Huatai, now known in English as Hawtai, has its eyes set on a high for 2011 – they plan to become a major rival to local Briliance who are based a little way over to the east in Shengyang whilst Hawtai are set in the heart of Beijing but with factories strategically located around China – Mongolia in the North and Rongcheng in the East.

For 2011 Hawtai is planning to launch the B11 sedan and also the B35 SUV, both will be planning to become the Chinese leader in clean diesel energy much in the way that BYD have become the market leaders in new energy (buzz) vehicles. Hawtai bought their engines from the Italian firm, VM, and have heavily revamped them for Euro4 and eventual Euro5 emissions. Their gearboxes are from ZF which they have already improved for their own use. The B11 and B35 were on show at the Guangzhou Auto Show, both have been on display before at the Beijing Auto Show but now they are soon set to launch in early 2011 and more final products were on show in Guangzhou. The B11 is likely to be exported but the B35 is still based on the last generation Hyundai Sante-Fe which Hawtai bought in from ex-JV partner Hyundai, but it seems that they only have a sales license for that technology within the Chinese market.

The B11 will have its official launch tonight in Beijing but will come with a 1.8T gasoline engine first mated to either a 5 speed or a 4 speed auto gearbox, the diesel engines are likely to come in early 2011. The 1.8T engine will be supplied by SAIC, and is the same engine that powers the MG6 and Roewe 550, prices are expected to be 100,000rmb to 160,000rmb.