SAIC-GM-Wuling: the group, its brands and who controls it
Facts checked
- Joint venture
SAIC-GM-Wuling is the three-way joint venture in Liuzhou, Guangxi, that makes China's cheapest cars. It was established on 18 November 2002 and is owned 50.1% by SAIC Motor, 44% by General Motors and 5.9% by Guangxi Automobile Group, the local state company that had built Wuling minivans since the 1980s.
The business grew out of the Liuzhou Power Machinery Factory, founded in 1958, which moved from tractors to small commercial vehicles. The venture kept that Wuling name for its low-cost vans, minitrucks and small electric cars, and in July 2010 added Baojun as a slightly more expensive passenger-car brand. Between them the two names cover most of the price range below 100,000 yuan.
SGMW says it has sold more than 29 million vehicles since 2002 and sells through some 2,800 outlets covering 98% of China's prefecture-level cities. Its best-known product is the Hongguang MINI EV, a four-seat city car that has been among China's best-selling electric vehicles since 2020. The venture also built the first Chinese-owned car plant in Indonesia, PT SGMW Motor Indonesia, which sells Wuling-badged vehicles in Southeast Asia.
It is an unusual arrangement for a Chinese joint venture. Foreign partners in China normally cap out at 50%, and the vehicles carry a Chinese brand rather than the foreign partner's; General Motors' 44% stake buys it a share of a business whose products it does not badge.
Key facts
| Chinese name | 上汽通用五菱 “SHAHNG-chee TONG-yong WOO-ling” 上汽 SAIC + 通用 'general purpose', the Chinese name of General Motors + 五菱 Wuling, 'five diamonds' |
|---|---|
| Legal name | SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co., Ltd. |
| Ownership | Joint venture |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Liuzhou, Guangxi, China |
| Vehicles | Cars and Commercial vehicles |
| Listings | Not listed |
| Established | 18 November 2002, in Liuzhou, Guangxi |
| Shareholders | SAIC Motor 50.1%, GM China 44%, Guangxi Automobile Group 5.9% |
| Cumulative sales | more than 29 million vehicles since 2002, as stated by SGMW |
| Sales, January–August 2026 | 916,523 vehicles, the largest of SAIC's subsidiaries |
| Plants | four Chinese sites — Liuzhou Hexi, Liuzhou Baojun, Qingdao and Chongqing — plus PT SGMW Motor Indonesia |
| Distribution | about 2,800 outlets in China, covering 98% of prefecture-level cities and 79% of county-level cities |
Ownership tree
- SAIC-GM-Wuling (group, a joint venture)
- Baojun (brand) Held at 100%
- Wuling (brand) Controlled; the share is not published
Who controls SAIC-GM-Wuling?
No ownership holding is recorded for this entity.
| Holder | What it is | Share | Since | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAIC Motor | runs a joint venture with | 50.1% of the joint venture | 18 November 2002 | SAIC Motor is the controlling partner in SAIC-GM-Wuling, established in Liuzhou on 18 November 2002, and consolidates the venture's sales into its own reporting. |
| General Motors Company | runs a joint venture with | 44% of the joint venture | 2011 | General Motors started at 34% in 2002 and raised its holding to 44% around 2010–11, diluting the Guangxi partner from 15.9% to 5.9%. Unusually for a Chinese joint venture, the vehicles carry Chinese brands rather than GM ones. |
| Guangxi Automobile Group | runs a joint venture with | 5.9% of the joint venture | 2011 | Guangxi Automobile Group, owned by the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is the local partner and the successor to the Liuzhou factory that created the Wuling name. It began with 15.9% in 2002. |
Brands
| Brand | Held | Origin | Founded | Models | Markets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 五菱Wuling | directly | China | 1982 | 4 | 2 |
| 宝骏Baojun | directly | China | 2010 | 0 | 1 |
Joint ventures
| Venture | Partner | Since | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAIC-GM-Wuling | SAIC Motor | 18 November 2002 | SAIC Motor holds 50.1% and consolidates the venture's sales into its own reporting. |
| SAIC-GM-Wuling | General Motors Company | 18 November 2002 | General Motors holds 44%. It started at 34% and raised its share around 2010–11, diluting the Guangxi partner. |
| SAIC-GM-Wuling | Guangxi Automobile Group | 18 November 2002 | Guangxi Automobile Group holds 5.9%, down from 15.9% at the start. It is the successor to the Liuzhou factory that created the Wuling name. |
SAIC-GM-Wuling: questions people ask
- Is Wuling Chinese?
- The brand is Chinese and the cars are designed and built in China, but the company that makes them is a joint venture: SAIC Motor holds 50.1%, General Motors 44% and the Guangxi provincial group 5.9%. So Wuling is Chinese-controlled with a large American minority shareholder.
- Does General Motors own Wuling?
- No. GM holds 44% of SAIC-GM-Wuling, the company that makes Wuling and Baojun vehicles, which is a minority stake. Control sits with SAIC Motor at 50.1%.
- What does SGMW stand for?
- SAIC-GM-Wuling, the three shareholders in order: SAIC Motor, General Motors and the Wuling business now held by Guangxi Automobile Group.
- Where are Wuling cars made?
- Mainly in Liuzhou in Guangxi, where the venture has two plants, with additional sites in Qingdao and Chongqing and a factory in Indonesia serving Southeast Asia.
Related
Sources for SAIC-GM-Wuling
- SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co., Ltd., About SGMW. Read . The venture's own English profile: founding date, shareholding, plants, outlets, cumulative sales, Indonesia.
- SAIC Motor, Sales Volume (monthly production and sales report). Read . SGMW volumes for August 2026 and the year to date.
- WardsAuto, GM and SAIC Motor extend China joint venture through 2047. Read . Independent confirmation of the 50.1 / 44 / 5.9 split, 4 August 2026.
- Wikipedia, Guangxi Automobile Group. Read . Finding aid for the dilution of the Guangxi stake from 15.9% to 5.9%.