As Americans continue to shift focus from trucks to cars because of high gas prices, General Motors announced it is considering a new Chevrolet mini car for the U.S. market.
GM spokesman Dee Allen said bringing the Chevrolet Beat, which is about the size of a Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris mini car, to the United States is among the options the company is studying.
"It is certainly one of the things that is being looked at from a portfolio perspective," Allen said.
The comments came as GM shares have been trading near their lowest levels in more than a half century, raising investor worries about the automaker's future and its ability to adjust quickly to demand for more fuel-efficient cars.
The Beat, to be built in South Korea, will be rolled out in other global markets faster than it would be America, Allen said. He did not know when the car might be sold elsewhere or in the United States.
The car still must be engineered to meet U.S. safety and emissions standards, he said.
GM unveiled the Beat with two other ultra-small cars as concepts at auto shows last year, saying the trio was designed to attract young buyers in urban markets around the globe. The Beat is a front-wheel-drive three-door hatchback powered by a 1.2-liter turbocharged gasoline engine.
The company has declined to say what the price would be for the Beat, but Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said last year that GM mini cars ideally would start about 10,000 U.S. dollars in the U.S. market.
Source:Xinhua/Agencies
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