Currently, Shanghai GM's Buick, Cadillac and Chevrolet brands are available for sale on Alibaba's TMall.com website, and the two companies said they would collaborate by using Alibaba's big data analysis to serve ads to prospective car buyers, offer loans and provide after-market services.

Alibaba, the world's biggest e-commerce company, unveiled this week the creation of a new "smart living" division that would link Internet-related services to various kinds of everyday products, from televisions and home appliances to cars.

Almost 50 car brands and 10,000 dealerships have partnered with Alibaba in China, the company said.