Shanghai, May 20 (Gasgoo.com) Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. (GAC), a Chinese joint venture partner of Toyota Motor, Honda Motor and Fiat SpA, said its first own-brand sedan will roll off the production line on September 29 and will be delivered to the market by the end of this year, media reported.
The first sedan developed by Guanzghou Auto was recently unveiled at the 2010 Beijing auto show, with a name "Chuanqi" sounding like "legend" in Chinese. The company will put the first batch of its "legendary" own-brand cars into service during the 2010 Asian Games to be held in November in Guangzhou city.
This mid- to high-end sedan is likely to be built on the VIP-Lounge concept on Fiat's Alfa 166 platform, which Guangzhou Auto bought from Fiat before their joint venture deal. The Chuanqi sedan is aimed at the premium segment. The Guangzhou-Fiat JV based in Changsha will produce Fiat and Chrysler vehicles.
Guangzhou Auto will produce "no fewer than 30,000" Chuanqi-brand sedans in the first full year of production, according to chairman Zhang Fangyou. "[The initial output] will depend on the market reaction," he told the Financial Times.
The company already has the Linian sub-brand, developed in partnership with Honda. The first Linian car is scheduled for production this year, but its launch will possibly be delayed to the beginning of next year.
