China Auto News of the Week (Nov. 3 - Nov. 7, 2008)

Suzuki ups Changan venture output to 500,000 units

Shanghai, November 3 (Gasgoo.com) Suzuki Motor Corp said it plans to raise the annual production at Chongqing Changan Suzuki Automobile Co to 500,000 vehicles within the next three years, Chinese newspaper Nandang Daily reported today.

"Suzuki aims to raise production at our Chonqing-based Changan factory step by step in the coming three year by bring new car models," said Suzuki Motor Chairman Osamu Suzuki while attending a provincial conference.

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SAIC-GM-Wuling raises capacity to 900,000 vehicles

Shanghai, November 3 (Gasgoo.com) China's major mini-vehicle maker SAIC-GM-Wuling Auto Co. Ltd. has completed construction of its West Plant's second-phase project, and the venture's Liuzhou and Qingdao facilities are expected to have a combined annual capacity of 900,000 vehicles, said xinhuanet.com today.

Meanwhile, SAIC-GM-Wuling will speed up its entry into the passenger vehicle market, with two new sedan models scheduled for launch next year. The company will introduce two platforms to its West Plant for producing sedans developed by General Motors. A GM sedan model has been delivered to the West Plant, which has been built on GM's global standards for manufacturing mid- to high-end passenger cars.

SAIC to develop A-class models for Roewe, MG

Shanghai, November 4 (Gasgoo.com) SAIC, Chinese leading automaker, will build two A-class car models for Roewe and MG brands after Roewe 750 and 550 went on sale, Beijing Morning Post said today, citing sources from SAIC Institute.

SAIC Institute is now working on two new A-class cars, one hatchback and one sedan. Both models are at around 2600mm in the wheelbase and over 4.3m in length, with one model featuring distinctive sports style, sources said. The MG will be responsible for a sports model, according to the production plan announced earlier by SAIC.

China has become Porsche's third largest market

Shanghai, November 5 (Gasgoo.com) China has become Porsche's third largest market after the United States and Germany, with more than 7,600 units of the luxury German auto brand sold in the financial year 2008 (Aug. 2007-Sept. 2008), Porsche China general manager Helmut Broeker told China Business News recently.

The Chinese market has accounted for 7.5% of the deluxe carmaker's global sales, surpassing the entire Latin American market. "The raised sales tax on cars big-engine cars (since September 1) only has a mild impact on us," Broeker said. "From another perspective, the tax hikes will label us as a luxury brand and rich people will not be kept buying luxury cars just by the hike."

Great Wall Motor shipping 700 Peri cars to Algeria

Shanghai, November 5 (Gasgoo.com) China's Great Wall Motor is shipping 700 vehicles to Algeria, including 420 Peris cars and 280 Deer pickups, the official Xinhua news agency reported today.

"Despite the current economic downturn, I believe the high performance-price ratio of our vehicles will maintain their appeal with African customers," says Zheng Guoqing, who is in charge of the Africa sales for Great Wall.

Changan, Electrovaya to launch clean car in Canada

Changan Automobile Group, Ford Motor's China partner, said on Tuesday it will roll out 30 electric cars developed jointly with Electrovaya in Canada before the end of this year, potentially becoming the first Chinese auto maker to tap the North American market.

Changan and Electrovaya, maker of portable power technology products, started developing electric cars since May, with Changan providing one of its conventional compact models and the Canadian company working on the power train, a company executive told Reuters.

GM, China State Grid talking on EV charging stations

Shanghai, November 6 (Gasgoo.com) A senior GM official said the company has been holding talks with the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) to build a large number of electric vehicle charging stations in the country, official Jinghua newspaper reported today.

"We are holding preliminary talks about a possible cooperation but have not reached any agreements at this time," said Raymond Bierzynski, Vice President President of General Motors Asia Pacific yesterday at a presenting event of its Chevrolet Volt electric car in Shanghai.

Geely sets up Xiangtan base for Vista production

Shanghai, November 7 (Gasgoo.com) Yesterday, Chinese car-maker Geely completed construction of its production base located in Xiangtan city, Hunan province. The new facility with an annual capacity of 100,000 will produce high-end Geely Vista, Beijing News said today.

Amid the global economic turmoil, big three American automakers and some domestic automakers are experiencing business slowdown and job cuts, but the privately-owned Chinese carmaker Geely is still stepping up its effort to extend production. 

Shanghai, November 7 (Gasgoo.com) China's sedan market began to see an upward trend in October, with Chinese brand car BYD F3 leading the segment for the first time, said xinhuanet.com today, citing data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

China had a total of 409,600 domestically-made sedans sold in October, up 12.33 percent from a year earlier. As part of this total, 15,343 BYD F3 were sold, leading China's sedan sales for the first time ever just three years after its launch.