China Auto News of the Week (Sep. 1 - Sep. 5, 2008)

Fujian Daimler to launch Vito and Viano in 2008

Shanghai, September 1 (Gasgoo.com) Fujian Daimler Automotive Ltd (FJDA), Daimler's joint venture with Fujian Motors Group and China Motors Corp, will launch production of Mercedes-Benz Vito and Viano later this year, a company official said Sunday.

Hao Hanlong, general manager of the joint venture, said the company will also have production of Sprinter under way by 2010. 

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Beijingers debate post-Games car restrictions

More than 400,000 Beijingers have joined an online discussion about whether to keep traffic restrictions introduced for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Nearly half of those taking part wanted to see the restrictions - an alternating odd-even license plate system - become a permanent fixture.

Unsurprisingly, motorists account for most opponents of the measure that has been in force since July 20. 

BYD F0 goes on sale today from 45,800 yuan

Shanghai, September 2 (Gasgoo.com) BYD Auto's F0 goes on sale in the home market this morning, priced from 45,800 yuan ($6,711) to 55,800 yuan depending on different specifications, a Xinhua report said.

"BYD absorb the pressure rising from high material costs on itself and the low starting price shows BYD's good commitment to consumers,” said Xia Zhibing, general manager of BYD Auto Sales Co. He added that the car makes less than 1,000 yuan in average profit per vehicle.

F0 is powered by a 1.0L engine generating 50 kW of power and 90 Nm of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is also standard.

Brilliance Auto displays cars at Moscow auto show

Shanghai, September 2 (Gasgoo.com) China's Brilliance Auto, BMW's partner, displayed three car models at the Moscow Motor Show that concluded yesterday, a Beijing based newspaper reported.

The Brilliance range on display included the Zhonghua Junjie, Zhonghua Kubao (Brilliance BC3 Coupe) and Junjie FRV. By selling Zhonghua Junjie and Jinbei Haice in Russia, Brilliance already has gained a foothold there at present.

All listed car-makers but FAW see H1 profit slide

Shanghai, September 2 (Gasgoo.com) All the listed auto-making companies in China have released their first-half profit reports. Except FAW Car (000800.SZ), all other automakers have seen a downward slide in their H1 profits and in their profit-making capabilities, said xinhuanet.com today.

"The raw material costs have posed huge pressure to the profit-making capabilities of automakers," said an auto industry analyst. "China's auto-makers endured rising pressure in the first half of 2008, and their mid-term profit rates have decreased considerably." In the first six months, the key automakers made total profits of 43.447 billion yuan ($6.36 billion), down 35.38% over one year earlier.

Chery Auto's factory in Malaysia put into production

The 8th overseas factory of Chinese carmaker Chery Auto in Malaysia has been formally put into production and it has already got the mass production capacity.

The company's President Yin Tongyao made the remarks at a launching ceremony of its first CKD MPV Eastar in Malaysia on Tuesday.

The car is assembled in the Chery's 8th overseas factory set up in Johor Bahru, capital of Malaysian southern Johor state, with all parts made in China.

Toyota gains 2nd-biggest market share in China

Shanghai, September 4 (Gasgoo.com) In the first half of this year, Toyota Motor overtook General Motors to become the second-largest foreign carmaker (by sales) in China after Volkswagen, said 21st Century Business Herald today, citing industry information.

According to a report issued in late August by Beijing Polk-Catarc Vehicle Information Consulting Co., Ltd., Toyota Motor (including the Toyota and Lexus brands) gained 10.2% market share in China's passenger car segment from January to June, up by 0.6% percentage point year on year, larger than GM's 9.1% but smaller than Volkswagen's 18%.

Through its two joint ventures in China, Toyota sold 284,000 vehicles in China from January to June, up 47% from a year earlier. In July, Toyota sold 41,000 more cars in China than GM, compared with a difference of 37,000 units in the first six months.

BMW Brilliance second plant to make new 5-Series

Shanghai, September 5 (Gasgoo.com) BMW Brilliance Auto, German luxury carmaker BMW's joint venture with Brilliance China Auto, will build a second plant in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning province, to meet growing demand in China, and the new facility is expected to make all-new BMW 5-Series models first, xinhuanet.com said yesterday.

At a ceremony marking the joint venture's fifth anniversary and the rolling of its 100,000th vehicle on Thursday, Liu Guoqiang, vice-governor of Liaoning province, said that the new plant will double BMW Brilliance's annual production capacity to 80,000 cars. Construction of the new factory is to kick off in October, and the facility will start operation by the end of 2009, with the new-generation BMW 5-Series (code-named BMW F18) as the first models to be made there.