China Auto News of the Week (Sep. 8 - Sep. 12, 2008)

Chery to mark down models of QQ3 series

Shanghai, September 8 (Gasgoo.com) Last week, Chery Auto announced its official move to mark down almost all the models of its QQ3 series, said xinhuanet.com today. After the price cuts, the Chery QQ3 series will have each model sold at a price between 30,800 yuan ($4,510) and 52,800 yuan.

Except for the 0.8L QQ3 still priced at 30,800 yuan to 36,800 yuan, almost all models of the Chery QQ3 have their price cut by at least 2,000 yuan each, the 1.1L Chery QQ3 will sell for 36,800 - 43,800 yuan, and the 1.1L AMT Chery QQ3 will be available for 47,800 - 50,800 yuan.

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Luxury Aston Martin car to boost sales in China

Shanghai, September 9 (Gasgoo.com) The world's premium auto brand Aston Martin has begun to speed up its foray into China's rapidly growing luxury sports car market. The British iconic carmaker announced on September 7 that Aston Martin will expand its sales in China by setting up more dealerships in the country, said xinhuanet.com today.

Now with a sales center in Shanghai and two in Beijing, Aston Martin will build two more dealers in mainland China this year, one in Guangzhou and the other in Chengdu, bring the brand’s total dealerships to five in China by the end of 2008. The luxury brand aims to reach its annual sales of 100 units in mainland China this year, and 500 units by 2010.

Great Wall Motor to see exports equal domestic sales

Shanghai, September 9 (Gasgoo.com) Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motor posted exports at 47% of its total sales in the first half this year and expected to see exports equal the domestic sales for the whole year, said the company’s vice president and secretary Bai Xuefei, according to Stockstar News.

Great Wall Motor won’t worry about the effect of global economy uncertainty on exports because the company mainly targets the developing countries as its destination market, like Russia, Ukraine and Iran, Bai Xuefei said.

China-made Nissan X-Trail to roll off line soon

Shanghai, September 9 (Gasgoo.com) Nissan's SVU model X-Trail will roll off line on September 19 in the Dongfeng Nissan joint venture and will go on sale in China in October, said xinhuanet.com today. The Dongfeng Nissan 4S stores in Beijing can receive orderings now, with a small deposit, for this Chinese-made Nissan X-Trail SUV.

The Nissan X-Trail car locally built in China will not enter Dongfenmg Nissan 4S stores until next month when it is launched. Sales staff of the stores said that customers who have paid an upfront fee of 10,000 yuan to 20,000 yuan can pick up the SUV by early November. The China-made Nissan X-Trail is likely to be priced at 250,000 yuan or so.

China car sales decline in August after 3-year rise

China's passenger-car sales fell in August for the first time in more than three years as the Beijing Olympics and a slumping stock market prompted drivers to delay purchases.

Sales of passenger cars, sport-utility vehicles and multipurpose vehicles totaled 451,300, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said in an e-mailed statement.

BMW Brilliance divided on model of BMW 1 Series

Shanghai, September 10 (Gasgoo.com) On September 4, the F18 sedan project of BMW Brilliance Auto was prematurely revealed. Now while the German carmaker is astonished at the divulging of the project, the two sides of the joint venture are divided on whether BMW 1 Series or 5 Series cars should be made in their new factory, said xinhuanet.com today.

At an event marking the rolling off line of the JV's 100,000th vehicle last Thursday, Liu Guoqiang, vice governor of Liaoning province where the joint venture is located, said that the second plant of BMW Brilliance, with an expected annual capacity of 80,000 vehicles, will start operation in 2009 and the new factory will first produce an all-new BMW model codenamed F18.

Toyota to spend 1.5 bln yuan boosting China JV capacity

Shanghai, September 11 (Gasgoo.com) While scaling down its global sales goal for 2008 and 2009, Toyota Motor Corp. has increased its sales target over the two years and decided to invest 1.5 billion yuan ($220 million) to boost the capacity in one of its joint ventures in China, said sina.com.cn today.

Because of the shrinking U.S. auto market, Toyota, the largest Japanese carmaker, reduced its 2008 global sales goal to 9.5 million cars from 9.85 million, and decreased the 2009 goal to 9.7 million units from 10.4 million. By contrast, the company planned to sell more cars in China, aiming to sell 700,000 cars in the Chinese market this year and 900,000 cars next year.

SAIC to expand annual capacity to 150,000 units

Shanghai, September 12 (Gasgoo.com) China’s auto giant Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (Group) (SAIC) is well on its way to promoting the own-brand products. The SAIC announced it will officially put its passenger division’s Linggang factory into operation on September 17, which will roll out SAIC’s independent brand Roewe 550 by then, said the Oriental Morning Post, citing sources.

The Linggang factory covers 1.2071million square meters totally, with production capacity at 150,000 units.

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.