Trumpchi is an automotive marque owned by the Chinese automaker GAC Group. It was launched in December 2010. The brand is sold to domestic Chinese consumers, but the company plans overseas sales in the U.S. as soon as 2019 although doing so may require a name-change, in addition to meeting U.S. regulatory hurdles. However, as of April 2020, the brand has yet to enter the U.S. market. Official launch into the U.S. is now likely delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
History
GAC began the construction of facilities to produce vehicles for a new own-brand automotive marque in 2008. The first Trumpchi model to go into production, the Trumpchi GA5 Sedan, a four-door mid-size saloon car model based on the platform of the Alfa Romeo 166, went into mass production in September 2010. The first 500 Trumpchi Sedans produced were delivered to the organizing committee of the 2010 Asian Games in October 2010. The Trumpchi Sedan was formally unveiled to the public at Auto Guangzhou in December 2010, and public sales of the vehicles began in the same month. The Trumpchi GS5, a sport utility vehicle based on the same platform as the Trumpchi Sedan, was launched in March 2012. Trumpchi made its first ever appearance at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2013. The Trumpchi NEV E-Jet extended range hybrid electric sedan concept car made its world debut at the show. In 2017, the company came back and showed three suvs and two sedans. Later in January 2018, Trumpchi brought five new models and a concept suv, the Enverge The production version of the Trumpchi GA3compact sedan was unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2013. In 2013, Trumpchi, under GAC Motors, entered Kuwait. In November 2014, GAC Motors entered Nigeria. R&D centers in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley were established in 2017 and 2018. On October 31, 2018, GAC Motors launched the brand in the United Arab Emirates via Dubai and on November 4, 2018 in Saudi Arabia. On November 9, GAC Motors launched a new showroom in Dubai with the Gargash Group. On November 7, 2018, GAC Motors was launched in the Philippines with President Rodrigo Duterte present at the brand's launch. The vehicles are distributed under Legato Motors Inc., which is owned by Narvacan Mayor Chavit Singson. The cars are sold as GACs however, with no mention of the Trumpchi brand. On April 4, 2019, the brand debuted in Russia via the St. Petersburg International Motor Show and announced that they will enter the Russian market. On December 11, 2019, the brand has the GS8 sold in Russia with a retail price of RUB1,898,000, along with a five-year/150,000km warranty and one-year of free roadside assistant service.
In 2011, 17,000 Trumpchi vehicles were sold in China, the only market in which they were then available. A total of around 32,000 Trumpchi vehicles were sold in 2012. In September 2012, GAC announced that exports of Trumpchi cars to markets including Eastern Europe, the Middle East, South America and Southeast Asia would begin in 2013.
