The Chevrolet Nexia R3 should in late May become the first car model to roll off a production line at an auto plant being built in Kyrgzystan by Uzbekistan’s state-controlled Uzavtosanoat (UzAuto Motors) and Kyrgyz automotive supplier DT Technik, according to Kyrgyz government officials cited by The Times of Central Asia.
UzAuto is putting $50mn into establishing the built-from-scratch Altyn-Tulpar plant located outside Bishkek, where it aims to assemble 10,000 cars in the first year from semi-knocked-down (SKD) kits. It is also expected to back the assembly of Chevrolet Cobalt compact sedans and Isuzu commercial vehicles as initial output at the investment.
Eventual production of 19 models including sedans, pickups and mini-buses, is envisaged, with perhaps 12 models going into production this year.
UzAuto has assembled Chevrolet vehicles under licence from General Motors since 2007.
Output at the Kyrgyz plant is targeted for expansion to 20,000 units/year by 2027, with the launch of components production also planned, according to local media.
A target of 30,000 vehicles/year, with a switch to production from complete-knocked-down (CKD) kits and a workforce of 3,000, has also been described by Kyrgyz officials.
