’s product line came in November 2005 in the form of the versatile Optra Estate Wagon. Offering the distinctive functions of a multi-purpose family vehicle with top-of-its-class levels of comfort and reliability, the Optra Estate Wagon represented Chevrolet’s first foray into the wagon segment.

In line with GM’s leadership in alternative fuel technology, the Chevrolet Optra CNG, the first and only OEM compressed natural gas-powered vehicle in Thailand, was launched in August 2006. The Optra CNG, available in Sedan and Estate version, was offered with GM’s Bi-Fuel system which enabled it to run on either gasoline or CNG, automatically switching between one and the other depending on fuel availability. To further cement its leadership in the field of alternative fuel, GM Thailand launched the Chevrolet Colorado CNG Dual Fuel in early 2008 and is currently studying the viability of extending CNG systems and capabilities to other models in its line-up.

In September 2006, the Chevrolet AVEO was introduced to compete in the Thai sub-compact sedan market.

GM continued its growth in Thailand with the introduction of yet another model to its line-up. Based on GM’s global Captiva marquee, the Chevrolet Captiva was launched in June 2007. The compact sport utility vehicle was offered with a choice of 2.4-liter gasoline or 2.0-liter intercooled turbo-diesel engines and, as further testament to GM Thailand’s capability for quality products, the Captiva is also exported to other ASEAN markets and was exported for a brief while under the Holden badge to Australia.

Followed by the first introduction of Chevrolet AVEO in 2006, the Chevrolet AVEO E20 and Chevrolet AVEO 1.6 liter gasoline were introduced in 2008 and 2009 respectively to offer more selection to the customers.