General Motors has officially returned to the UK new car market, although not with a full line-up of brands.
Instead, it has launched a new UK operation called GM Specialty Vehicles, offering a limited range of large American SUVs and pick-up trucks from Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC through an authorised channel. The company already operates a similar programme in other markets like Australia.
The launch is being handled in partnership with London dealer Clive Sutton, which has considerable experience importing GM models from the US to the UK, and will serve as the first UK retailer for the new operation. A wider network of retailers is planned, though no timeline has been confirmed.
Orders are open now via GMSV.uk, with deliveries expected to begin this spring.
Which GM models are available
The initial line-up covers three brands and ten models:
- Cadillac: Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade-V
- GMC: Yukon Denali, Sierra 1500 Denali, Sierra 1500 AT4
- Chevrolet: Tahoe, Suburban, Silverado
All vehicles are supplied directly by GM with full UK homologation – meaning they meet UK legal and technical requirements – and come with a three-year, unlimited-mileage new car warranty. Two further years of cover are available as an optional extra.
Official GM finance and aftersales support are also being established, ensuring customers have a complete end-to-end service.
What this means for buyers
Large American vehicles have always been available in the UK through independent importers (and usually in left-hand drive only), but buyers using those routes have typically faced complications around warranty cover, parts availability and resale value. The GMSV operation removes most of those obstacles by putting GM directly behind the vehicles.
Chevrolet has already offered its Corvette sports car in the UK an official capacity for the last year, so this announcement builds upon that initial return to the UK market. Cadillac has also been evaluating a formal return with its range of electric SUVs for some time, led by the mid-size Lyriq and the smaller Optiq. These models are not included in today’s news, although they may still be announced later.
Buyers should be aware that all of these vehicles are large by UK standards. The standard Escalade, for example, is over 5.3 metres long. Running costs – particularly fuel – will be significantly higher than mainstream alternatives.
More detail still to come
This initial announcement makes no mention of pricing or specifications for the ten new models. GMSV is still building its dealer network, so there is much to come.
The press release describes this as the ‘initial phase’ of GMSV’s UK launch, with the chosen models reflecting existing demand from potential customers. With GM’s vast line-up of brands and models to choose from, there may be more models joining these in time.
