(Yicai) Aug. 9 -- SAIC-GM, the joint venture of China’s SAIC Group and US auto giant General Motors, has appointed Lu Xiao as its new general manager, tasked with quickening the pace of the carmaker’s shift into electric and intelligent vehicles.

Lu, a former executive vice president at SAIC-GM’s sister company Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center, succeeds Zhuang Jingxiong as GM and will lead a new management team, the Shanghai-based firm said today. It did not mention what role Zhuang, promoted from deputy GM just last year, would play in the future.

SAIC, China’s largest carmaker, and its joint ventures face fierce competition in the domestic market. Its sales sank 16 percent to 2.1 million units in the first seven months of this year from a year ago, while SAIC-GM’s plunged 55 percent to 240,579 and SAIC Volkswagen's fell 1.5 percent to 593,091.

Lu’s promotion comes after a recent round of personnel changes at SAIC, which announced on July 10 that President Wang Xiaoqiu had succeeded Chen Hong as chairman, following Chen’s retirement. Eight days later, Tao Hailong, general manager of SAIC unit Huayu Automotive Systems, was named GM at SAIC Volkswagen, where he took over from Jia Jianxu, who was elevated to president of SAIC.

SAIC-GM’s new leadership team will need to focus on coming up with innovative breakthroughs in technology, products, and marketing, and address the intense market competition, the company said.

Lu joined PATAC in 1997, the year the 50-50 joint venture was set up by SAIC and GM. He was chief engineer for mid-sized vehicles and executive director of program management, and led the development of key models including the Buick Regal, Buick LaCrosse, and Chevrolet Malibu.

Zhuang played a role in forming SAIC-GM and has worked in various management positions. He was transferred to SAIC in 2019, but returned to SAIC-GM as deputy GM in 2022 and became GM a year later. Zhuang helped SAIC-GM improve its competitiveness in new energy vehicles, the firm said.

Editor: Tom Litting