Tata plans to spin off Range Rover, launch Evoque in China soon
Shanghai September 13 (Gasgoo.com) Tata Motors is planning to spin off its Range Rover Series from the Land Rover brand and launch the entry-level Range Rover Evoque to the Chinese market next year, according to Huitong Lu Hua Auto Sales Co, known as Land Rover's franchised dealer in China, reports The Beijing News on Monday.
The relevant person in charge at Land Rover China also confirmed the spin-off, but saying that it is only an early consideration that relates to the company's global market strategy and will be discussed at the global meeting as early as the end of this month.
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China: Compact cars can't possibly become a mainstream
Shanghai September 13 (Gasgoo.com) Will the slightly expensive compact cars become a mainstream? -Nearly impossible in China. The research carried out recently by Guangzhou Daily and Sina.com shows that almost 80% of Chinese consumers think it is hardly for the so-called compact cars to lead the market, Guanzhou Daily reported Monday.
Dongfeng-Nissan, a passenger-vehicle joint venture between Dongfeng Motor and Nissan Motor, launched its new small car March in China on August 30 with a price tag between 69,900-92,900 yuan ($10,300-$13,700). A lot of attentions have since been given to the car's market prospect in the country.
Chinese consumption values on car purchasing are mature: Survey
Shanghai September 14 (Gasgoo.com) A car brand satisfaction survey, recently conducted by authorities in China, shows that Chinese consumption values on car purchasing are becoming more mature, most Chinese people buying cars are to improve their quality of life and many consumers actually have great interest in new energy cars, Chinanews.com reported on Tuesday.
The survey shows that many Chinese consumers are planning to buy cars in one to two years, and more and more consumers will consider buying with an auto loan. As environmental awareness grows, many consumers now show strong interest in new energy vehicles. Nearly 22% of car owners are willing to buy a new energy car in the future.
China: C-NCAP plans to revise new car assessment program
Shanghai September 14 (Gasgoo.com) C-NCAP, the only body responsible for car crash tests in China, is planning to revise its crash and safety assessment program. The revised program will be using the same methods assessing vehicle safety performance under impact, but some new items will be added increasing the difficulty, The Beijing News reported Tuesday.
The new program will become public in 2012 and be put into action in 2013. Changes will be made in six respects, said Liu Yuguang, deputy chief engineer of the National Passenger Car Quality Supervision & Inspection Center.
Brilliance Auto and CDB signs $297 mln financing agreement
Shanghai September 15 (Gasgoo.com) Brilliance Auto Group and China Development Bank (CDB) signed yesterday an agreement over the issue of the short-term bonds amounting to 2 billion yuan ($297 million), Shenyang Daily reported Wednesday.
Brilliance Auto will issue the bonds in the local interbank market worth a total of 2 billion yuan in the next two years. CDB will help with the sales.
Toyota Verso MPV likely to be produced in China in 2011
Shanghai September 15 (Gasgoo.com) The Toyota Verso MPV is expected to be introduced to China next year for local production at Guangzhou Toyota, a joint venture between Toyota Motor Corp and Guangzhou Automobile Group, a source inside the JV said, autohome.com.cn reported on Wednesday.
The joint venture executives had actually denied the report that the Verso MPV would be assembled locally. But at the beginning of this year, a patent application filled by the Japanese automaker for producing the Verso MPV in China was disclosed. Some Chinese medias even got spy pictures of the car being tested. It is indisputable that Guangzhou Auto is lacking in MPV models.
Ford Edge SUV coming to China in October
Shanghai September 16 (Gasgoo.com) Ford Motor Co. will launch its Edge SUV in China in October this year, the first time in seven years since its entry to tap the country's lucrative SUV market. China's SUV market has been performing remarkably, with sales surging 120% year on year to 814,100 units in the first eight months, First Financial Daily reported Thursday.
Ford has always shown a lack of SUV models in the Chinese market, importing the Edge into China will be of vital importance to the company, He Junjie, vice president of Ford China and general manager of Changan Ford Sales Company, said at the Edge exhibition in Chengdu on September 15.
JAC-Hybrid Kinetic JV may fall through
Shanghai September 16 (Gasgoo.com) Without government approval, the joint venture deal signed between Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co., Ltd. (JAC) and Hybrid Kinetic Motors Corporation (HKMC) on making new energy vehicles in China may fall through, Beijing Youth Daily reported Thursday.
On Augst 3, 2010, JAC and Tianjin-based HKMC Equity Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hong Kong's Hybrid Kinetic Motors Corporation, signed a letter of intent to establish a joint venture in Heifei, Anhui, with an investment of no less than no less than 2 billion yuan ($295 million).
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG launched in China, priced at $539,000
Shanghai September 17 (Gasgoo.com) German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz launched today its new super sports car SLS AMG in China with a price tag of 3.63 million yuan ($539,000), 163.com reported Friday.
Mercededs-Benz China has so far received orders for 300 SLS AMG cars across the country, the company's vice president Cai Gongming said at the Chengdu Auto Show starting today.
Brilliance Auto plans to form JV with Toyota
Shanghai September 17 (Gasgoo.com) Brilliance Auto broke ground yesterday on its new specialist vehicle factory in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province, China, the automaker's a new move to venture outside the traditional automotive sector, The Beijing News reported Friday.
Brilliance executives revealed that the new specialist vehicle company would have mixed ownership structure in the future. Moreover, Brilliance Auto also plans to establish a joint venture with Toyota Motor based on the Shengyang plant at the end of this year.
