China Auto News of the Week (April 01-03, 2008)

GM brings 42 models to 2008 Beijing Auto Show

Shanghai, April 3 (Gasgoo.com) As the 2008 Beijing international auto show is approaching, global automakers will be gathering in Beijing in April. As one of the auto industry giant, General Motors (GM) will display 42 vehicle models, including 6 concept models along with its China joint ventures,at this year's Beijing auto show.

Audi reports 25% rise in China car sales in Q1

Audi, Volkswagen's high-end line, reported it sold 30,000 units in China in the first three months, a 25 percent increase over the same period a year earlier.

The sales figure in the first two months was 19,188 units, and March sales were about 11,000, according to Zhang Xiaojun, Deputy Managing Director of the FAW-Volkswagen Audi Sales Division.

 
Changan Ford Auto to build 300 4S shops by year end

Changan Ford Automobile Corp. has set up and put into operation nearly 200 4S shops nationwide by March 2008, and the carmaker plans to bring the number to 300 by the end of this year. 

The number of 4S shops under Changan Ford hit 195 across China last month, surpassing the expected 193. The auto-making company, a joint venture launched by Changan Auto Group and Ford Auto Corp. on April 25, 2001, has already tripled its dealership network in the past three years. At the same time, starting March, the sales volume of various vehicle models by Changan Ford also started to surge after the transportation difficulty and energy shortage caused by the heavy snowstorms in southern China in the first two months of 2008.

 
FAW-VW hit by double-clutch transmission shortage

FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Company, the joint venture between China’s First Automobile Works (FAW) Group and Volkswagen (VW), cannot raise the output of 1.8T Magotans with six-speed dual clutch automated-manual transmissions due to limited supply of these dual-clutch transmissions, which is restricting sales of its Magotan range, reported SinoCast China Business Daily News recently.

 
China imported 33,000 vehicles, up 120% year on year

China's import of vehicles more than doubled to 33,000 units in February this year, according to statistics from China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

In February the number of vehicle import increased by 120% over the same period last year, but it increased only 11.19% over the previous month.

The total value of imported vehicles reached 1.26 billion U.S. dollars in February, growing 26.63% month on month and 180% year on year.

 
China's SAIC budgets $105 mln for developing own brand

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) has decided to budget RMB 7.35 billion ($104.8) for developing own brand vehicles, a sum that represents almost half of the total volume of its current investment project, Beijing Morning Post reported today.