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Mint
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- Mint
Made-in-China Chevys for $17,000 Are Winning Fans in Mexico
Uber driver Patricia Gatica looked no further than her nearby Chevrolet dealership for a new car. The mustard yellow Chevy Aveo she chose is small enough to squeeze through the congested streets of Mexico City and it gets a very respectable 48 miles per gallon. Best of all, with a price tag of about $17,000, the General Motors Co. subcompact is very, very affordable. The secret: The American-branded car sold in Mexico is actually made in China, where cheaper labor and component costs allow companies to churn out less expensive cars. 'When I saw it on the street, I immediately fell in love with it,' said Gatica, 27. 'It doesn't have a big trunk, but it's very sporty, which I like.' Right now, her Chinese-made car is only available outside of the US. But with prices starting below $18,000, the Aveo and similar Chevy Onix subcompact sedans show how much cheaper cars can be in a market that welcomes vehicles built in China. In the US, the average new car price has soared to almost $49,000, compared with about $32,000 in Mexico, according to the country's automotive dealers association, AMDA. GM's lowest-cost car in the US, the Chevy Trax, starts at around $5,000 more than an Aveo sold in Mexico — and that's for a bare bones version; It typically sells for thousands of dollars more with popular options like heated seats and remote ignition. About 65% of GM's sales in Mexico are brought in from China, totaling some 60,942 vehicles in the first half of the year, according to Mexican national statistics bureau Inegi. Overall, Chinese car imports by all brands made up almost one-fifth of total new car sales in Mexico last year, outpacing shipments from the US, Brazil, India and Japan. The number is probably even higher as some Chinese brands like BYD Co., Geely Automotive Holdings and Guangzhou Automobile Group don't report their data to Inegi. Mexico became the biggest destination for Chinese cars in the world in the first four months of the year, having overtaken Russia, according to the China Passenger Car Association. 'The Chinese automotive industry has a production capacity on a scale superior to that of competitors in other regions, and this gives them a competitive advantage,' said Guillermo Rosales, president of auto association AMDA. Mexico's policy of welcoming Chinese cars has helped drive down prices, he noted. The Aveo was sold in the US from 2004 until 2011, debuting as a budget model made in South Korea by onetime partner Daewoo. GM replaced it with the US-made Chevy Sonic, but that was phased out in 2020. Other subcompacts faced similar fates due to waning demand from American buyers and cheap gas prices. Toyota stopped sales of its Yaris and Honda discontinued the Fit. That happened just as US sticker prices began to creep steadily higher with the onset of the pandemic, constrained vehicle production and inflationary pressures. Since then, average transaction prices for new cars have increased by nearly 23%, according to Kelley Blue Book data. Meanwhile, GM rebooted the Aveo nameplate in Mexico a few years ago, re-badging a vehicle made in a joint venture with Chinese local partners Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. and Wuling Motors Holding. Shrinking profit margins, price wars and overcapacity in China led GM to send more of its production to other markets like Mexico, helping to grow sales and play into Beijing's broader export push. The carmaker's sales of China-made vehicles in Mexico have accelerated over the past eight years. Between 2016 and 2024, they grew nearly 200 times. That resulted in part from a $5 billion investment in 2015 with its state-owned partner SAIC, which was used to create a family of compact models used to boost sales in China and other markets like says it offers vehicles based on customer preferences and conditions that are sourced from multiple locations, including the US and China.'Our comprehensive portfolio in Mexico provides choices across different segments and price points to respond to different customer needs and lifestyles,' the company said in an emailed statement. A global automaker like GM has a tricky balance among its various operations in China, Mexico and the US. The Detroit-based car manufacturer wants to stay on good terms with Beijing by keeping factories there humming and fully employed — even if it means relying on exports to do so. A separate, domestic market-focused joint venture with SAIC is up for renewal next year and its fate has yet to be decided. If the partnership changes or is discontinued, that could leave the export-oriented partnership as the anchor of GM's China strategy. For years, GM has imported a Chinese-made Buick model to the US called the Envision. A handful of other Chinese-made cars are still sold in the US — mostly luxury SUV models like Ford's Lincoln Nautilus and Volvo's S90. But the environment for imports from China has grown harsher in recent years. Former President Joe Biden added a 100% duty on Chinese EVs and banned most cars with software developed in China. And in his second term, Trump has threatened to hike tariffs on Chinese imports to as high as 145%. At the same time, Mexico is under pressure from US policymakers and some members of Mexico's auto industry to raise barriers to its own Chinese vehicle imports, which already face tariffs of as much as 20%. Some want to see that increased, possibly as part of an ongoing review of a North American trade pact known as USMCA. Amid the trade policy uncertainty, Mexican retail conglomerate Liverpool Mexico SA de CV canceled its distribution contract with BYD in June after selling a little under 10% of its volume in Mexico last year. Liverpool representative Nidia Ivana Garrido Mota said the company plans to 'continue focusing on our main business areas' and will not replace BYD with another car brand. Some aren't concerned Chinese cars will lose their foothold in the country. They note companies like BYD have competitive offers and financing, blunting the impact of tariffs. 'The Chinese vehicles that have arrived are here to stay,' said César Fragozo, executive vice-president of the China Chamber in Mexico. GM Dealers in Mexico say the Aveo is one of their most popular models, balancing out vehicles at the other end of the price spectrum like the $106,000 Chevy Suburban SUV. 'The Aveo is a very sporty and popular car, people tend to be surprised by how affordable it is,' said Guillermina González, a sales representative at a showroom in Mexico City. 'So as long as the car is made by GM, there is no concern about where it comes from.' GM's strong reputation in Mexico transcends concerns about where its cars are made, said Gabriela Juárez, 49, a Mexico City shopkeeper who bought an Aveo last year with her husband. 'We prefer Chevrolet because it's a well regarded brand,' she said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Los Angeles Times
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
With ‘Real Women Have Curves,' Florencia Cuenca is making Broadway history
Florencia Cuenca has been entertaining the masses since she was 3 — singing, acting and dancing onstage, in telenovelas and in variety shows. Born and raised in Mexico City, her father, Enrique Cuenca, one half of the legendary Mexican comedy duo Los Polivoces, introduced her to musical theater, showing her legendary movie musicals such as 'The Sound of Music' and 'My Fair Lady.' Since then, the 32-year-old has performed Mexified versions of classic Broadway tunes on some of the biggest stages in New York City, released an accompanying album and even produced her own musical. This month, she makes history as the first Mexican immigrant to originate a co-leading role on Broadway before obtaining U.S. citizenship, portraying Estela Garcia in the musical adaptation of 'Real Women Have Curves,' which is currently in previews and opens April 27. We set down with Cuenca to talk about her trajectory, her upbringing and what this role means to her. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. How did you become a musical theater kid? I started performing literally when I was 3 years old with my dad, who was a famous Mexican comedian. I remember the first musical I ever saw was 'Singin' in the Rain' in Spanish. Seeing the rain on the stage, the tap dancing, the acting, and I thought, 'This is what I want to do for the rest of my life.' After my dad passed away when I was 9, I did some telenovelas, but I realized TV wasn't for me. Even then when I'd go audition they'd say, 'Oh, es muy gordita.' In musical theater, it just felt like I was more seen. Did you always have ambitions to come to New York City? Oh, yes, of course. I graduated from high school and to study at NYU or AMDA (the American Musical and Dramatic Academy) was my dream. But my mom was a widow, taking care of four kids. It was impossible, and I felt like I couldn't be so selfish and ask. So I made peace with that. I stayed in Mexico and was like, 'This is my life, doing musical theater in Mexico City' … but always dreaming of coming to New York. The tension between family and ambition is such a Latino thing. What a strange parallel to 'Real Women Have Curves,' which is about a young Latina caught between what she feels is her familial duty and her dream. Right. I thought to dare to dream that far is kind of like being a brat. It's like, right, be grateful, do what you have to do. Also, this was never something my mom mentioned to me. It was just my own thoughts. My mom would say, 'Oh, well let's see,' and I'd be like, 'No, Mom, it's OK.' Did you feel happy and content in the Mexico City musical scene? No. I was just like this is the life God gave me, and I'm going to do what I have to do. You met your husband, composer Jaime Lozano, while you were working in Mexico City. He studied at NYU and he was the one who first brought you to NYC, right? That's actually when he proposed to me. I was 22 and I told him my dream was to be in New York City in December like in the movies. He proposed in front of the Richard Rodgers Theatre. He was like, 'I feel like our destiny is here.' He was really laying the groundwork for the future. Well, yeah, because you came back a year later for your honeymoon that never ended! It wasn't like a proper or fancy honeymoon. We came with no money, we were eating at Subway, Popeyes, things like that. While we were here Jaime would throw out, 'Can you imagine a life here?' I'd be like, 'Yeah, but I don't know,' not serious or anything. Then two days before we were supposed to leave he was like, 'I think we need to stay.' He said we needed to try because we were never going to be ready, never going to have enough money. That's the perfect balance of Jaime and me. He's a dreamer and I'm very rooted. I imagine that time was both very exciting but also very nerve-racking. Well, one month later I realized I was pregnant. It was a big shock, and Jaime even asked me if I wanted to go back to Mexico. I was a niña de casa, and this was the first time I was away, a newlywed, now pregnant, and he thought maybe I needed my family for support. But I said no, let's do it, we already made the decision to be here, might as well stick to it. Those first years were so difficult. I think now, like, how did I survive? I learned English in school as a kid, but it's not the same as being here, with my accent. I was so insecure. The food, the people. I thought everyone was so rude here! Plus navigating the entertainment business, which was a huge wake-up call. You think you're going to come and it's going to be so easy, but it's not. Talk to me about 'Broadway en Spanglish.' That kind of gave you the first taste of a little bit of fame and success online. How did that come together? It came from a place where Jaime and I were like, 'OK, there's no place for us here in the industry.' Or the things that were being written were very cliche and by white people. I didn't fit into this box. Even if I wanted to, my skin color, my accent, how I look, how I sound … it was impossible. So one of my day jobs right before the pandemic was to be a Spanish music teacher for pre-K kids. It was nice but hard. I'd be in the Bronx at 9 a.m. and then Brooklyn by noon, Long Island at 4; it was crazy. I would be crying all day. We were working because we needed money to get our green card, just working, working, working. I remember I was listening to 'Hamilton' on my way home and 'Burn' came on, and I was like, 'Whoa, this is so good!' And then I thought wait, this is heartbreak. I can imagine it, this is a ranchera, this is a mariachi song like Lucha Villa or Alicia Villarreal. I could imagine it. I got home and I told Jaime that I had this crazy idea, and he loved it. As for the Spanglish, that's what our son speaks, it's just part of our life, so it made sense. He started doing the arrangement, and he'd ask people from all over the place to record the different parts, and when we released it in 2020, Lin-Manuel Miranda loved it and he was like yes, keep going, it's amazing, which was so cool. We also realized there's a lot of people who feel like us. At the beginning, it was just a passion project, it was just my dream, and turns out it resonated with a ton of people. Like, yes, there are Latinos who love both traditional Mexican music and musicals. Your husband has talked about how the musical 'In the Heights' was a big inspiration point for him. Did you have a similar moment? I remember in high school I learned about 'In the Heights' from watching videos online, it was the only access to Broadway I had. I would download videos and put them on my iPod, and if you played me one of those videos, I swear, I'd know them word for word because I would watch them so much. There's a PBS documentary about 'In the Heights,' and Lin says 'every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life.' I memorized all of those lines. I would talk to all my friends and say, 'One day I'm going to call you and I'm going to be on an album with Lin-Manuel.' It's crazy when things started to happen in the past few years. Sometimes you forget you said those things, but my friends are like remember you said that? You manifested it! So many people saw 'In the Heights' and were like, 'Oh wow, it's possible to see stories of people like us onstage.' Is it crazy to think what 'Real Women Have Curves' is going to do for other people and what you are going to do for other people? This movie did a lot for people. I mean, just the fact that I'm a curvy, brown, Mexican, immigrant, originating the role of a curvy, brown, Mexican immigrant is wild. For me, it's crazy that there's a role that embodies everything that I am. I can be my full self. Even with 'In the Heights,' I heard Spanish, but I didn't see someone like myself. And now just to think, maybe there are girls in Latin America that are going to watch this and be like, 'Oh, she did it, I can do it.' So many immigrants are confused and scared right now and yet here you are on the biggest stage, so proudly yourself. It feels like this show really is meeting this moment. How are you feeling? I feel so proud to be able to tell this story right now in this body I have. I get to tell our story how immigrants are hardworking people. We're so loving and so joyful and even in the worst moments keep working and also find a way to have fun. I love that about our culture. No matter how f— up our world is, we find a way to have fun and care for each other. To portray that on a big stage is a political act. What does the future look like for you? My mission doesn't end here. This is just the beginning. I'm happy I'm having this platform now on Broadway and people can see me, but it's like, you guys are coming with me! Me being here, that just means I'm going to make more things for mi gente, my community. Luis G. Rendon is a Tejano journalist who lives in New York City and writes about South Texas food and culture. He's been published in Texas Monthly, Texas Highways and the Daily Beast. You can find him on Bluesky @louiegrendon and Instagram @lrendon.
