Archive for April, 2011
Facelift Captiva shown in Shanghai, to launch in June
The Captiva has been a popular model for Chevrolet China, the model was introduced in 2008 and was sold with a 3.2L V6 engine for just 270,000rmb despite it being an import from Korea it did manage to offer value for money for those that wanted a big car and big power. For 2011 the [...]
Range Rover Evoque China Pricing Announced in Shanghai
The Chinese market has been a life saver for British company Jaguar Land Rover, sales of Land Rover vehicles has been a lot greater than Jaguar sales in the past few years as Chinese consumers take to the roads in luxury SUV’s rather than business orientated sedans. China got its first taste of the Evoque [...]
Who killed the Brilliance SUV launch?
For the weeks we have been gearing up for the launch of the Brilliance A3 SUV as it was to be one of the major center pieces for Brilliance at the Shanghai Auto Show, oddly on the first press day there was a big space for where the A3 SUV should have been. It thus [...]
Icona Fusalage shown off in Shanghai
What happens when you put an Italian design house in a blank automotive canvas like China? The obvious answer is they go crazy and put gullwing doors on everything. Icona Shanghai was established in 2010 with the goal of taking on more Chinese design work, and the goal of the Icona Fusalage is to showcase [...]
Shanghai Auto Show – Day Three
Today was the third and final day of the Shanghai Auto Show for the China Car Times team, although there are likely to be some maniacs amongst us that want to go at the weekend with significant others. The third day of the auto show is generally the worst as the media guys have left [...]
Gonow does the Freelander – G5 launches in Shanghai
When the state owned car company Guangzhou Automobile took over the privately owned Zhejiang based Gonow Auto many automotive industry observers were shocked, the consolidation was expected to be privately owned companies taking over Chinese auto giants, but for Gonow it went the other way around. Gonow has now become the high end SUV brand [...]
Venucia’s first model shown in Shanghai
Venucia is the new brand born of proud new parents, Dongfeng and Nissan. The first Venucia concept model was shown off in Shanghai yesterday but will not go on sale until the first half of 2012 according to Nissan Yang Song, the head of sales at Dongfang-Nissan, said that Nissan and Dongfeng are aiming to [...]
Mitsuoka in Shanghai to cash in on China
Mitsuoka is a niche Japanese car manufacturer based in Toyama city, they are a small manufacturer but are aiming for the high life in China. As odd as Mitsuoka’s cars look, they do appear to be selling in China, partly on the novelty value and partly because practically everyone in Shanghai has a Bentley, Rolls [...]
Taiwanese Avant GT concept shown in Shanghai
Taiwanese design and engineering house Studio X-Gene had their Avant GT on display in Shanghai, the AVANT was a styling and engineering exercise by the company to display their design talent and capabilities to a mainland Chinese audience. The Avant GT is a pure electric sports grand tourer with a mid mounted motor primed to [...]
Maxus V80 reborn in Shanghai
The LDV skip logo is not flying above the LDV models anymore, but the smart new three triangle designed logo seems to be good enough for the V80. According to Maxus promotional literature, the Maxus brand is one “Europe’s most influential and recongizable commercial vehicle brands.” which is very odd, as the Maxus brand has [...]
Roewe SUV concept
The Roewe W5 may have only just been shown in Shanghai but the model itself appears to be readying for plastic surgery, the W5 concept SUV looks to be getting its cleft lip re-attached and the Gillette style front grill getting the Mach5 treatment. Although this report may come off as slightly condescending, the interior [...]
Roewe W5 on show at long last
The Roewe W5 must have been in development for at least two years now which is a long time for a badge swap to take place. The W5 is based on the Ssangyong Kyron which SAIC obtained when they were the masters in chief at Ssangyong, they were later booted out of control when the [...]
Sleek, slender and surely to be a winner – the MG5 in Shanghai
MG’s chief designer, Tony Williams-Kenny was on hand in Shanghai to answer all of the media’s questions regarding the design and the development of the MG5 concept, but we did not get a chance to talk with him as he was surrounded by UK media who were all eagerly asking questions about the concept. Seeing [...]
MG3 – ready for motorsports, and UK production
The recently launched MG3 was getting its sports equipment on in Shanghai with the car gaining a bodykit, white alloys and a cool rear spoiler to make it quite the little hot hatch for the Chinese market. The MG3 was parked alongside the MG5 concept and it was clear to see where the MG5 might [...]
Shanghai Auto Show – Day Two
Shanghai Auto Show is bigger than ever. There is no doubt about that, the blisters on my feet are proof enough. Now that a north wing is being added future shows are expected to be even bigger Today’s highlights include: Being pushed out of the way by Li Shu Fu’s black shirted Geely branded security [...]
Honda to make electric cars in China
Honda and its partners at Guangzhou Auto and Dongfeng Auto are planning to launch locally produced electric vehicles into China in the next few years according to a report on Honda’s Chinese website. The earliest electric car launch appears to be happening as early as next year according to Nikkei. Honda are planning to launch [...]
Porsche debuts several new models at Shanghai Auto Show
Porsche has unveiled several new models at the Shanghai Auto Show, including the Panamera Turbo S which made its world premier, and the 918 RSR and the Panamera S Hybrid, making their Asian debuts. The starting price of Panamera Turbo S is expected to be 3,088,000 RMB in China. Same as current the Panamera Turbo, [...]
Dongfeng’s electric cars to be on show next year
It appears that Dongfeng are gearing up to offer electric cars in early 2012 according to media reports and is aiming to sell 100,000 electric cars by 2015 according to Zhu Fu Shou, president of Dongfeng Motor Group. What is currently unclear is if those models will be from Dongfeng’s own brand of electric cars [...]
Great Wall’s range-extended electric vehicle technology is more convenient and eco-friendly
Great Wall’s ranged-extended electric vehicle technology focuses on electric power, and range extension comes second. The front and rear drive axles are driven by an electric motors each, ensuring better distribution of driving force to each wheel. Control over the two electric motors can assist downhill braking and thus control the downhill speed. The range-extended [...]
Brilliance shows new powertrain in Shanghai
Brilliance’s self-developed new powertrain was shown off yesterday at the Shanghai Auto Show, the new range includes 1.0T and 1.5T engines. The 1.0L three-cylinder in-line turbo-charging engine, coded BM10T, uses CVVT technology, with maximum power of 75kw and peak torque of 135Nm. The 1.5L four-cylinder in-line turbo-charging engine, coded BM15T, also uses CVVT technology, with [...]
Twitter!
