It has been said by many, that if Chinese cars want to have some prestige in the West then they must first enter into motorsport, once they have shown their mark to the world, then they will sell.
Chery and Greatwall seem to have taken the advice well, and are planning to enter their own teams into the 2010 Dakar Rally. Chery are reportedly preparing their flagship Reely X5 SUV for the race, whilst Greatwall are race preparing their top selling Greatwall Hover SUV.
Chery have prepared their X5 well, with it being able to traverse water obstacles at a depth of over 600mm deep, and being able to climb hills at a gradient of over 60%.
Smart move. Yes, motorsports is a good place to build brand.
Hopefully we can rely on the X5 to make a reely good showing.:)
Good choice of venue as well, the Paris Dakar will give them an excelent chance to thougherly test out both there cars off road ability and durability. Might also give them some useful credibility on the build quality front at the utilitarian end of the market – which is where there going to have to break into any European market.
dont bet your house on them finishing!
I see Great Wall and Chery blowing the competition away!
seems they withdraw for 2011- last week Cherry and Greatwall where still mentioned to be partizipating.
seems they take the Koreans as example – no DAKAR but stil selling SUV’s like hot cakes!
Cherry and Greatwall took part of Dakar rally in 2011. They did average and they proof their point.
After Hyundai WRC fiasco, Korean automakers do not race anywhere. They fear it. Yes, they keep selling SUVs but everyone in West keep looking to them as crap and cheap cars (even if some of them are quite good).