Shanghai Automobile Industry (Group) Co., Ltd.
Shanghai Automobile Industry (Group) Co., Ltd., or SAIC, is one of the largest automotive companies in China. It is a major adversary to the Big Three – General Motors (GM), Ford, and Volkswagen – and is a leading producer of passenger cars, buses and commercial vehicles. Its business activities range from research and development to vehicle manufacturing, as well as parts and accessories manufacturing. SAIC currently product brands including MG, Maxus, Roewe, Baojun, and Wuling.
The history of SAIC starts in the mid-1960s, when the Chinese government decided to establish three major automotive conglomerates. The first two were CNHTC and FAW Group, and the third was SAIC. Over the years, SAIC has grown exponentially, having formed joint ventures with major foreign auto manufacturers such as Volkswagen, General Motors and Fiat, as well as its own homegrown MG brand.
SAICs most notable venture is with Volkswagen, with whom it established the Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Corporation in 1985. The partnership produces the best-selling vehicles in China, with the Volkswagen Jetta and the Volkswagen Passat proving to be the most popular. Other vehicles such as the Santana, Lavida, and Sagitar have also found success in the market.
In 2009, SAIC purchased the British iconic sports car maker MG Rover and brought the dormant brand back to life. SAICs MG brand includes the MG GT, MG 5, MG 6, MG 3 hatchback, and the MG ZS crossover. In a further effort to expand globally, SAIC opened a plant in Thailand in 2016 to produce cars for the Thai market. In addition to the MG brand, SAIC also produces the Roewe brand, which offers luxury cars and SUVs such as the Roewe 950, Roewe i6, and Roewe Ei6.
In the commercial vehicle field, SAIC is a major player. It produces medium- and heavy-duty trucks under its own brand, as well as Wuling and Donaldson. Commercial vehicles range from minivans and minibuses to tractors and sanitation vehicles. It also produces special vehicles such as firefighting, ambulance and police vehicles, as well as municipal engineering trucks and refuse removal trucks.
SAIC is an established force in the Chinese automotive industry and is fast becoming a major global brand with its growing success in the overseas market. With its robust lineup of passenger and commercial vehicles, along with recent innovation in research and development, SAIC continues to be a strong contender in the market.
