Archive for June, 2010
FAW-VW Going South Together Hand in Hand
First Automobile Work FAW-VW are planning to invest 8 billion RMB into the venture, which will be online by 2013 and be able to produce 300,000 cars per year, some of which will be exported to South Asian countries, making the VW the third company behind Honda and BMW to export Chinese made cars to [...]
BAIC planning to buy Fujian Daimler-Chrysler
Beijing Auto Industry Corporation (BAIC) is planning to take over Fujian Daimler-Chrysler, which is a joint venture partner of SouEast Auto. BAIC already have a joint venture with Mercedes Benz to produce the Mercedes range of sedans in China, however by taking over the Fujian joint venture they will get access to the lucrative MPV [...]
Facelift Suzuki Swift to launch tomorrow
Suzuki have had a big hit on their hands from day one when they launched the Suzuki Swift into China, the low cost mini car that has a lot of funk about it has been a best seller seller for a long time, initially only coming in 1.3L form but later came in 1.5L form, [...]
Mitsubishi Colt spotted in China again, big mouth this time
The Mitsubishi Colt is set to go into production at Mitsubishi’s flailing joint venture with SouEast that is getting a boost in the arm with the addition of a new line up of cars. The JV has been stalling for an number of years due to a seeming neglect by Mitsubishi who failed to introduce [...]
Chang’an Auto setting up R&D facility in the UK
Chang’an Auto are one of the Chinese Dragons of the auto industry, with its partners in Volvo, Ford, and Mazda it has learned a thing or two about quality and engineering, whilst completely understanding what its loyal customer base requires. Chang’an have come from no where in the past five years with its self developed [...]
Dongfeng’s Tai Concept going into production soon
Dongfeng showed off the fantastic Tai Concept Car at the Beijing Auto Show, although it seemed to be fairly a demure stand at Dongfeng which mostly showed off their joint venture produced wares instead of their self produced vehicles. The Tai Concepet car was Dongfeng’s shot at bringing their own brand upmarket, which is something [...]
Coachmaker Jinlong’s sedan and van spotted out testing
Kinglong (JinLong) are a major bus maker in the Chinese market but are planning to diversify into sedan production with their partner Wuling. The sedan is rumored to be based on the previous generation Buick Excelle platform that Wuling may have acquired from its GM-SAIC-Wuling partnership. Kinglong is reportedly eager to get into car making [...]
Will China soon become the high cost option?
After the labour dispute between Honda and its striking workers, there has been a flurry of worry across the Middle Kingdom that workers in other Foreign Direct Investment and Joint Venture companies night push their own bosses for a payrise, and might just strike to get what they want. Marketwatch speculates and worries us: A [...]
Subsidies to boost hybrid car sales at long last
The Chinese hybrid market has not had yet to flourish, but it looks like hybrid and pure electric cars will be the norm in a few years time. The Chinese government really is on the ball when it comes to stimulating its people into parting with their mighty Yuan, this subsidy will not make a [...]
Running Brother Incident – Infiniti driver drunk at the wheel
A regular traffic incident went viral in China earlier this week, mostly due to the luckiest tricycle rider alive. ‘Brother Tricycle ‘ became famous after his tricycle nearly became scrap metal went it narrowly past between a stationary car and the sedan that soon nailed the back of the stationary car. The accident accident happened [...]
Chang’an strengthens Nanjing base, aiming for big sales.
Previously, Chang-An Auto and Nanjing City Government signed a strategic agreement to improve Chang-An’s production capacity in Nanjing. The Chang-An Ford JV is set to see its production capacity increased, and Chang’an Mazda are set to increase their production capacity also. This year Chang-An revealed its ‘2015 plan’ which will see Chang-An’s own vehicle range, [...]
BMW-Brilliance to work on second factory for stretched 3-Series and X1 production, produce to be exported.
The joint venture between Brilliance and BMW is set to become stronger with the addition of a second factory in Brilliance’s home city of Shengyang according to the Chairman of Brilliance Auto, Mr. Qi Yu Min. In a recent interview between Mr. Qi and Sohu Auto, a Chinese automotive portal, it was revealed that BMW-Brilliance [...]
MG Zero Spy Pics – In automatic form!
The MG Zero Concept car was the hot concept car at this years Beijing Auto Show, and is likely to be the most anticipated small car release of 2010 as well. An eventual launch date of the end of the year is being mentioned by the Chinese press, however it does look like the MG2 [...]
MG6 gets another sterling review!
The MG6 just appears to be piling up the positive reviews from various different outlets, this time its from the Austin-Rover Online blog, which might be a little biased towards MG products, but needles to say its still a positive review: From AROnline: The MG6 does look a tad smaller in the metal than in [...]
230,000 Ford Focus owners told to take their cars for a software update
It seems that Ford’s recall is nearly three times the size of Toyota’s recall, but seems to be without the furor that was attached to the Toyota RAV4 recall in China. Ford’s recall is less problematic than a stuck accelerator pedal or non working brakes, instead it appears to be a firmware update to the [...]
BYD E6 Pure Electric to launch in August!
BYD’s pure electric MPV, which is also China’s first mass produced pure electric car, is set to go on sale in August this year. The BYD E6 is currently on test with a Shenzhen Taxi Company in Shenzen city where they are currently pounding the streets of Shenzhen pulling customers from A to B and [...]
Government confirms subsidies for hybrid and new energy vehicles
This is going to be music to the ears of BYD, Chery, and Geely, and all other Chinese car manufacturers that have hybrids and pure electric vehicles in development. Geely might be a big winner from these subsidies if they go through with their plans to make all of their vehicles hybrids via their ISG [...]
Chinese standard on child seats to launch at end of the year
As Chinese consumers become more affluent, they naturally aim to buy things that other middle class, socially mobile consumers wish to buy, and that is usually an automobile. Sadly the number of Chinese drivers that insist on letting their kids stand up in the front seat, or jump around on the back seat whilst driving [...]
Honda strike is over, workers get back to work with 24% payrise
Whilst their aim of 2,500rmb was not met by Honda management, the strike saw their wages rise from 1500rmb to 2300rmb ($336USD) after a couple of days of strikes, however the strike leaders appear to have been fired by Honda for a breach of contract. From WSJ: BEIJING—Honda Motor Co. said it has offered striking [...]
Guangzhou Auto’s Alfa Romeo based Chuan Qi model to launch in September
Guangzhou Auto’s first self developed sedan is to be put into production on September 28th according to the Chinese automotive media, the sedan is based on the Alfa Romeo 166 platform that Guangzhou Auto (GAC) purchased from joint venture partner Fiat, late last year. The Chuan Qi concept car was on show at the Beijing [...]
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