Author Archive
Brilliance FRV gets major update for 2013
The FRV has quickly become a bread and butter car for Brilliance, the hatchback first aired in late 2008 and quickly became popular thanks to its low cost but spacious interior. Over the course of the past 4 years the FRV has been given several minor updates and also a Crossover version. The latest facelift [...]
Hawtai loses another top man
Hawtai has two major problems, it can’t keep its high level staff, and it can’t sell cars. In the past 5 years Hawtai has run through CEO’s and other high level staff faster than any other Chinese automotive company. This time the Vice President, Mr. Hou Hai Jing, has left the company along with 5 [...]
Kia Sportage, Austin Maestro and Subaru Forrester in three way tie up – Yema F12
The car you see below is a Sichuan Yema F12, the car itself is based on the world tested Austin Maestro platform that first aired in the early 80′s and quickly became the car to have in the UK*, owing to their fantastic quality and rust proof architecture*, under the MG-Rover era the British company [...]
FAW to build VW SUV in next two years
Chinese automotive media are reporting that First Automobile Works, a major partner to VAG will begin work on a jointly developed SUV in the next two years. VW are already producing the exceptionally popular Tiguan SUV at their joint venture with Shanghai Auto and its likely that First Automobile Works also wants in on the [...]
Maxus heading down under
According to reports on the MotorReport.com.au, Shanghai Auto are planning to send their Maxxus MPV/Van brand down to Australia in the next few months. Maxus was born of LDV, the bankrupt British van manufacturer, and was reborn at the Shanghai Auto Show in 2011 under the Maxus name which was previously an LDV model name. [...]
VW to recall DSG gearboxes across China
March 15th is National Consumer day in China, this is when the consumer usually gets the upper hand on vendors via the media with stories and tales of terrible woe at the hands of a certain company, this year VW were the focus of many TV stories regarding the The DSG gearbox from VW has [...]
Suzuki WagonR continues its life in China, still looks odd
The Suzuki WagonR was a funny little box when it first came out, but the facelifts given to the microbox after it first aired are making look even worse. Although its exterior asthetics may not please us, it seems to be on a winning streak in the Chinese countryside where demand for cars such as [...]
MG5 official renders arrive via the UK
When we hunt for pictures for China Car Times we often go via Chinese sources, but this time it looks like our renders are coming from the UK. The UK’s Auto Car Magazine has scored a scoop by posting the first official pictures of the MG5 ahead of its March launch later this year, the [...]
Want to sell cars in China? Better start taking aim at female consumers
The Chinese car buying world has long been male dominated, for a while the men earned the big bucks whilst women struggled under a glass ceiling that prevented them going much further than secretaries, obviously that has changed with an increasing importance on women in the workplace and increasing number of women with advanced degrees [...]
Luxury brands show big increase, but Mercedes China Sales Drop 88.7% in February
Sales of Chinese made Mercedes dropped by 88.7% in February according to media reports on auto163.com Mercedes February sales reached 14,500 units which was a drop of 7% over February 2011′s sales stats, however auto163 are reporting that the models produced in China accounted for just 584 sales in February, a massive drop of 88.7% [...]
Cadillac XTS Prowling Chinese Roads
The Big Caddy is back, the SLS is sold and made in China but its sales figures are depressingly low when compared to what the CTS and the SRX bring in, so Cadillac are eager to bring the XTS into the Chinese market. The XTS rides on the same platform as the Buick Lacrosse which [...]
This MG6 has 280bhp on tap
Car fans the world over have probably looked at the MG6′s 164bhp in a pessimistic way, not this Chinese gentlemen though, he decided that anything less than 280bhp just wasn’t acceptable and went about pushing the 1.8T unit to the limits and ultimately squeezed 285bhp out of the unit. Sound far fetched? Well it does [...]
Nothing is sacred – Rolls Royce gets the bling bling treatment
So you have a ’98 Rolls Royce, you’ve probably had the car for 14 years and it still looks pretty good. As one of China’s earlier entrepreneurs you would have had a difficult time buying the Roller as Rolls Royce didn’t officially enter China until 2003, but you bought one anyway and it served you [...]
Beiqi Foton’s 2011 Profit Nose Dives 30%
From China Daily: Foton Motor Co, one of China’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturers, said Friday that its profits slumped nearly 30 percent year-on-year in 2011 due to falling sales. The company’s profits decreased to 1.15 billion yuan ($182.54 million), while revenues slid 3.45 percent to 51.65 billion yuan, according to a statement filed to the [...]
FAW-VW voted happiest workplace in 2011
According to a report from Southcn.com, FAW-VW was awarded the title of ‘Happiest Workplace in 2011′ The FAW-VW joint venture has been in operation for 20 years and produced more than 1 million cars last year with sales improving rapidly each year, the company produces a range of VW vehicles such as the Magotan (Euro [...]
Wild Rumor of the day: Apple iCar in the works?
Apple have been hunting, hunting for Chinese quality engineers from the automotive sector. Rumor has it that Apple are aiming to develop in car entertainment systems based on Apple architecture. How do we know? Apple’s HR companies have been busy posting on Linkedin’s automotive pages and elsewhere in a bid to find engineers. So what [...]
Ford launches new Focus in China, sales to begin in May, old model to continue under Classic Focus name
Chang’an Ford are pulling the long tease in the Chinese market with the new Focus, pictures of the car out testing have been circulating for months and Ford showed the car to the press and media at various events and auto shows over the course of the year, but Chinese consumers still cannot buy one. [...]
BYD signs over another 1500 vehicles to Shenzhen, making the world’s largest electric vehicle fleet
Where is the world’s biggest fleet of electric vehicles? Perhaps it is in a more cosmopolitan western city such as San Francisco, New York, London or Paris? Actually its not so surprising to learn that is in Shenzhen, the home of BYD Auto. BYD in recent years strived to put its electric know how onto [...]
Buick Excelle to get minor make over
What is Buick China’s best selling car? Perhaps it is the Lacrosse or the Regal that seem to be on every Chinese street, or maybe the new Excelle? Wrong on all counts, Buick, and China’s favorite car during 2011 was the humble first generation Excelle. The Excelle became an easy way to enter into one [...]
Beijing’s G-Wagon, the B80VJ, getting ready for military use
Which world military has the most awesome looking vehicles? The British military get to use the Land Rover Defender, the Americans get the Humvee, the French have the Peugeot P4 and the Chinese have a mixture of the ancient BJ2020 derived vehicles and the newer Brave Soldier models but soon they will be getting the [...]
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