Shares in Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) were suspended today amid plans which will see a major restructuring program at SAIC.
SAIC shares fell 0.04% to 25.3rmb and trading will start again after the announcement has been made. SAIC currently has joint ventures with China’s biggest car manufacturers GM, and VW.
The Chinese media are currently reporting that the reason for the temporary suspension of trading is due to SAIC wishing to reorganise its own international assets, which is likely to include the addition of British van maker, LDV.
SAIC are also planning …

Auto Shanghai 2009 officially ended over two weeks ago. On the final Saturday I had a few remaining parts suppliers to visit and as a result had the distinct privilege of attending what was without a doubt one of the most crowded exhibitions I have ever visited anywhere. People were just wall to wall. Then it struck me: this massive sea of people are all potential customers.
It was truly an experience that I would have loved to miss and yet at the same time I am glad I was able …

From the Shanghai Daily:

A record high number of 600,000 enthusiasts and higher-than-expected orders won by car makers has cemented Auto Shanghai 2009′s reputation as the exhibition to showcase numerous new and concept models as well as extol China as a promising market that global auto makers can’t ignore.
According to the organizer, the biennial auto show, which ended yesterday at the Shanghai New International Expo Exhibition Center, attracted 1,500 vehicle and component makers from 25 countries and regions and covered an area of 170,000 square meters, 20 percent bigger than the …

Now that the show is practically over, and I’m very far away from Shanghai, and more importantly Hainan Island where Haima are based, I feel that is high time I apologised.
The reasoning for my apology is quite simple, I pulled the door handle off your Haima M concept car. I say pulled, it sort of just came away in my hand when I foolishly attempted to open the door.
I couldnt immediatly see any Haima staff around to apologise to, so I put the handle on the roof of the car. …

Geely and their logo / brand campaign has been an ongoing source for
interesting articles for many years. While Ash has written about Geely’s multi-brand strategy in the past
Auto Shanghai 2009 was the first time we were able to see it in action.
Don’t get me wrong, I like Geely. I personally like the original Geely logo.It features a mountain which is an international symbol for strength. It includes the English letters for Geely so Chinese customers will associate it with an international brand and international customers will recognize and remember …

The MG6 concept car was on show this week alongside the Roewe N1 concept, but it was clear that the MG6 was the main target of attention.
MG’s new Chinese owners, Nanjing, and subsequently, Shanghai Automotive, have grouped their amazing pool of talent together to produce a fantastic looking concept car that looks quite close to production.
Every picture of the MG6 that have posted to the internet and have not done the car justice at all. In pictures the MG6 comes off looking a little cheap, almost like a …

The Roewe N1 concept car was unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show this week, it drew in the crowds to the rather large SAIC stand, but it was greatly out done by the fantastic MG6.
You see, the W2 concept car (which later became the Roewe 550) was a new begining, but an extension of Rover (and therefore British) motoring heritage. The design was a radical change from the Rovers of the MG-R age, and showed a new direction, the MG6 continues with that new direction and will give MG …

We’re not entirely sure how this particular hybrid works, perhaps an oversized alternator that cuts the engine out at the lights and fires it back up as the accelarator is pressed. We will know a lot more on Friday!
The 1.8T is good for 170bhp, and the gearbox is a new 6 speed sequential offering. We’re not sure if this is a home made Brilliance offering, or something they’ve bought in. More news as we get it!

The GreatWall M3 concept SUV is a mixture of MPV and SUV which gives us a rather interesting crossover type MPV that can take on both the hardroads and the softroads, it’s sort of like a Coolbear crossover:

The Hover line up is looking like it will be an interesting one once all of the models are out, the second edition to the Hover line up (after the Hover H3) is the rather nice looking Hover H5:

BYD released their E6 prototype yesterday, complete with an AWD electric setup under the hood.
The most interesting thing, is the All Wheel Drive (AWD) system that BYD have set up using an electric motor, certainly not impossible, but something that hasn’t been tried on a production scale. Is this another first for BYD?
The design on the other hand, seems to be a mash up of a JDM Honda Oddyssey and a Range Rover rear end. Interesting, but somehow it works to our tastes.

FAW are planning to put a 6.0L V12 into this bad boy. Production date is still unknown.

Just when you thought Geely and Smart China were the only ones playing at making ultra-minis, along comes another player in the form of Haima, but with a new logo on show:
With lots of 妹妹 ready to 发疯 for the 可爱的车, we think that Haima might be onto a winner with this little cutey. Perhaps men will go for the more butch looking Geely IG?

Chery’s first range of cars for the Riich sub brand were launched today, the M1 is their cheapest offering that was launched.
The M1 is priced from 42,800rmb and comes with 1.3l ATECO engine (83BHP), and is packed with safety features such as reverse parking sensors, ABS, EBD and also SRS airbags which is looking like a minimum of 2 on the lower spec models, and possibly more on the higher end models.
With pricing so low, it seems that the QQ3 is getting pushed into the ultra bargain bin …

The 550R is Roewe’s second shot at producing a sports sedan out of the Roewe 550. The previous incarnation was a failure, it was neither sporty, nor cool. The 550R at least improves on the original silver blob with a little bit more style, although the lower black skirting is superfluous to the overall design.
Now the question is, is this 550 actually named 550RS or 550R5?

The FRV hatch is an amazing car for an amazing price, it seems like the FSV version is set to continue the amazing sales run that the FRV started:
A small compact sedan sub BS4 is exactly what Brilliance need to take on the likes of the Nissan Tiida sedan, and also VW Polo sedan.
The FSV has Euro styling hints around the rear and sides, but the front end seems to be a little bit of a let down, overall, the car is rather nice.

The Geely GE has been known as the Baby Rolls Royce for quite some time in the Chinese press, and its presance at the Shanghai Auto Show impressed everyone, although many were wondering about its 3 seats. What sort of limo only has three seats?
Still, the red shag carpet in the back makes it look all the better.

Geely launched a fully working prototype of the Geely GT earlier today, and made the crowds go wild for the superbly designed coupe, which could have come from the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porshce or any other super car maker. Instead, this GT was made by a group of guys in a shed in Hangzhou:
Simply Amazing.

Awesome:
More news as we get it!

The Shanghai Auto Show is on the verge of opening, and with other 60 new cars being set to launch, just what can you see at the greatest car show on earth?! Well, the answer can be found below, as CCT as rather kindly compiled the information for you:
Changfeng:
Concept Car
CP2
To continue reading what will get launched in Shanghai, click continue reading!

Fans of the MG brand the world over have been waiting years for even the slightlest rumor of a new MG car coming down the line. Hardcore MG fans didn’t even consider the MG Z era of cars to be ‘proper MG’s, but will they consider the the MG6 to be a ‘real MG‘. The veiled MG6 (left) is the nearest the world will get to a real MG for quite some time, as MG and Roewe are highly likely to share platforms for the coming years. The outline of …

The Geely GE, aka, the mini Roller, has been partially sighted prior to the Shanghai Auto Show opening. The Roller was rolled into position, but its cover was not placed, giving the automotive paparazi a slight glimpse of what to expect.
Engine specifications, or what, or who Geely are targetting with this car has yet to be announced. This is one car we cant wait to see at the Shanghai Auto Show.
In its concept stage, the Geely was only a three seater, although that is likely to change as it …

So we’re not quite sure how the GW Electric cars English name is pronounced, the Chinese name is ‘Ou La‘, the English name is ‘KuLa‘. The design seems to be slightly different from the two seater electric car that Great Wall Motors displayed last year, different in the way that it now has 4 seats and also looks slightly less goofy:
According to Greatwall R&D staff, this electric 4 seater will use Li batteries, and a permasyn motor. The batteries are expected to be good for 2000 charges, and a lifespan …

The Shanghai Auto Show is just about to start, but it is going to be a special one for MG, as it is the 85th birthday for one of Britains (now Chinas) oldest brand.
MG-Roewe are expected to throw a proper birthday bash for the old girl, and will launch the MG6 at the show, as well as the Roewe 550 hatchback and possibly even in MG guise as well.
The below 550 hatch with its sleek smoothed out trunk does resemble the MG6 pictures posted earlier today, so it does seem …

Shanghai-VW are preparing the Polo Sporty (yes, sporty) for the Shanghai Auto Show, the sports credentials being limited to bigger than usual alloys, and some chrome bits on the gear shifter.
What we’d like to know is, any plans for a domestically made Polo GTI, or even a Golf GTI? The questions we must ask next week at the Shanghai Auto Show