FAW Xiali Auto to cancel Xiali brand next year

Shanghai, September 12 (Gasgoo.com) A senior sales officer at Tianjin FAW Xiali Automobile Co, Toyota Motor Co's Chinese partner, said the company will launch a new small car to replace the long-lived Xiali brand by March or April next year.

"The new car with come with a different name in both the sedan and hatchback version," said Wang Lixin, chief executive of Tianjin FAW Auto Sales Co in charge of South China sales, told Nanfang Daily in an interview.

According to Wang, the automaker plans to launch six new car models in the market in the next two or three years, which will include the Xiali replacement, an upgraded Weizhi, a 4.5-meter-long A-segment car, among some others.

Tianjin FAW Xiali said earlier this week it will keep its annual sales target of 400,000 units by 2010 by bringing more new models. It has just launched the 2009 Weizhi this week.

Currently it has an output capacity of 230,000 units, with a 150,000-unit plant nearby and an overseas facility (of 100,000-unit output) scheduled to be completed by 2010.