Changhe Auto eyes 1-mln-unit annual sales in 2015

Shanghai, May 25 (Gasgoo.com) Jiangxi Changhe Auto, an automaker newly acquired by Changan Auto Group, aims for annual sales of more than one million vehicles in 2015, the Beijing News reported yesterday, citing Changhe's top executive. 

Changan Group, which acquired Changhe Auto and Hafei Auto in late 2009, will develop the Changhe production base and build up the Changhe brand, and Changhe's joint venture with Japanese automaker Suzuki Motor will be merged with Changan Suzuki into a single entity.

The sales of Changhe Auto's Jingdezhen and Hefei bases are expected to reach 227,000 vehicles this year, 330,000 units in 2010 and 400,000 in 2011, and eventually Changhe's annual sales will exceed 1 million units in 2015, accounting for 20% of Changan Group's annual sales, said Li Li, general manager of Changhe Auto.

Li said that Changhe will consolidate its resources with Changan and Hafei and unify the three automakers' R&D, management and sourcing platforms. As the Changhe Auto's Jiujiang factory, which now has partly idle capacity, will likely produce some Changan models.

Acccording to its new product plans for this year, joint venture Changhe Suzuki will launch the 1.4-liter Liana model in July and the elongated Friend in September. Suzuki's global Splash model will be introduced to China in October.