Chang'an Auto (Chana) plans to develop a premium sedan to grab the chance to enter a market where at least 50 percent of government cars will be Chinese-developed ones. Chang'an believes the premium sedan will also enhance its brand image, according to China Youth Daily.
Chana began with making cheap compact cars and this line still contributes most to its current sales and profit.
In 2009, Chana sold 1.405 million vehicles, up 63 percent from a year earlier. The growth rate is 17 percent higher than the average rate of the Chinese auto industry. Among cars which Chana sold last year, compact cars took almost 50 percent of the sales volume.
Chana's self-developed vehicles accounted for more than 60 percent of the total sales volume. Its chairman Xu Liuping said the proportion of the company's self-developed vehicles will keep on rising this year.
Chana plans to launch a series of new models, including CX30, a new generation of Zhi Xiang, Benben (Benni) mini and B301 Crossroad. The B301 will feature 1.3-liter and 1.5-liter engines, and customers can choose to buy the five or six speed manual transmission version.
