Brilliance China to export cars to Germany, U.S.

Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Limited, a Chinese partner of Germany's BMW AG, plans to boost export this year and bring its products to Europe, North America, and Russia.

Its aims to sell 30,000 units in overseas markets in 2008, 60,000 in 2009, and even more in 2010, said its chairman Qi Yumin. Notably, its complete vehicle export surged 79 percent year on year to 15,500 units in 2007.

Recently, the automaker has just put its three Junjie FRV cars into the market. The first batch of Junjie cars, which meet the European three-star standards, are scheduled to head for Germany this July, disclosed Yang Bo (transliterated), general manager of its global sales arm.

At the current 78th Geneva International Motor Show, Brilliance China showed three car models, including Zhonghua Galena 2.0 luxury, Zhonghua Splendor 1.8T AT top-class and Zhonghua Coupe 1.8T MT, part of its efforts to make inroads into the European continent.

Its annual sales would reportedly reach 200,000 units within ten years in the continent with a market share up to 1.5 percent. Its products are expected to enter 22 European countries, according to its long-term strategy.

Moreover, its 1.8T Zhunchi sedans are having related tests now, and once passing the tests, they will be shipped to the US, the world's biggest auto market.

These years, Brilliance China has also been busy expanding in other overseas markets. Shenyang Brilliance Jinbei Automotive Co., Ltd., one of its affiliates, announced the release of its sedan model Splendor in Egypt at a press conference held in Cairo on November 5, 2007, earlier reports said.

Splendor has been the second car model the Shenyang-based arm released in Egypt after Galena, a medium-grade sedan model that marched into the country in 2006.

As early as in April 2005, Brilliance China entered Egypt through the cooperation with BMW's local venture. The Chinese automaker agreed to export 2,000 sets of components of Zhonghua- branded sedans by the end of 2005, marking the first export of Chinese medium-grade sedans to the African country.

Domestically, in order to boost its sales, Brilliance China Automotive will set up two joint auto financing ventures in partnership respectively with BMW and US General Electric Company (GE).

The China-German venture would mainly serve BMW dealers, and imported BMW cars, as well as products by BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd., another venture between Brilliance China and BMW, said sources.

The China-US venture is scheduled to be formed in October 2008 with registered capital of 500 million yuan.

(US$1 = 6.93 yuan)