Chery will unveil a Mini rival Italian-designed car could launch in 2009

TURIN – China's Chery Automobile will unveil a BMW Mini rival on the eve of the Shanghai auto show next week.

The car could go on sale in China as early as mid-2009, say sources. It would be targeted at prosperous young women in Chinese cities. Currently the Mini is their favorite choice.

Chery's three-door, four-seat concept car is called Shooting Sport. Developed by Torino Design of Italy, the car will be unveiled Thursday, April 19, the day before the Shanghai show.

The 4100mm-long Shooting Sport is the first car to use Chery's new A1 medium-sized platform.

It is the third concept car made for Chery by Torino Design. The first two, a medium SUV and a coupe, debuted at the Beijing auto show in November 2006.

The Toyota RAV4-sized SUV could go on sale in China late next year – badged as the Tiggo 5. The coupe likely will go on sale starting early 2009. It will be called the Fulwin.

The Shooting Sport's design follows the styling of cars known in the early 20th century as shooting brakes. In modern interpretations, shooting brakes are a cross between a coupe and a station wagon with an almost vertical tailgate to boost luggage capacity.

Audi unveiled a Shooting Brake concept at the Tokyo auto show in October 2005.

Volkswagen's Iroc, which premiered at the Paris auto show last September, also has shooting brake styling cues. The Iroc previewed a new Golf-based coupe called the Scirocco coupe that VW plans to launch next year.