Explaining the Chinese Car Industry and Chinese Cars
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Beijing Hyundai havent been doing too great over the past few years, their old Sonata was just plain ugly, the new Sonata is visually appealing but it just wont sell at all, not like the Camry or the Accord does. Hyundai have decided to wheel out the big guns, and bring the Korean 5 series killer to China.
The Chinese motoring press are reporting that the ill fated partnership between Nanjing motors and Fiat has run its course, and will be formerly seperating next month. This goes against the announcement earlier this year where Fiat and Nanjing decieded to step back from the brink and invest 3 billion RMB into their deal.
Since Fiat and Nanjing had a bust up, Fiat has been continually looking for a new joint venture partner and has since teamed up Zotye (Zotye will be producing the Lancia range of cars in China), and Chery to do make Fiat/Alfa Romeo automobiles in China.
Fiat seems determined to up its market presence in China, which currently is limited to a set of developing nation only cars when China Car Times believes Fiat should be offering the Punto, Multipla, Panda, Brava etc in China. Fiat did plan to import a range of cars, but according to our sources Nanjing was opposed to the plan saying it wasnt profitable (of course it isnt, the cars wouldnt be passing through Nanjing motors factories!)
The Fiat Nanjing Joint Venture was planning to sell 50,000 cars this year, however, in the first six months of ‘07, sales were a dismal 11,000 units.
Fiat and Nanjing originally poured 3 billion RMB into the joint venture in 1999, each party holds a 50% stake.
The central government of China has told its Communist party officials, as well as government officers to stop buying foreign branded cars and use locally made fuel efficient models instead.
Currently Chinese officials all seem to love their German branded motors, particularly Audi A4’s, A6’s, and A8’s and not forgetting the VW Passat and Santana. China Car Times believes we have reported before that the central government spends billions of dollars per year on acquiring vehicles for its officials, some provincial government such as Anhui, and Jiangsu already use locally made vehicles but obviously the Central government is keen to make this plan more widespread.
1 million Chinese vehicle exports by 2010? Possible or not? We know Chinese manufacturers are up for spitting out any seemingly random sales goal that are far from their previous years sales goals, perhaps it drives up their stock price for a slight moment, we dont know.
CHINA may export one million vehicles a year by 2010 as car makers counter rising domestic competition with the advantage of low labor costs compared to overseas rivals.
The country may sell more than 800,000 vehicles overseas next year, while auto-part exports may rise as much as 40 percent annually, Zhang Ji, deputy head of the Commerce Ministry office overseeing exports of mechanical and electrical products, said in Beijing.
We’re sure Chinese criminals are shaking in fear at the latest robocop to be sleuthing the streets of Beijing.
BEIJING, Nov. 21 — A robot police officer has recently begun working in Changping District of Beijing, facilitating citizens who want to call the police.
The newspaper Beijing Times reported on Tuesday that four video cameras have been installed in the robot, three in the head and one pinhole camera on the chest, with which he can inspect his surroundings.
When needing to call the police, citizens need only press a red button on the robot’s stomach and the robot will automatically connect with police headquarters. Speaking through a microphone installed on the robot’s chest, citizens can speak directly with an officer.
According to Changping police, the robot officer will be mainly used in areas where cameras can’t be installed and where incidents happen frequently, thus benefiting citizens and frightening criminals.
The Chinese motoring press were in an uproar earlier this morning when pictures surfaced of a Roewe Crossover, except, it just happened to be the old Rover TCV that had been digitally altered to carry the Roewe logo and Cross text.
China Car Times knows better than to post up digitally altered photos, once burnt, twice shy, or something.
As far as we know, Roewe have the 750 1.8T, the Roewe Suv, and the Roewe 550 to unveil, if there are anymore models, we dont know about them.
Yes, we were confused as well.
Apparently this is used by FAW in their factory grounds for carting stuff around, China Car Times doesnt believe it will ever see mass production, not with the rear passenger doors still attached.
The Chinese motoring giants were all talking about hitting the higher segments of the market a few months ago, but it seems their actions are actually taking them to the lowest end of the market, we’re not talking 50,000rmb cars, we’re talking 20,000rmb and starting kind of motors. In the current climate, 20,000rmb is $2694USD (roughly), what kind of brand new car can you get for $2694USD?
If you want to know, continue reading.
Yesterday we reported on the Nissan Qashqai getting its Chinese name, and today we’re happy to report that the Lotus Racer, made via the Youngman Proton tie up will be called the Jing Su in China, this means to contend with quickness, or it could be translated as to struggle with quickness.
The Lotus designed motor should be on the Chinese market by the end of December priced at 120 to 150,000rmb. We’re not sure how, or where they will sell it though, we’ve yet to see a Youngman dealership, and if the car looks anything like this, they just wont sell.
If there is one thing this car has a lot, its plastic, and age - wait, thats two things. The Rover 25 was getting long in the tooth in the UK, but NAC MG have wheeled it out for just one last show in the PRC. China Car Times doesnt believe it will be launched in the UK, or any other markets.
The MG3 is going to come in several flavours, the Crossover, the standard run around, and the more potent MG3 ZR, which is expected to be a 1.8 hot hatch, just like it was in the UK. The MG3 is going to be Nanjing MG’s bargain bin car in the PRC, starting at the all important 70,000rmb price range will put up against the Suzuki Swift, the Daihatsu Xenia, and the Nissan Livina, all of which are great little cars for the money.
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