Beijing Auto set to launch passenger car division

Shanghai, March 23 (Gasgoo.com) Beijing Auto is set to launch its passenger car division soon, with staff now moving in from the Beijing-based car company and joint ventures Beijing Hyundai and Beijing Benz Daimler, said China Business News today.

According to an insider from Beijing Auto, its passenger car division will be mainly responsible for organizing and coordinating the market study, planning, R&D, manufacturing preparation and sales channels.

With its passenger car division coming into operation, own-brand passenger vehicle models will become more important in Beijing Auto's future development plan. While the R&D will be conducted by Beijing Auto's design institute, the marketing of the company's own-brand products will be the top priority task of the newly founded passenger car division.

Sources said that the passenger car division of Beijing Auto will have its head office in Beijing and a branch office in southern Chinese city of Changsha, Hunan province, as Beijing Auto is to set up its South China manufacturing base in Zhuzhou, a nearby city of Changsha. The Zhuzhou base will make Beijing Auto's own-brand economical sedans.

Beijing Auto has planned for several own-brand models to be launched in each of the coming years. This year the carmaker will focus on two sedan models codenamed BC701 and BC801, two SUV models codenamed B40 and B51, and two hybrid new-energy models.