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UzAuto Motors (formerly GM Uzbekistan) is an automotive manufacturer owned by the Government of Uzbekistan. It is based in Asaka, Uzbekistan. It manufactures vehicles under the marques Chevrolet and Ravon, which is Uzbek for calm and straight road or easy journey.

It was formerly partly owned by General Motors and, in 2019, it was acquired by the Uzbekistan Government and renamed "UzAuto Motors". The company announced its intention to IPO in 2022.

History

The company was founded in 1992 between the Uzbek state-owned UzAvtosanoat and the South Korea-based Daewoo, and was initially known as "Uz-DaewooAuto" ( Uzbek: ). The company began production of vehicles on 19 July 1996, at the new assembly plant in Asaka.

Uz-DaewooAuto produced vehicles under the brand name Uz-Daewoo. The initiative to establish the Uzbek automobile industry goes back to the early 1990s and the administration of President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov.

Following Daewoo's collapse in 2001, and resulting change of ownership, "GM Uzbekistan" was eventually established in March 2008 as a new replacement joint venture, and the Nexia and Matiz were sold under the Chevrolet badge together with an extended range of GM Korea Chevrolet models produced at the Asaka factory.

Daewoo was acquired by General Motors and became GM Daewoo. Subsequently, the facility was renamed "GM Uzbekistan" in 2008. The joint venture was owned by UzAvtosanoat JSC (75%) and General Motors (25%). GM Uzbekistan produced 106,334 units during the first half of 2011.

Given the change in name and ownership, the model range changed, although the company continued producing Uz-Daewoo branded vehicles until 2015. Some models based on these are still sold as Chevrolets.

GM Uzbekistan began production on 27 November 2008. The first assembled car on this day was a Chevrolet Lacetti which also was the 1,000,000th assembled vehicle out of the production from UzAvtosanoat. Chevrolet manufactured the Chevrolet Spark M300 in Asaka, a model for now intended only for export. The models are assembled as knock-down kits.

Following an agreement in 2008, "GM Powertrain Uzbekistan" opened an engine plant in Tashkent, from GM Uzbekistan's vehicle manufacturing facility in Asaka, in November 2011. The factory is GM's first engine plant in Uzbekistan and has a production capacity of 225,000 1.2L and 1.5L Daewoo S-TEC engines per year for use in GM small passenger cars worldwide.

Another plant produced 200,000 units of front- rear- and side windows for the vehicles of the Uz-DaewooAvto and the Chevrolet Lacetti. A third production facility was opened in 2014 in Pitnak, Khorezm Region, manufacturing the Damas/Labo microvans and the Chevrolet Orlando minivan.

In 2010, about 5,000 people were employed at the GM Uzbekistan assembly plant. GM Uzbekistan sold 121,584 vehicles locally in 2011, making the country the eighth-largest market for Chevrolet and produced more than 225,000 vehicles. Its products are also exported to Russia and other CIS countries.

In 2012, the Chevrolet Malibu and the Chevrolet Cobalt were added to the production line, followed by the revised Daewoo Gentra model in 2013, the Chevrolet Orlando in 2014, and the Chevrolet Nexia T250 in 2015.

In 2019, the Government of Uzbekistan acquired the company and renamed it "UzAuto Motors".

In 2020, UzAuto began importing the Chevrolet Equinox, Trailblazer, Traverse, and Tahoe SUVs, with intent to produce them locally if there is sufficient demand. UzAuto phased out the Ravon brand in 2020, merging it back into the Chevrolet brand as the Chevrolet Spark (R2), Nexia (R3), Cobalt (R4), and Lacetti (R5/Gentra).

In April 2021, the company announced plans to produce Chevrolet-branded vehicles for the Russian market.

In August 2021, Bo Andersson was named chief executive officer of the company.

Since 2022, the company ceased exports to Russian and Belarus markets due to international sanctions. Ukrainian exports were temporarily stopped due to logistical limitations.

In October 2022, the company announced its intention to IPO on the domestic market. In late November the company announced it's pricing. Ths IPO will be one of three "People's IPOs" planned by the government in the next couple of years. In 2022, Fitch Ratings upgraded the company's rating to "BB-, Outlook Stable".https://www.fitchratings.com/research/corporate-finance/fitch-upgrades-jsc-uzauto-motors-to-bb-outlook-stable-13-12-2022#:~:text=Fitch%20Ratings%20%2D%20Barcelona%20%2D%2013%20Dec,Long%2DTerm%20IDR%20is%20Stable.

Currently produced models

*Chevrolet Damas (1996–present)
*Chevrolet Labo (1996–present)
* Chevrolet Spark ''(previously Ravon Spark/R2)'' (2010–present)
* Chevrolet Cobalt ''(previously Ravon Cobalt/R4)'' (2013–present)
* Chevrolet Lacetti ''(previously Ravon Gentra/R5)'' (2003–present)
* Chevrolet Nexia 3 ''(previously Ravon Nexia/R3)'' (2015–present)
* Chevrolet Tracker (2018–present)

Currently imported models

* Chevrolet Malibu - 9th generation (2017–present)
* Chevrolet Trailblazer 2nd generation (facelift) (2020–present)
* Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon - fifth generation (2020–present)
* Chevrolet Equinox - 3rd generation (facelift) (2020–present)
* Chevrolet Traverse - 2nd generation (facelift) (2020–present)

Formerly produced models

*Daewoo Tico (1996–2001)
*Daewoo Nexia (N100, 1996–2008)
* Daewoo Nexia II (N150, 2008–2016)
*Chevrolet Epica (2008–2011)
* Chevrolet Orlando (2014-2018)
* Ravon Matiz R1 (2001-2018)
* Chevrolet Captiva (2008–2018)
* Chevrolet Malibu (2013–2018)

Gallery

Currently produced cars

File:2010 Chevy Spark LS (4359987176).jpg, Ravon Spark R2
File:'12 Chevrolet Aveo Base.JPG, Ravon Nexia R3
File:Ravon R4.jpg, Ravon Cobalt R4
File:Ravon Gentra.jpg, Ravon Gentra R5
File:Chevrolet_Damas_Deluxe_in_Bukhara,_front_right.jpg, Chevrolet Damas
File:Chevrolet CMP LS Bahamas.jpg, Chevrolet Labo
File:20161112 Chevrolet Trax 01.jpg, Chevrolet Tracker
File:Chevrolet_Tracker_2021_(front)_(cropped).png, Tracker 2019

Discontinued models

File:Daewoo Tico vl.jpg, Daewoo Tico
File:Daewoo Nexia.JPG, Daewoo Nexia 1, Daewoo Nexia 2
File:2006-2011 Chevrolet Captiva LS wagon (2015-12-28) 01.jpg, Chevrolet Captiva I
File:2008 Chevrolet Epica (V250) LS sedan (2016-01-07).jpg, Chevrolet Epica
File:Chevrolet Rezzo front 20071109.jpg, Chevrolet Tacuma
File:Шевроле Лачетти.JPG, Chevrolet Lacetti
File:Chevrolet Orlando LT 1.8 – Frontansicht, 31. März 2011, Mettmann.jpg, Chevrolet Orlando
File:Daewoo Matiz.jpg, Ravon Matiz R1
File:Chevrolet Captiva LTZ 2.2 D 4WD (Facelift) – Frontansicht, 18. März 2012, Wuppertal.jpg, Chevrolet Captiva II
File:2013_Chevrolet_Malibu_Eco_1SA_--_02-29-2012_1.JPG, Chevrolet Malibu

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gm Uzbekistan
2008 establishments in Uzbekistan
Car manufacturers of Uzbekistan
Chevrolet
Uzbekistan
GM Korea
General Motors joint ventures
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 2008
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1992