Archive for February, 2010
The Biggest Recalls in 2009
2010 is starting to be all about the recalls, with Toyota’s very own mamoth recall for the 75,000 Toyota RAV’s getting underway within the next two days, its not all about Toyota though, various other companies have put in some massive recalls in the last few years in China. Toyota Camry – it wouldn’t be [...]
Geely buys Zhongyu Special Vehicles Maker
Geely, fresh from their DSI Transmission and Volvo purchases, have taken on yet another company. This time their purchase has been closer to home, specifically in Zhejiang province. Geely’s latest purchase is Zhongyu Automotive, a relatively small producer of modified vehicles, but they do have a production capacity of 100,000 vehicles per year and a [...]
Hummer is dead – sale to Sichuan Tengzhong fails at last minute
Perhaps this is for the best, The New York Post tell us more: NEW YORK (AP) — Hummer, the off-road vehicle that once symbolized America’s love for hulking SUVs, faces a shutdown after its sale to a Chinese heavy equipment maker collapsed. Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Co. said Wednesday it pulled out of the [...]
Toyota Reiz/MarkX facelift version spotted out testing
The Toyota Reiz has proven to be a popular choice to the ever well selling Toyota Camry in China. The Camry is the front wheel drive stable sedan, where as the Reiz is the rear wheel drive power house that the salary man with an automotive heart chooses to buy. The Reiz was first introduced [...]
Dongfeng Kia to launch SLc crossover in October this year
Dongfeng Kia are set to launch a new made in China SUV in October this year according to a media event. According to the vice president of sales, Mr. 王敦明 Wang Dun Ming, Kia will produce the crossover in summer this year and will hit the market in October. The SLc will not replace the [...]
PSA talks with Chang’an end without result
PSA have been eager to get a third joint venture started in China, they currently have their JV’s Peugeot and Citroen JV’s with Dongfeng, PSA could feel that Dongfeng are overstretched with their other car producing JV’s which also include, Honda, Nissan, and Kia. PSA found itself in a three way battle between Chang’an, Volvo, [...]
Chinese built Passat CC to launch in June 2010
The Chinese built Passat CC is set to launch in June 2010 according to media reports from today. The Passat CC will be known plainly as the CC in China due to the fact that VW China have multiple generations of the Passat in production in China. FAW-VW the chief manufacturer of the CC also [...]
Dongfeng Luxgen SUV spotted out testing!
The Dongfeng Luxgen tie up between mainland China’s Dongfeng and Taiwan’s Yulong automotive has produced a few upcoming vehicles that are supposed be produced in China under the Dongfeng brand in the next couple of years, their first product was an MPV (that has yet to launch in Mainland China) and they also proposed to [...]
Sinopec working on electric charging stations
Sinopec the largest operator of gas stations in Cihna is set to start building electric charging stations in larger cities such as Beijing, and Chongqing. Sinopec has teamed up with Beijing Capital Science and Technology Group Corp to build electric charging stations within the city and will focus on delivering new energy to the next [...]
Second and third tier cities to lead Chinese car market in 2010
In 2010 the Chinese car industry is expected to be lead by second and third tier cities in the countries interior. Until 2009, the local car industry was largely lead by the relatively developed East coast first tier cities such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. However, this trend is likely to change in 2010 with [...]
Chinese drunk driver runs wild in Dezhou
The BBC have a shocking video of a drunk driver in Dezhou’s special economic zone, the highlight of which is his eventual arrest and his demolished car. The driver makes it onto the road and then scrapes down the central reservation destroying it, and his car, in the process. Eventually he stops and the Police [...]
Mazda to boost Chinese production capacity
Mazda currently has two JV’s in China, previously they were in partnership with Haima, but Haima were eventually taken over by FAW and then Mazda set up another JV with Chang’an. Mazda Motor Corp., 11 percent owned by Ford Motor Co., plans to increase production capacity in China to meet growing demand in the world’s [...]
Tengzhou has not given up on Hummer yet
According to Reuters: HANGHAI, Feb 23 (Reuters) – China’s Tengzhong could use an offshore vehicle to buy General Motors’ [GM.UL] Hummer brand if it fails to win Chinese regulatory approval for the ambitious but controversial plan that has met with cooling government appetite. Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co, a little known machinery maker with [...]
Breaking: SAIC takes controlling share of Shanghai GM
According to this mornings news, Shanghai-GM and SAIC have come to an agreement where SAIC will take a controlling share in the SAIC-GM joint venture in Shanghai. SAIC has taken a 1% share from GM, which will give it 51% of the JV, also the board of directors will increase in SAIC’s favor to 6:5. [...]
New policies to coerce automakers into merging
In the past few years the Chinese government have been eager to slim down their burgeoning car industry which is now the worlds largest in terms of sales, and automakers. Chinese automakers currently number around 130, an impressive number for a developing country. The largest domestic manufacturers, FAW, Dongfeng, SAIC, and Chang’an are considered the [...]
Chinese government aiming for half of Chinese car sales to be from Chinese co’s by 2015
China Daily has an interesting article that details China’s most ambitious plans to date; to make 50% of car sales in China be from domestic rather than foreign automotive brands by 2015, however if you look at the statistics for sales in 2009, just over 44% of car sales in China last year were from [...]
Is it the MG2 this time?
Last week we posted a few blurry pictures of a future MG3, now it that car has resurfaced on the back of a flatbed truck and is being labeled by the Chinese press as being the new MG2: The MG2 was originally slated to be the Roewe 150, but it seems that the car will [...]
Chinese built Audi Q5 to launch in April
Audi understands that the Chinese market is one of the largest markets in the world for its cars, the people simply adore those four shiny interlaced rings, the Audi A4 and A6 have become the car of choice for China’s mid to upper level middle class as well as the ruling elite. Early last year [...]
JAC monster spotted out with license plates – are they actually producing it?
JAC has a great car line up, ranging from small cars to larger sedans, most of which are designed and built in house. Then one day pictures of a JAC monster car appeared online, prompting many to wonder what exactly was in the JAC office water cooler. Now it seems JAC are actually producing the [...]
Getting ready for the back to work rush
China is apparently getting ready for a return to work next Monday, as is CCT. Its been a good, but rushed, holiday and the Year of the Tiger is actually looking exciting especially when compared to last years doom and gloom. In the meantime, the news in brief: Toyota are taking a great leap backwards [...]
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