Last week we talked about the Geely Mei Ri which has recently dropped its pricing to become very competitive in the super cheap motoring sector. The Xia Li N3 has gone under an engine upgrade and now starts at 30,000rmb - marginally more expensive than the Geely (by a single dollar) The N3 has changed from the TJ376 and the TJ378 to the newer, better CA3GA2 engine. The CA3GA2 engine was developed by Tianjin themselves, using the two previous engines as a base and then modifying them significantly for the modern market.
This particular Xia Li comes in either saloon, or hatchback format and has sold very well in many Chinese cities, the main buyers are motorists on a budget and who those who are eager to get into the drivers seat but cant afford much more.
As we said with the Mei Ri, keep on motoring, Xia Li.
Smart move for FAW to acquire Tianqi as these Xiali models are doing well. Surely they could not rely on Hongqi sales in the area of passenger cars.