Changan Auto claims to break into China's top 3

Shanghai September 27 (Gasgoo.com) Changan Auto launched two self-developed cars at the 2010 Chengdu Auto Show, ended on September 24, and will put seven own brand vehicles in the domestic market in three years, aiming to break into China's top 3 in the segment, Nanfang Daily reported Monday.

The two cars launched at the show are the Changan CX20, a multifunctional urban hatchback based on the BebBen, as well as Changan CX30 sedan.

The seven to-be-launched own brand vehicles will be targeting every segment in China's auto market. Changan is currently taking efforts to enhance its core competitiveness and capability of independent innovation, with the goal of building a world-class brand, the company's President Zhang Baoling said.

In the first eight months of this year, Changan sold 1.22 million vehicles in China, a year-on-year increase of 36.42%.

Changan's car sales and output both reached 1.43 million units in 2009, ranking first in China and thirteenth in the World, according to statistics released by OICA.

In terms of production of self-developed vehicles, Changan is obviously a big step ahead of the other homegrown automakers in the country.

The company's investment in independent innovation for each year accounts for more than 4.5% of its annual sales revenue.

The Chongqing-based automaker has a R&D team of 3,000 people, including seven experts of the country's one-thousand-talents scheme and sixty overseas experts.

Changan is competent in vehicle systems integration and calibration. It has also mastered integration technology of special engines and been granted 144 patents in pure electric, plug-in and hybrid power technology, Zhang said.