Since leaving BYD in August Mr. Xia has been unheard of, Zotye announced earlier today that they have hired Mr. Xia as their new CEO and will cover all of Zotye’s business matters in the future. Zotye are planning to rapidly expand their model line up in China and abroad with new models being launched on a more regular basis. Zotye will no doubt benefit from Mr. Xia’s experience within the industry, as well as the lessons learned from BYD.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts

At the Shanghai Auto Show Zotye showed a series of concept cars rather than current or new production cars, the cocky company was clearly eager to show its future rather than its current range, one of the concepts on display was the Z300. The Z300 maybe based on the Palio platform that Zotye bought from Fiat – we’re not entirely sure what maybe underpinning the Z300 but we’re guessing the Palio for now. The full car measures in at (LxWxH) 4565mm x 1766 x 1493mm and has a wheelbase of 2700mm. Under the hood Zotye has taken engine power from Mitsubishi in the form of a 1.5L producing 117bhp and 141Nm of torque.

Chinese auto website Autohome.com.cn had an early test drive of the new Z300 prior to it hitting the market, overall comments are quite positive of what the car achieves for its estimated price of 70,000rmb to 100,000rmb with the only negative comments being about the Mitsubishi sourced engine which is not quite powerful enough, but more than enough for daily city driving. Whilst the interior is obviously not on par with other compact sedans, especially the fake wood (although it may have a sheet of protective plastic covering the central section) the Z300 is Zotye’s first attempt at going mainstream, their first car was based on the Daihatsu Tarios, their second was the Fiat Multipla, the SUV sold in massive numbers, the Multiplan not so. The Z300 is likely to be a hit for Zotye when it hits the market later this year.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts

The AOO sized car is roughly on par with the Suzuki Alto in terms of size and should be on the market at the end of the year or early 2013 as the car has already been sent to the patent office ahead of its launch.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts

It could be the that the S21 is a Lancia derived product, as Zotye did take control of some Lancia sedan platforms last year that they plan to use under the own brand. The below pictured A00 model is the super mini were talking about today, the car is expected to have better technology than its nearest rivals, the BYD E6, Riich M1 and also BYD F0 but coming in at the same price.

The A11 model is expected to be a compact crossover with a wheelbase of 2800mb, but priced between 96,800rmb and 139,800. We wonder what it could be? More info at the Shanghai Auto Show.

FrankF

Frank entered the automotive industry via his father's instructions. He grew up with cars around him, especially as his father was a major auto restorer, Frank's childhood was spent passing beers, tools and coffee to his father whilst he explained the ins and outs of engines. Frank now works in the Chinese car industry at a specific manufacturer.

Website - More Posts

Zotye are a small Hangzhou based company that produced the Daihatsu Tarios car under their own name and have since bought in technology from Fiat, particularly the last generation Fiat Multiplan MPV and also the Fiat Palio hatch and sedan which they have re-branded as their own models. Zotye have since become a leader in the development of electric vehicles and produced an electric Zotye 5008 SUV and also the Lang Lang electric sedan. A fleet of 30 Lang Yue EV MPV’s went into testing in Zotye’s home city of Hangzhou with a local taxi company who were eager to reap the benefits of using electric power over gasoline power, now the fleet has been recalled to Zotye HQ pending an investigation after one the electric cars suddenly set on fire.

Zotye have been unwilling or unable to comment on the event pending an internal investigation, but it is suspected that a battery may have caused a spark which then ignited the materials around the engine bay. All cars have been taken from the streets and a three point action plan has been instigated by Zotye.

FrankF

Frank entered the automotive industry via his father's instructions. He grew up with cars around him, especially as his father was a major auto restorer, Frank's childhood was spent passing beers, tools and coffee to his father whilst he explained the ins and outs of engines. Frank now works in the Chinese car industry at a specific manufacturer.

Website - More Posts

Just like any car market there are consumers in China that demand aesthetically pleasing designs, and then there are those demand cheap economical easy to run cars, hence the mark 2 VW Jetta still being in production in Changchun. Several years ago Zotye did a deal with Fiat where Zotye would take Fiat’s old platforms off its hands, including the Palio and Zotye models and also several Lancia sedans (and wagons) which they will put into production soon.

Zotye have given the Palio a decent upgrade for 2011 which seems to have dragged it respectfully into a new decade. Under the hood the newly rechristened Z200 will be packing 1.3L and 1.5L  engines and will be carrying Hyundai’s gearboxes. On the inside we have heard the Z200 will have leather seats, a GPS/DVD system, full electric windows and push button engine start.

Pricing has not yet been announced, but it is expected that this will be in 70,000rmb range and will no doubt find itself a decent market due to the relatively high amount of tech in the car and attractive design.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts

Zotye seem to have done a good job of giving the 2008 Palio a facelift so that it may carry on its service into 2011 and beyond, the Palio was originally designed to be a developing market product for Fiat fans in less well off economic climates.

Power for the Zotye version of the Palio will be off the shelf 1.3L and 1.5L Mitsubishi engines which have been improved for 2011 with VVT engine technology.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts

Zotye Mutiplan launched yesterday

It seems there was a minor amount of confusion earlier this year when we posted news of the Fiat Multipla launching under the Zotye name, apparently it had only just come down the production line and at the time had yet to go on sale, however as of  yesterday the Mutiplan is officially on sale after having its China launch in Hangzhou.

The Mutiplan, (note that there is no L anymore, most likely dropped due to another company already registering Multiplan so Zotye just dropped the L and called it the Mu-ti-plan, close enough for most consumers) will be available in five and six figure configuration, power is being derived from a 1.6L Mitsubishi engine producing 103bhp in both six and five seater versions. The six seater will be priced from 70,000rmb to just under 90,000rmb where as the five seater will be priced from 70,000rmb to 88,000rmb, each version will have three different variants.

The Zotye incarnation of the Multipla is certainly making for a better looking vehicle that Fiat’s original carnation, and we hope that the low pricing will go someway to push Zotye out of its micro SUV mold and into a new direction. Zotye also have several other former Fiat vehicles in the design phase, we may have seen the Fiat Palio based sedans at the Beijing Auto Show, but Zotye have a few more suprises up their sleeves including a Fiat Palio based pick up truck and also a Lancia sedan and wagon.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts

The 18,000rmb Alto is certainly basic, but at that price it is sure to gain consumers especially first time buyers that want a simple car to get about the village in.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts

The hatch version is known as the Lang Jie, where as the sedan version is called the Lang Jun, engines are likely to be the original Fiat 1.5l or perhaps a Mitsubishi sourced 1.3L. Only time will tell! See this at the Beijing Auto Show!

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts

BYD F3DM
The F3DM was initially only available to government buyers and company purchases, but the F3DM will soon be available to regular citizens very soon. The F3DM has the traditional styling of a regular car, measuring at (LxWxH) 4533mm x 1705 x 1520, and has a wheelbase of 2600mm. The F3DM will be powered by a 1.3l engine and also an electric motor which will work together to give the F3DM a top speed of 150kph. Prices are expected to be around 160,000rmb.

The government is allowing sales of this car to begin in 13 cities as an experiment to see if it is worthwhile rolling out electric charging stations across the country. The test cities are set to be Shanghai, Chongqing, Changchun, Dalian, Hangzhou, Jinan, Wuhan, Shenzhen, Hafei, Changsha, Kunming, Nanchang, Tianjin, Xi’an, Guangzhou etc, although it should be pointed out that not every city will be able to apply for subsidies for green car purchases.

BYD are pushing the car into taxi use, government use, and postal use as an experiment, but it will also be open to personal buyers who wish to use the car to save on gas and save the planet at the same time.

Zotye Pure Electric SUV

Zotye Electric SUV

Zotye are jumping into the electric market with China’s (and possibly the worlds) first electric SUV. Exact production statistics of the car have yet to be officially released, but Zotye had an electric concept on show at the Shanghai Auto Show. That particular concept was boasting a price tag of around 110,000rmb when launched for the 4 seater mini SUV and will have a max power is 27Nm, and will reach a top speed of 110kph and is also able to travel for a distance of 300km before needing a recharge. Zotye are also working on a fast recharge system for home use, which should be able to recharge the cars batteries within the hour.

The demand for ‘green vehicles’ has increased due to very generous government subsidies that offer upto 50,000rmb ($7,300USD) for hybrid cars, 60,000rmb ($8,799USD)for pure electric cars, hydrogen cars up to 250,000rmb ($36,581USD). Subsidies for coaches and buses are much, much higher with hybrid buses of 10meters or longer having subsidies of 420,000rmb ($61,456USD) available, pure electric buses or coaches will receive subisidies of 500,000rmb ($73,162USD) and hydrogen coaches or buses are eligable for subsidies of 600,000rmb (87,795USD)

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts

Max power is 27Nm, and can reach a top speed of 110kph and travel for a distance of 300km before needing a recharge. Zotye are also working on a fast recharge system for home use.

This is the first pure electric market ready vehicle from a Chinese manufacturer, now the only problem is that most Chinese people dont have electrical outlets near their car parking spots, but this car will be perfect for government departments and business users who can run power outlets near their car parking spots.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts

Stats on the EV are currently unavailable, but it looks like its being used by Hangzhou police as its in their car park, and police officers are giving it the once over. Batteries look to be in the truck, and the ‘gas cap’ has been converted into a plug socket.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts

We have to appluad Zotye for there Multiplan MPV, they’ve taken the best of the Multipla, and taken away the worst, making it their own MPV in the process. No pricing, or engine specifications have been announced yet, but we can guess that it will be around 90,000rmb, and will come with a 1.6-2.0l Mitsubishi engine, or even the original Fiat engines if they were included in the deal.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts

Fiat and Zotye previously signed a deal to sell the first generation branded as the Zotye Multipla, Zotye unveiled the new Multipla at a recent car show but details of its sales date, or price have yet to reach China Car Times. Zotye also signed up the Lancia Lybra to boost its sales line up.

Now the latest model to hit the future Zotye line up is the Fiat Palio (above, left), which Nanjing and Fiat produced together until this year. Under the agreement, the Palio will be built in Zotye’s Changsha factory with an expected production date of Aug/Sept 2009 at the latest according to Zotye. Zotye are also working on building a new sales network, as their current network is based around selling a one model car only.

Zotye’s market position, with it selling one of the most popular SUV’s in China has given it a great cash reserve with which to buy in technology, a plan that looks set to give Zotye an impressive line up in 2009/2010. But the question lies unanswered, the Palio never sold particularly well under the Fiat branding towards the end, so will it sell any better under the Zotye branding? Well, perhaps, but only if its sold at a price thats right.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts

Whilst Zotye are not a massive player in the Chinese market as of yet (although they are a major SUV seller, but based only on one model) they have been making waves overseas, especially in Egypt, and South America. The further addition of new models such as the Multipla, will only strengthen sales for Zotye both in China and overseas. Zotye are certainly one to watch!

Although some days we do wonder, how do you pronounce Zotye?

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts

The Lybra was Fiats attempt at cracking the upmarket sedan segment, but whether or not the Lybra is any shape to take on the likes of Brilliance with their BS4/BS6 models is another issue. Perhaps we’ll see another Chery like economic miracle from Zotye, but what they need is to launch the right car, at the right price, and with a good design. It looks like they may have some catching up to do if they are planning on selling the Lybra without any sort of facelift.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts

The 5008 is on show this week at the Chengdu motor show where the car appears to be bringing in the crowds, its cheap, it looks good, its economical, what more could Chinese consumers want in a first car, or a second small car?  The Zotye 2008, quite frankly, had an awful dashboard, but this situation seems to have been rectified in the 5008. The new dashboard seems to be quite bland but functional, after all, this is a 50,000rmb car. Engines are from the Mitsubishi stable, with both a 1.3l and a 1.5l available.

Verdict: We like it. The best looking little SUV to come out of Zotye yet, even if it is a Daihatsu Terios, with Polo headlights. We hope they change the name for foreign markets though, it appears to have been named ‘Xpolsion’ for Egyptian markets, which doesnt strike us as being a great name for a car, unless you’re a TX4.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts

The last picture shows the model number for the car, it appears a name hasnt been given to the Zotye Multipla, but the model no shows the car will be powered by a 1.6l unit, but where or who the engine is from, we do not know (yet)

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts

Can you tell which is the Diahatsu Tarios and which is the Chinese made Zotye 2008? Probably not.

The Zotye 2008, made by the Chinese company Zhong Tai and named in honor of the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing. You may think that the Zotye 2008, known as the Zotye Xplosion (A damned good name for a car, we think) in export markets, looks a little like the Daihatsu Tarios. You wouldnt be far wrong, its made under license from Diahatsu parent company, Toyota. The Tarios is also available in China, which is made via joint venture between Toyota (Toyota bought Daihatsu in 1999) and the Chinese automaker FAW/First Automotive Works. The Zotye comes with a 1.6L Mitsubishi supplied engine and costs around 60,000RMB per unit. The Daihatsu is equipped with a 1.3l engine and costs a whopping 130,000RMB, almost double the Zotye.

Ash

Ash came to China at 18 on a whim and never left. Some 10 years later he collected a degree and a family along the way and now focuses his time on watching the Chinese car industry develop. He has witnessed the market change from being minor backyard market in to the world's biggest and most important market for all car manufacturers. You can contact or connect with him via Linkedin by clicking the 'Website' link.

Website - More Posts