Explaining the Chinese Car Industry and Chinese Cars
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The Skoda Fabia has been due to turn up in the PRC for a while, it seems the Fabia is pretty much ready for the market, and should be up for sale early next year.
Skoda have seen breakneck sales in the past year since it was launched, it often gets up into the top ten sales in the sedan segment.
Russian automaker, Automir, and Chongqing based Lifan autos have signed a deal worth 160million USD to deliver the Lifan 520 sedan to the Russian population. The deal is one of the largest deals for a Chinese maker in the Russian market. Over the next three years, Lifan will be busy sending 30,000 Lifan 520’s over the border in CKD (complete knock down) format for the Russians to reassemble.
Lifan is aiming for sales of 8000 units in the first year of operations in the Russian market, and a further 40,000 units per year by the year 2010. Lifan clearly has very high hopes for the Russian market.
We dont know why, but recently the whole Chinese motoring press seem to be becoming intoxicated with the impending arrival of the Skoda Octavia, which will be going on the market on July 6th 2007.
The Octavia will be domestically made via the Shanghai - VW tie up, which now includes Skoda in its little circle of friends. Skoda have been in China both officially, and unofficially for years back in the cold war days when there was actually more than a dozen commie states in the world Skodas and Ladas were passed off between nations factories and as such, you often see Czech Skodas and North Korean Ladas. China Car Times is unsure if China ever produced its own national Lada/Skoda but we’re sure Erik will know the answer. You can pick up an old 80’s Skoda for around 2000rmb in good condition in China, the newer ones are around 10,000rmb second hand of course.
The current Octavia will come with a choice of 1.8 or 2.0 engines, also the Octavia will range from 120,500rmb to 160,780rmb once it goes on the market. This puts in firmly into competition with the Ford Focus, Brilliance BS4/BS6, and even its brother, the new VW Passat.
Currently the Octavia is the only Skoda in available (officially) in China. We hope that over time the complete Skoda range make it to China, because, we think the Roomster is great!
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