Archive for May, 2009
Fiat is back into the PRC with Guangzhou
Rumors of Fiat re-entering the PRC with Guangzhou Auto as a JV partner have been floating around for quite some time. A further report today from the Caijing magazine reported that Guangzhou and Fiat are planning on creating a $630 million USD joint venture that will be online by 2011 and will be able to [...]
BYD F3 Sales up 143%
BYD sold an impressive 32,095 vehicles in April, of which 22,721 vehicles were BYD F3′s. The F3′s sales tally has seen an impressive increase of 143% over last Aprils sales. High sales were credited to the short delivery time from purchase date (Chinese car delivery dates are often 3 weeks to 1 month after purchase), [...]
Guangzhou Auto to take slice of Changfeng
Changfeng announced today that Guangzhou Auto are getting ready to purchase a very large share in Changfeng, possibly reaching up as high as 30% of Changfeng. Changfeng was previously a truck maker for the Peoples Liberation Army, but has since moved into SUV and truck sales. Mitsubishi currently own 14% of Changfeng, where they sell [...]
MG to build 1.5 Turbo pocket rocket
MG are set to build a 1.5T engine for use within a new A Segment car. SAIC has been restructuring the MG line up into becoming a powerful future brand, and has plans for a factory on the outskirts of Shanghai that will have a capacity for 250,000 cars and engines. The new range of [...]
When will the Clone Wars end?
In 2008, many industry observers thought we had seen the end of the ‘clone years’ where Chinese manufacturers would simply take an existing vehicle, give it the Xerox treatment, drop a Mitsubishi engine in, and slap their own badging on it and call it their own vehicle. The first, and probably most famous of the [...]
What’s going into production soon in the PRC
The Chinese car buyer is set to get a few more cars to choose from in the coming few weeks as the cars that were on show at the Shanghai Car Show finally go into production. Buick Regal 2.0T The Regal 2.0T will give the recently launched Audi A4l 2.0T a good run for its [...]
Meet Qashqai, I found him my engine bay
On saturday morning, I heard a meow, meow, meow coming from the undeside of my car. Putting it down to a lack of sleep, I drove out of the underground car park, swipped my card, and took to the roads. Except I could still here that meow meow meow sound coming from the underside of [...]
Huatai ‘self developed’ luxury SUV
The last renderings from the Huatai self developed luxury vehicle line up had a sprinkling of Bentley about the edges, and a little bit of Merc down the sides. This time it’s a self developed ‘luxury SUV’ with a hint of Infiniti: AshAsh came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some [...]
News Shocker: VW to kill of Santana production in 2012
The VW Santana is going to be put of production in 2012 according to VW. The Santana, which has made it to the current Santana 3000 guise has sold an impressive 3213710 models since the first CKD produced Santana rolled off the line in 1983. China’s love for the Santana has not seen the Santana [...]
Shanghai Auto Show – A sea of people
Auto Shanghai 2009 officially ended over two weeks ago. On the final Saturday I had a few remaining parts suppliers to visit and as a result had the distinct privilege of attending what was without a doubt one of the most crowded exhibitions I have ever visited anywhere. People were just wall to wall. Then [...]
CCT Green Updates
From our new blog, CCT Green, we bring you: Chongqing City and auto co Chang’an Motors team up to provide massive subsidies to Chang’an Auto buyers, which also includes FREE highway tolls in Chongqing. Peter Stevens says China is the future of EV, going against what was said the other day. FAW to boost hybrid [...]
Chery new models for 2009
For the Shanghai Auto Show, Chery wheeled out 15 new models and updated models, some of which will be launched very soon. Rely X5 The Riich X5 is an SUV, perhaps BMW will be slightly upset with the name, but what’s under the hood is of interest to us. The X5 will be powered by [...]
New VW Golf, a 1.4TSI to be launched soon
The latest sixth generation of VW Golf is set to launch in China, after skipping the 5th generation, and giving the Chinese market an odd 4th (4.5th) gen Golf which was branded as a Bora hatchback. The first Golf to be launched in the Chinese marketplace will be the 1.4TSI model, which will make the [...]
Brilliance to enter luxury segment with new car
According to media reports, Brilliance is working on building a C segment luxury car. Brilliance has had quite a successful run of cars from its first BS6 to the latest FRV hatchback, all of which have made great profit for them, their next entry into the luxury car segment is their next step. In December [...]
Chinese made GM’s to head to the USA
According to todays media reports, GM is planning to export Chinese made vehicles to the USA to sell in the North American market. The main cars to get exported to the USA are small cars, for example, the Chevrolet Spark. By 2011, GM expects to start importing the Chevrolet Spark, with 17,335 cars being imported [...]
Roewe 550 Hatch spy pics + Roewe N1 to use DSG gearbox
News was released earlier today stating that the Roewe N1 will use a DSG gearbox once it is launched later this year. The DSG gearbox will be developed by BorgWarner in partnership with SAIC. As the Roewe 550 implemented the ‘digital system’ the N1 will implement ‘internet and informaton revolution’, as the 550 interior was [...]
Audi A6 Turbo Diesel heading to China
An Audi A6 TDI has been spotted out testing in China, sparking rumors of Aud’s entry into the diesel segment. The questions remain, will the Chinese rich take to the idea of buying cheaper fuel, and is Chinese diesel all that clean? AshAsh came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some [...]
Private Second Car Sales Up!
In the first quarter of 2009, 680,570 second hand vehicles were traded in China, an increase of 24.73% over the same period in 2008. The first period of 2009 saw the trading of 345,400 cars were sold, an increase of 21.72%, large MPV’s and busses accounted for 122,500 vehicles, an increase of 18.08%, trucks accounted [...]
Passat CC to see China production
The Passat CC is set to be produced in China very soon according to media reports earlier today. The Passat CC is expected to be put into production by the end of 2009 via the VW-FAW JV in Changchun, alongside a slightly lengthened Magotan (the current Euro Passat) Pricing on the Chinese built Passat CC [...]
China’s hybrid/EV industry is ‘overhyped’
According to some guys: Frost & Sullivan, a global market research firm, believes the pace of growth for China’s hybrid and electric car market has been exaggerated. “While we believe hybrids have a good future, the sales in China’s future market have been overhyped,” wrote Tristin Lin, senior consultant of automation & transportation, Frost & [...]
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