Chery A6CC Concept
Geely KingKong 2 
Huanghai NCV
Roewe W2
GreatWall i7
Great Wall GW413EF
GreatWall Cowry MPV 
Soar Automotive 1
Chery Shooting Sport
Hafei HF8 MPV
Brilliance Jinjue FRV
Chery Tiggo 6 
BYD F3-R
Chang'an CV8 Concept
Shuanghuan CEO SUV 
Shuanghuan Little Noble 
Geely Vision 2 
FAW Weizi 
JAC C926 
Haima H11
Haima Auto 3
Huanghai CUV 
BYD F6
BYD F8 
source: automen
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
2007 Shanghai Auto Show
Fiat Looks for Opportunities in China
Fiat had a small but impressive lineup at the Auto Shanghai. The Italian company is trying to revive its local operation and find new partners to cash in on the China automotive boom.
Currently, Fiat has just one small production plant in China: a joint venture with Nanjing Auto, where a small number of Palio and Siena cars are being produced each year. Now that Nanjing Auto is focusing on reviving MG, Fiat is looking for a new angle to make its way in the China market.
At the Shanghai show, many visitors were attracted to the stylish new Bravo hatchback. As Fred Duan, commercial director of Nanjing-Fiat, put it: "When you buy an import car in China, you want something special." Bringing in the Bravo would provide a halo effect for the brand, but it wouldn't be a mainstream product. The midsize Linea — which was the centerpiece of Fiat's stand here — could do that job, but the business case has not yet been made for its local production.
Fiat is also trying to find new partners. Sergio Marchionne, Fiat's energetic CEO, said in a recent interview that his company is "in the position of choosing with whom it wants to develop cars in China." One potential candidate is Chery. The two companies have signed a deal that will see the Italian company using Chery's self-developed ACTECO engines in its China-market models. Chery recently ruled out the possibility of buying Nanjing's stake in the Nanjing-Fiat venture — but there are other options, one of which is for Chery to assemble Alfa Romeos.
Another potential candidate is the largely unknown Zotye Holding. Zotye, which produces a Daihatsu Terios look-alike, recently bought the ailing Jiangnan Automobile plant in Hunan province. According to Zotye officials, the company is in talks with Fiat to assemble up to 100,000 Lancia cars a year at the Jiangnan plant.
MG Rover's New Owners SAIC and Nanjing Dominate — and May Cooperate
The Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), one of China's dominant conglomerates, had a vast hall to itself at the Shanghai show. Much of it was devoted to the fruits of joint ventures with General Motors and Volkswagen — but a huge chunk was reserved for the Roewe 750, a revived Rover 75. Elsewhere at the show, Nanjing Auto presented its new MG7.
To show-goers, the Roewe 750 looked more promising and more accomplished than Nanjing's MG. Just before the show's opening, SAIC chairman Hu Maoyan told the Associated Press in an interview that his company is open to cooperation with Nanjing Auto.
SAIC showed it has big plans for the Roewe brand. The company displayed a hybrid version of the executive sedan as well as a concept car called the W2, which was designed by former MG-Rover designers in cooperation with SAIC engineers. Shanghai Auto targets adding a second model to the Roewe range by the end of this year, and the solid-looking package that was the W2 is a clear indication of the path the company is following.
SAIC plans to start export of the Roewe 750 next year to European countries, and the W2 may not be far behind.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Park Avenue Comes to Auto Shanghai 2007
Like the affluent New York City boulevard of the same name, Buick's Park Avenue is trendy and luxurious. With its range of advanced technologies and high-grade amenities, not to mention a stylish design that conveys a sense of power and passion, it is representative of traditional American luxury sedans.
"The Park Avenue is the perfect blend of tranquility and power," said Shanghai GM President Ding Lei. "It shows Buick's ability to move with the times while continuing to leverage our global resources and local knowledge. Designed especially for business leaders and other elites, it is a component of our effort to maintain our leadership position in China by addressing the needs of all of our customers."
The Park Avenue is the first vehicle available in Asia that takes advantage of GM's new global rear-wheel-drive architecture. The precise and stable vehicle structure ensures a premium driving experience. At 5,175 mm in length, 1,899 mm in width and 1,480 mm in height, and with an impressive 3,009-mm wheelbase, the Park Avenue also offers a very spacious ride.
The Park Avenue's genuine leather seats, with eight-way power adjustment for the front seats, are designed to accommodate people of varying sizes. All seats incorporate a massage function. A high-quality entertainment system with LCD panels and an advanced heating, ventilation and air conditioning system offer the relaxation and comfort that one would expect of a luxury sedan. The Park Avenue's GPS navigation system contains road information for more than 300 cities in China. The Bluetooth mobile phone system is also available.
Like all Buick products, the Park Avenue offers a high level of safety and peace of mind. It is equipped with the GM Local Area Network (GM-LAN) high-speed communication system, which is based on the top-of-the-line 32-bit 500 kb/second engine control system. With a signal transmission speed approaching real time, information flow from various sensors is instantaneous, enhancing efficiency and safety. Further enhancing safety are six intelligent air bags for the driver and passengers.
The Park Avenue is powered by GM's smooth yet powerful AlloyTec V-6 engine, which accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds. The engine control unit features the latest Bosch E77 32-bit ECM processor. With the Remote Engine Start (RES) function, the driver can start the engine up to 20 minutes in advance and within 60 meters of the vehicle. The RES function also can adjust the temperature inside the car.
Customers have a choice of two engine displacements. The Park Avenue's 3.6-liter engine generates maximum output of 187 kW (250 hp) @ 6,500 rpm and maximum torque of 340 Nm @ 3,200 rpm. Its 2.8-liter engine offers maximum output of 150 kW (201 hp) @ 6,000 rpm and maximum torque of 265 Nm @ 3,000 rpm.
Shanghai GM is offering five Park Avenue variants: the 3.6-liter Flagship, which is priced at RMB 498,800; the 3.6-liter Elite, which is priced at RMB 388,800; the 2.8-liter Luxury, which is priced at RMB 458,800; the 2.8-liter Elite, which is priced at RMB 368,800; and the 2.8-liter Comfort, which is priced at RMB 328,800.
Geely Concepts
Geely will unveil three new concept cars and the first Geely-made London taxi at Auto Shanghai 2007.
Geely says its aim is to move away from the image of being a producer of bread-and-butter models and highlight its R&D ability. The company also intends to take what it calls "active steps" to enter the North American and European markets. The trio of concepts being showcased at Shanghai point to that goal with their modern engines and greatly improved quality.
Pride of place goes to an updated version of the Meirenbao (Beauty Leopard) sport coupe. An observer can be forgiven for wondering what happened to the rest of the car.
Next comes the Vision II, an updated version of the Vision that started as the FC-1 midsize sedan from the 2005 Frankfurt show. Very little information is available on this car ahead of the unveiling.
The third model will be a second version of the King Kong; the original went on sale last year.
The Geely stand will be further enlivened by the appearance of a prototype China-built London taxi. Last year Geely and the British Manganese Bronze Holdings Plc, proprietor of London Taxis International signed a memorandum of understanding on Chinese production of the iconic London taxicab. After the show's unveiling, production models are scheduled to be built beginning in 2008. The company hopes to raise production to 20,000, destined for both local and export markets.
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