SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile is to make inroads into North America, with the export of vehicles to Mexico starting from January.

The Sino-US joint venture said 500 Baojun-branded compact SUVs, the first shipment, have already rolled off the assembly line in the city of Liuzhou in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

They are expected to leave Guangzhou Port in neighboring Guangdong province for Lazaro Cardenas, the largest seaport in Mexico, next month.

"Considering the presale orders, Mexico can become the largest overseas market for the model," said the carmaker in a statement.

The SUV, called Baojun 530, is the first model the carmaker has specifically developed for global markets.

Since its launch in 2019, it has been sold in 21 countries and regions, with deliveries totaling 96,584 units.

SAIC-GM-Wuling said the smaller Baojun 510 is scheduled to join the Baojun 530 in North America as well.

The Baojun 510 is already a hit in Chile in South America, with 1,487 sold since it became available in the country in October.

SAIC-GM-Wuling is one of the most popular carmakers in China, with over 1.35 million vehicles sold domestically in the first 11 months of the year.