Jianghuai Auto debuts A137, A138 at Beijing auto show

Shanghai, April 23 (Gasgoo.com) Jianghuai Automobile, a Chinese truck-maker intent on getting into the passenger-car market, revealed four new concept cars at the 2008 Beijing auto show.

At the show, Jianghuai Auto, also known as JAC, displayed the A137 hatchback and the A138 sedan, two new compacts designed and engineered by Italian company Pininfarina. The cars appear to be production-ready. Jianghuai A137 measures 3,965mm long, 1,650mm wide, and 1,445mm high and is powered by a Mitsubishi 1299cc 4G13 engine capable of 69Kw max that meets the Euro IV emission standards.

Elsewhere on the exhibition stand, JAC unveiled the B18 sedan and the larger Vision 3, a larger sedan with a Ford-like face. It also showed an updated version of the midsize Binyue sedan that it began selling last year.

Until recently JAC has made its reputation building trucks, vans and SUVs, including a version of the Hyundai Starex van, and now it plans to issue more than $200 million in bonds to help fund its planned expansion into the passenger-car business.

The company is based in Hefei, the capital of Anhui province, not far from larger rival Chery Automobile in the city of Wuhu.