GM India starts exporting Chevrolet Beat sedan

General Motors India has begun exports of the sedan version of the Chevrolet Beat from its Talegaon plant in Pune to Latin American markets. Following the start of production on June 5, a consignment of 1,200 Chevrolet Beat sedans was recently loaded for despatch to Latin America.

“Our Talegaon facility is a key export manufacturing hub for GM,” said Asif Khatri, vice-president (manufacturing), GM India. “GM India’s exports have more than tripled in the past year. GM was India’s third largest passenger vehicle exporter in May, recording our highest monthly total of vehicle exports at 8,297 units.”

GM India, which until now was producing only the left-hand-drive Chevrolet Beat hatchback at its Talegaon plant in Pune, exports to many markets, including Mexico, Chile, Peru, Central American and Caribbean countries, Uruguay and Argentina. In FY2017, the company exported 70,969 units, which mark 88 percent YoY growth.

The Beat Essentia is a compact sedan that is based on the new Beat and first showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo.

The Beat sedan, along with the new Beat hatchback and the Beat Activ crossover, is one of the three new Chevrolet products originally planned for launch in the domestic market this year. But with GM's pullout from the domestic market to focus solely on export of Indian-made cars, these cars will now be produced at the Talegaon plant solely for overseas markets.

The ‘Make In India’ strategy is helping sustain the drive for global OEMs like GM, and also Ford, Volkswagen and Nissan.