General Motors has introduced the Buick LaCrosse Eco-Hybrid, its first China-made hybrid, Edmunds reports. (Note: this car has no relation to the LaCrosse that Buick sells here in the U.S.)

The 2.4-liter LaCrosse Eco-Hybrid is to be the "first mass-produced hybrid sedan in China's mid-to-high-end market," said Ding Lei, general manager of Shanghai General Motors, in the report. The car will go on sale in China in the summer of 2008, and it's expected to get 28.3 mpg. That's not a stellar figure, but it's not bad for a full-size sedan.

Shanghai GM also announced an aggressive plan to roll out a lineup of low-emissions, fuel-efficient vehicles, according to the article. This Eco-Hybrid is the opening salvo in the manufacturer's "Drive to Green" program, which aims to improve GM's image in China and reduce the perception that they only make large, inefficient vehicles.

[via Edmunds Inside Line]

Post by Jamie Lendino