BAIC Chongqing factory's first vehicle makes Chinese market debut

Gasgoo.com (Shanghai December 5) - The first vehicle manufactured at BAIC's Chongqing automobile factory, the Weiwang 205, made its official Chinese market debut last week, the Beijing Morning Post reported today. The factory, which is the product of cooperation between BAIC and Yinxiang Group, will manufacture nine SUV, minivan, van, truck and crossover models from three different series by 2013.

The 2.6 billion yuan ($414.23m) site boasts an annual production capacity of 300,000 vehicles. In addition to automobile production facilities, it possesses an independent engine assembly line, which it owns full intellectual property rights to. The site further makes use of Saab technology, which BAIC purchased before the company's breakdown, for its product platforms.

Aside from the Chongqing plant, BAIC possesses another microvan-producing plant in Zhuzhou, Hunan. However, BAIC Yinxiang Motor General Manager Bai Tianming points out there are key differences between the Zhuzhou site, which manufactures the Weiwang 306, and the Chongqing one. He points out that the Zhuzhou factory focuses on producing wide wheelbase microvans, while the Chongqing one manufactures microvans with relatively narrow wheelbases.