Archive for the ‘First Automobile Works’ category
Does FAW Actually Understand the Car Market?
FAW was China’s first car producer, the Changchun based auto maker started churning out trucks but later turned its hand to passenger cars Mao Zedong’s behest. The first cars were Hong Qi’s based on Soviet Tech, but later Audi’s and Toyota’s became emblazoned with the Hong Qi logo. FAW snapped up regional auto makers like [...]
Oley hits the market, priced on par with actual Jetta
FAW’s new Oley car hit the market yesterday and is likely destined to failure. The mark 2 Jetta forms the basis for the new Oley, which was redesigned and engineered in China, the 1.5L engine is from FAW’s own stock and produces 75Kw and 135Nm of torque which is actually not that bad for a [...]
Oley rolls down the production line
FAW’s Oley branded vehicles came down the production line earlier this week, as mentioned many times on CCT the Oley is based on the legendary PQ32 platform which VW used in their 1982 Mk2 VW Jetta making the cars platform 30 years old. In China, old platforms never get thrown out they get reused, rebranded, [...]
Besturn B90 Sunning Itself in Hainan Ahead of Launch
The Besturn B90 is heading into production soon, or so we hear, but in the meantime the Mazda based sedan is testing down in the sunny climes of Hainan rather than the frigid tundra of FAW’s hometown in Changchun. Rumor has it the B90 will be using a 2.0L and 2.5L engine from Mazda, and [...]
FAW’s OuLai brand to satisfy economy market with economy sedan
First Automobile Works owns multiple brands, at the top end they have the flagship Hong Qi (Red Flag), then in the middle they have Besturn, then Xiali in the economy section, and now they are planning to add OuLai. Oulai will sit at the bottom of the range and its first car will be based [...]
Besturn B90 seen out in full camo
The Besturn B90 is FAW’s latest mid size sedan for its Besturn range of cars, of course as with all Chinese auto makers entering this segment their real goal is to get in to the government procurement lists as the government at all levels have been told to reign in their spending and support more [...]
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 [...]
Is the Besturn B30 going to be under a new brand from FAW
The Chinese automotive media are running new pictures of what was initially thought to be the Besturn B30 sedan, but are now saying that this model could be the first of yet another new brand. The new brand is of course named Ou Lai and we have reported on it before, what the brand exactly [...]
GM’s pick up truck hits the market in China
GM are famous for its pick up trucks, in fact America is famous for its pick up trucks full stop. Other countries manufacturers have tried to make them, but without a logo from one of the Big Three American companies they appear to be a bit limp at best. Urban Cowboys across China are lapping [...]
FAW announces a new brand: Ou Lai
First Automobile Works are one of China’s earliest car makers, they have partnerships with Mazda, Toyota, VW and Audi and also have several of their own brands: Hong Qi (Red Flag), Besturn, and Xia Li. Hong Qi is probably the most prestigous of the three brands as it was China’s first car brand and initially [...]
First Auto Works preparing for IPO
According to Reuters FAW are preparing to put the majority of their company into an IPO later this year, FAW of course has a series of succesful joint ventures with Toyota, VW, Audi, Mazda and more recently with GM (to focus on commercial vehicles) and does of course have its own sub brands – Hong [...]
FAW to release new Weizhi in 2012
The FAW Weizhi series of cars that are made by its Tianjin based subsidary, XiaLi, are about to get a dramatic makeover for the next two years. The Weizhi sedans are economy models that are based on the older Toyota Yaris platforms that FAW inherited from its joint venture partner, Toyota. This particular model looks [...]
GM’s compact pick up for China
GM recently got into the truck making business in China with First Automobile Works, but they are not making American style mid to large size trucks in China, instead they are working on compact trucks. Tucked away on the FAW stand at the Shanghai Auto Show was GM and FAW’s first pick up truck offering [...]
FAW to produce plugin electric Besturn and Xenia MPV in July
FAW are gearing up for the future by producing a series of plugin electric vehicles, the first model will be a plugin hybrid Besturn B70 sedan whilst the second one will be the Xenia MPV which will be available as a pure electric model. According to Chinese media reports the Besturn B70 and B50 plugin [...]
The New Generation of VW Magotan
VW’s “One Country, Two Passats” policy seems to be paying off in the Chinese market, the New Midsize Sedan (NMS) has just been launched in Shanghai by Shanghai Volskwagen, but VW’s other partner in North East China, First Automobile Works are planning to launch their own European B7 Passat in stretched wheelbase form to fight [...]
Besturn B30 sighted again
The Besturn B30 will be the cheapest model in FAW’s self developed Besturn line up, the B30 is sitting on top of the PQ32 platform, which is the VW Jetta platform – actually, the B30 is pretty much a VW Jetta in drag with its 1.6L engine from the Jetta (74kW/6000rpm – 145Nm at 3800rpm) [...]
Mazda8 launched in China
Earlier today the Mazda8 officially launched in China and is set to make a big splash in the MPV segment. The MPV market has increased by over 60% in 2010 alone, the Mazda8 will be competing against the Buick GL8 in the higher end MPV segment, until now the GL8 has had a free run [...]
FAW-VW’s pure electric Bora to launch in 2013 – spy pics
VW are working hard with their two joint venture partners to develop a competitive electric car series for use within China and abroad, Shanghai-VW are working to produce a pure electric Lavida sedan, whilst FAW-VW are working on the below VW Bora pure electric sedan: External changes to the Bora are actually quite few, the [...]
Mazda CX7 to be made in China
FAW-Mazda, the partnership between China’s First Automobile Works (FAW) and Japan’s Mazda Automotive, today confirmed that FAW-Mazda will put the CX7 Crossover will be made in China later this year. FAW-Mazda are eager to ramp up the partnership (which is technically not a joint venture) to take advantage of the strong market in China, the [...]
Hong Qi HQE spotted out!
The Hong Qi HQE is the latest big limo from FAW and was the official car of Chairman Hu Jin Tao during the 2010 Reviewing of the Troops in Beijing where he shouted ‘Hello Comrades‘ and ‘You work hard, Comrades!’ from the top of his presidential ride, now that car is going to be produced [...]
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