Archive for October, 2011
BYD’s net profits in Q3 soared 582% y/y
BYD’s fiscal report for the third quarter shows that the company’s operating revenues in the first three quarters of this year decreased 4.34% from a year earlier to 34.334 billion yuan, and its profits in the period fell 85% from a year earlier to 352 million yuan. The company’s operating revenues in the third quarter [...]
Could trouble just be around the corner for Audi China?
Audi has had a comfortable lead over its closest competitors for the past few years, but are they losing their comfortable edge over their competitors? Audi entered the Chinese market relatively early when compared to other Western manufacturers, and considerably earlier than its Germanic rivals at BMW and Mercedes, Audi signed with FAW in 1988, [...]
Foton’s profits down 60% as sales go south
From Xinhua: Beiqi Foton Motor Co., China’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, said Sunday that its third-quarter profits slid 59.9 percent from one year earlier because of falling sales. The car maker’s profits dropped to 211 million yuan (33.28 million U.S. dollars) for the third quarter of 2011, according to a statement filed with the Shanghai [...]
FAW’s own brand of cars loses 49 million RMB in 2011
It seems that cars self branded car venture maybe in for a difficult year, the company has so far lost some 49 million RMB this year and is expected to continue losing money. From Market Watch: China’s FAW Car Co. warned Sunday that it expects a sharp decline in its full-year profit after posting a [...]
Lifan 320 Spotted Testing
Lifan are still a small auto maker, but they do have a global ambition to sell cars and are currently one of the leading exporters of cars despite their location in Western China. Their current line up is made up of the tiny 320, compact 520 (in sedan/hatch form) and the forthcoming 720 as well [...]
Toyota opens R&D Center in China
The foundation laying ceremony of Toyota’s R&D center, or Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing Center (China), was held in Changshu, Jiangsu province recently. China’s authorities are not satisfied with Toyota’s development of new energy vehicles in China. Now Toyota has invested $689 million to open its fifth R&D center outside Japan, which is expected to [...]
Saab sold on to Pangda and Youngman for 100 Million Euro
It seems that Saab is now a Chinese company along with Volvo. Pangda and Youngman have taken over Saab in its entirety and it will become part of the Pangda-Youngman empire. The two companies are set to spend 100 million Euro on the company, which of course has to receive approval from the National Development [...]
Audi not sexy enough for Chinese consumers
Business Week are reporting that Audi is loosing its sex appeal to its rivals BMW and Mercedes, but is that really the case? The A6L is the cornerstone of the Chinese governments automotive fleet, but the last generation A4 was certainly a ‘personal use’ vehicle and the new A4L seems to span the lines of [...]
An inside look at the Chery G6 Limo,
The Chery G6 was born with government ministers in mind, the government have been told to put down their Audi’s and pick up Chinese branded cars as part of a cost cutting exercise that also benefits the local car industry and also boost the Civil Service in terms of PR. Chery have decided that their [...]
Can BYD really Build Your Dreams? E6 hits the market
BYD’s e6 personal edition hit the market in Shenzhen on 26 October after a 17-month stint in the Shenzhen taxi fleet. If everything goes well, the e6 will become a milestone of electric cars the world over, because of its range of 300km, and BYD will successfully build our dream – BYD is short for [...]
Chery Riich X3 spotted out testing – looking like a semi desirable car
When Chery introduced the Riich brand, I personally thought that their thinking was right, but the execution a bit off. It’s hard to shake off the economy brand moniker, especially if you want to make high end cars so the only way to do it is to start with a high end car under a [...]
BMW X6 tries to race two Lambo’s down the Chengdu-Shanghai highway
Shanghai to Chengdu is no trip around the block, its a thousand kilometer highway that stretches from the East Coast all the way to the interior lands of Sichuan and ends at Chengdu city. Now three idiots decided to make the highway into their own personal race track, a BMW X6 saw a great opportunity [...]
Foton’s 2.8L Cummins Turbo Diesel Mid Size Truck to launch in January next year
Foton unveiled their new huffing heavy pick up truck late yesterday ahead of its initial production and sales launch in January next year, journalists were able to get a taste of what the big truck might look like. Foton, as part of BAIC Group, are being pushed to ‘leave the country’ and develop export markets [...]
BAIC’s Saab based C70 seen out testing in final metal
Beijing Auto’s development of their Saab based vehicles has been a long drawn out affair, if we look back to 2005 when MG-Rover went bankrupt and its IPR subsequently sold on to SAIC, Roewe was born just a year later on the back of the Rover 75. Now if we look back to Saab’s IPR [...]
Jaguar & Land Rover will launch joint brand; First locally-made model could be totally new
Insiders reveal that the partnership talks between Chery and Jaguar & Land Rover has achieved substantial progress after Chery’s partnership plan with Subaru was rejected. The two sides have reached agreements on many key aspects, and now they are waiting for the approval from the government authorities who are key to getting the plan approved. [...]
Confirmed: New Roewe 550 will have dual clutch gearbox
The next Roewe 550 is nearly here judging by the below spy shot, furthermore the Chinese media are confirming that the 550 will be carrying 1.8L and 1.8T engines combined with a dual clutch gearbox. So who supplied the new gearbox? Is it from SAIC’s partner at VW via Borgwarner? Is it self developed? Sort [...]
Facelift X-Trail spied, will launch in Guangzhou Auto Show
How old is the X-Trail now? The X-Trail will be ten years old next year and it doesn’t seem to be going out of style anytime soon, the chunky styling seems to take this city SUV into a capable off road vehicle. The Chinese market has had the X-Trail as a locally made vehicle since [...]
China’s auto sales went up while profits reduced
China’s auto sales in September rose 5.5% from a year earlier, and the auto sales in Jan-Sep period increased 3.6% from a year earlier. The industry’s year-on-year sales growth increased month after month since May. Their year-on-year sales growths in the Jun-Sep period were 1.7%, 2.5%, 4.4%, and 5.5% respectively. The sales of passenger vehicles [...]
BMW’s Jan to Sept sales greater than combined 2010 sales and sales growth of 45%
The thirst for efficient dynamics in China showed no signs of slowing down over the past nine months, BMW’s January to September sales in 2011 were greater than combined sales of the whole of 2010. 165,669 BMW branded vehicles left the lot so far this year and 11,853 MINI vehicles were sold over the same [...]
VW Polo Cross ready for the China market
The VW Polo hatchback has so far been a popular car since the 5th generation was launched in China earlier this year, the hatchback is about to get its Crossover version and is likely to see the light of day at the Guangzhou Auto Show next month. The original Crossover Polo turned out to be [...]
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