Volume14 No. 11-12 May 10, 2008 Special Report Auto China 2008 Showcases China’s Own-brand Alongside World Premiere The 10th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, or Auto China 2008, ended on April 28 at the new exhibition venue which is much bigger than the old exhibition center in downtown. Figures from the organizer indicate that a total of 890 vehicles, including 55 concept cars, were displayed at the show, making it the largest one in scale both for the number of cars and for the area of exhibition venue since its inauguration two decades ago. What is more convincing is that the show has attracted seven new cars from world auto giants to make their world premiere and another 24 to make their first public appearance in Asia. Moreover, about 100 brand new cars from domestic automakers, some being new design while others being upgraded versions of old models, were launched at the show. The event, held every two years, is becoming, as some industry watchers put it, one of the world’s most prestigious auto shows just like those in Frankfurt or Detroit as China is soon to become the world’s No. 2 car 中中中中 21 中中 China Auto 2000 Providing up-to-date information about China’s Automobile market an INFO CHINA weekly 中中中
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Volume14 No. 11-12 May 10, 2008
Special Report
Auto China 2008 Showcases China’s Own-brand Alongside World Premiere
The 10th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, or Auto China 2008, ended on April 28 at the new exhibition venue which is much bigger than the old exhibition center in downtown.
Figures from the organizer indicate that a total of 890 vehicles, including 55 concept cars, were displayed at the show, making it the largest one in scale both for the number of cars and for the area of exhibition venue since its inauguration two decades ago.
What is more convincing is that the show has attracted seven new cars from world auto giants to make their world premiere and another 24 to make their first public appearance in Asia. Moreover, about 100 brand new cars from domestic automakers, some being new design while others being upgraded versions of old models, were launched at the show.
The event, held every two years, is becoming, as some industry watchers put it, one of the world’s most prestigious auto shows just like those in Frankfurt or Detroit as China is soon to become the world’s No. 2 car market and the third largest carmaker with an expected turnout of over 10 million in 2008.
China is already a market that any carmakers can afford to neglect. So is Auto China 2008, which has provided a platform for overseas and domestic carmakers to showcase their newest products and to woo the Chinese car buyers.
World Premiere Cars at Auto China 2008
A number of prestigious carmakers have brought to the auto show their latest auto products that are for the first time displayed to the world. Among them are Audi Q5 luxury SUV by German Volkswagen AG’s Audi unit, German automaker Mercedes-Benz’s GLK SUV, Volkswagen’s Lavida and New Bora that will be locally made by its two Chinese joint ventures, Shanghai VW and FAW VW, the new version of Teana by Nissan’s Chinese joint venture Dongfeng Nissan, and Ford’s new Fiesta sedan. On the
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eve of the auto show, Shanghai GM launched in Beijing its world premiere concept car, Buick Invicta.
German luxury-car maker Audi brought to the show its compact crossover SUV Audi Q5, a combination of the dynamism of a sports sedan with highly variable interior and versatile options for ultimate driving experience, as the company said.
Audi, the subsidiary of Volkswagen, leads the luxury car segment in China in terms of sales, where the segment is growing nearly 30 per cent year-on-year. Audi Q5 will be imported by end of next year to the Chinese market, where Audi A4 and A6 are locally assembled by FAW Audi.
Mercedes-Benz GLK SUV was first unveiled at the Detroit auto show in early 2008 as a concept model. The compact entry-level luxury crossover SUV is to compete with the Infiniti EX, Acura RDX, BMW X3, VW Tiguan and the upcoming Audi Q5 and Volvo XC60, both of which were also exhibited at Beijing auto show.
With 33 models under its three brands, Benz, Maybach and Smart, displayed at the show, the German automaker aimed at increasing its sales in China and also overtake its German rival BMW in the luxury segment in China, the company said.
Mercedes-Benz has witnessed impressive Q1 sales in 2008, in which it sold 9,626 luxury sedans in China, 40 percent up from a year ago.
The SUV is expected to go on sale in 2009 in a price range that will directly challenge Audi Q5 and BMW X3.
Volkswagen’s two Chinese joint ventures, Shanghai VW and FAW VW, unveiled at the show two new models of world premiere, Lavida and New Bora, respectively, which are designed specifically for the local market.
The A-class Lavida sedan is a model entirely developed by Shanghai VW and specially designed for the Chinese market under Volkswagen’s global product strategy.
The compact car “will be the prototype for our next-generation model in the economy car sector and will also be the benchmark in the rapidly expanding segment,” Shanghai VW said.
With two displacements and several trims available, the car will be put to market in June this year at a price between 120,000 yuan (17,143 U.S. dollars) and 150,000 yuan (21,429 dollars).
The Shanghai Volkswagen plant will offer the Lavida in the equipment lines “Trendline”, “Comfortline” and “Highline”. The base vehicle already has features with ABS, driver and front passenger airbags, climate control, MP3-capable CD-Radio, power windows and anti-theft warning system. The even more luxurious versions “Comfortline” and “Highline” also get 16-inch alloy wheels, a chrome package, sliding sunroof, leather seats, side and head airbags, cruise control, parking sensors, automatic climate control system and CD changer. Besides the listed features, the Highline variant of the Lavida also has a DVD-supported navigation system and telephone preparation.
While Lavida is laid out to be more lifestyle oriented, the New Bora is to be recommended especially for families as a practical, high-end, versatile and dynamic companion for every day of the year.
The New Bora will be available in the two equipment lines “Trendline” and “Comfortline”. Even the base version, the “Trendline”, has standard features that include ABS, driver and front passenger airbags, power steering, power windows, climate control system and a CD-Radio (MP3-capable). Also on-board in the New Bora Comfortline are 15-inch alloy wheels, sliding sunroof, chrome package, anti-theft warning system, cruise control and parking sensors. In addition, the top version is differentiated by an extended
list of optional features. They include leather seats, side and head airbags and a navigation system.
The car will be marketed in the third quarter of this year at a similar price as Lavida.
Dongfeng Nissan New Teana
Nissan Motor Corp. unveiled the new Nissan Teana premium sedan at the 2008 Beijing auto show. The new generation Teana is a flagship vehicle of Nissan that is specifically designed for the Chinese market, said Nissan chief executive officer Carlos Ghosn.
Teana is available with the combination of V6 engine (2.5-liter VQ25DE and 3.5-lieter VQ35DE versions) and XTRONIC CVT. For China, a 2.0-lieter four-cylinder in-line engine (MR20DE) is also available.
The car will be assembled in Dongfeng Nissan, a joint venture between Nissan Motor and Dongfeng Motor Corp., and will be put into the Chinese market in June this year at a price range from 236,800 yuan (33,829 dollars) to 349,800 yuan (50,000 dollars).
Also on the Nissan stand are two concept vehicles, the PIVO2 and NV200 concept commercial vehicle, both being shown in China for the first time.
Ford New Fiesta
Ford launched its new-generation Fiesta at Auto China 2008. The five-door hatchback is
designed and developed in Europe and will go on sale in Europe, Asia, South Africa, Australia and the United States between 2008 and 2010.
As part of Ford’s new global product development process, the new Fiesta brings to production reality the elements of Verve Concept, which was unveiled globally at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show.
Production of the new Ford Fiesta in China will start by the end of this year at Changan Ford Mazda Automobile plant in Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu province. The plant, which kicked off operation in September last year, has an annual capacity of 160,000 vehicles, covering Ford, Volvo and Mazda brands. Changan Ford Mazda sold a total of 216,324 vehicles in 2007, representing a 30 percent increase year-on-year.
GM Buick Invicta Concept
Among the world premiere cars that are displayed at the show, there is a concept car by General Motors Corp., Buick Invicta, which is a joint work by GM design teams in North America and in Shanghai.
The four-door mid-size concept sedan is designed to cater for the need of the Chinese auto market, the company said. Powered by Buick’s first turbocharged four-cylinder direct injection engine, the car is capable of producing maximum power of 186kW and 298Nm of torque. The engine is matched with a six-speed automatic transmission.
Grand Display of China’s Own-brand Vehicles
Alongside various foreign car brands that are exhibited at the show are a large number of locally made own-brand vehicles, which have attracted same, if not more, attention from the crowd of 680,000 visitors as those top brands have done during the nine-day event, the biggest ever in China.
Spacious stands with state-of-the-art decoration, large fleets of vehicles with stunning shape and design, China’s own-brand vehicle producers, led by Chery Auto, Geely Motor and Great Wall Motor, are competing head-on with their foreign counterparts at the show as well as in market.
Chery Auto
Chery Auto has brought to the show a fleet of 29 vehicles, including the newly developed Faira series A-class cars that are composed of five models ranging from notchback, hatchback, SUV and coupe. As the new generation of A-class cars to replace the old QQ cars, Faira series, named respectively after the five Fuwa Olympic mascots, showcased the top level of Chery Auto’s design capability.
Chery Faira BB
A three-door two-seat mini-car, Faira BB is powered by a self-designed 1.1-liter 472 engine.
Chery Faira JJ
Faira JJ is a small recreational sports utility vehicle that is designed specifically for urban drivers.
Chery Faira HH
Faira HH is a notchback four-door four-seat sedan that is equipped with a 1.3-liter Acteco engine.
Chery Faira YY
As a mini-sized coupe, Faira YY is to cater for the need for speed and zeal of young generation. Also available is a variant convertible version that is equipped with a 1.3-liter Acteco engine by Chery.
Chery Faira NN
Size (mm) 3597/1578/1527(l/w/h)Wheelbase (mm) 2330Engine 1.3LMax. Power 61kWMax. Torque 114Nm/3800-4500rpm
The standard Faira NN is a five-door four-seat hatchback (technical specifications in table) that also has a variant three-door version as is shown in the picture.
Together with Faira on Chery Auto’s stand is the company’s another mainstream vehicle, Chery A3. The Pininfarina-designed A3 sedan, together with the hatchback and hybrid versions, has drawn plenty of attention at the show.
Chery A3 BSG
A Chery Auto official unveiled that Chery A3 sedan would go on sale by September this year while the hatchback would follow suit at the end of this year. Chery A3 is the third model in Chery's A series (after A1 and A5) and reportedly bears a dealer's price from 70,000 yuan (10,000 dollars) to 110,000 yuan (15,700 dollars).
Great Wall Motor
The Hebei-based automaker launched to market its first GWPeri compact car, a five-door hatchback, early this year. At Beijing auto show, it displayed a few more passenger vehicles that are scheduled to hit the market very soon. The pick-up truck maker has now become one member of the sedan-making family and it is undoubted that it will bring more passenger vehicles, sedans in particular, to the market.
Size (mm) 4085/1711/1636(l/w/h)Wheelbase (mm) 2610Transmission 5-speed MTEngine 1.5-liter GW4G15Max. Power (kW/rpm) 80/6000Max. Torque (nm/rpm) 145/4000Top Speed (km/h) 166Curb weight (kg) 1174Emission Euro IV
Geely Motor, China’s most outstanding privately owned car maker, has shown a total of 23 vehicles at its 1,800 square meters stand at the Beijing auto show.
Among the vehicles are Geely Panda, an A-class compact car that will be marketed this year, and a SUV coded NL, which will be put into market in 2009.
SAIC-Iveco Hongyan Motor (short for SIH) displayed three heavy-duty vehicles in the 2008 Beijing Auto Show, the imported Iveco Stralis, the improved Tampa, and Hongyan Power Tech, the first Hongyan branded model since the company was established.
Hongyan Power Tech CQ4254 Semi-TractorDriving Mode 6ⅹ2Driving Cabin Iveco ASEngine Type CURSOR9 (6 cylinder, 4 valve, high pressure common rail
fuel injection system, water cooled, 4 stroke, hydraulic brake) Engine Displacement (L) 8.71Transmission 12 speed with synchronizerTrack Tread (mm) 3225+1350Max. Torque (N.m/rpm) 1600/1000-1700Max. Output (kW) 294/2100Top Speed (km/h) 110Curb Weight (kg) 8400-9650GVW(kg) 49000Towing Capacity (kg) 39220-40470Oil Tank Capacity (L) 400Emission Standard Euro Ⅲ(or Euro Ⅳ, EuroⅤ)Major Features ENCAP Five Star, CAN BUS, cruise system, CDP, CURSOR,
WABCO.
SIH was opened on June 15, 2007, by SAIC, Iveco, and Chongqing Heavy-Duty Vehicle Corporation. The company has cost a registered capital of RMB 1.3 billion (about 186 million U.S. dollars), split by 67 to 33 between SAIC-Iveco Commercial Vehicles, a 50:50 JV between SAIC and Iveco, and Chongqing Heavy-Duty Vehicle Corporation.
SIH has invested some RMB 4.7 billion (about 671 million U.S. dollars) for a new production base in Chongqing, a south China municipality. First stage construction work of the new base is scheduled to be finished in October this year, with an annual production capacity of 40,000 complete vehicles, and 100,000 engines. The old Chongqing production base will be remade into an auto parts production base.
SIH mainly produces the Hongyan brand, the Steyr brand, and the Iveco brand heavy-duty trucks, with payload ranging from 5 to 60 tons. According to the company’s plan, it will realize operating revenue of RMB 20 billion Yuan, and marketing share of over 10 percent in three to five years.
Naveco, the JV between Nanjing Automobile Industry Corporation (NAIC) and Iveco, and as the overall launching of the cooperation between SAIC and NAIC, therefore, a subsidiary of SAIC, made a debut of a light Bus model, PowerDaily, in the 2008 Beijing International Auto Show. It is the first Iveco product released after the SAIC-NAIC cooperation.
PowerDaily is featured by high-technique, comfort, safety, and environmental-friendly, upon the new generation F1C engine, ZF 5 speed transmission, Iveco SSR chassis system, second generation aviation-style driving cab, 3-layer anti-crash compound, 4-wheel disc brake system, Bosch 8.0 ABS+EBD, Bosch second generation common rail system, and L-N mute curve. What’s more, at least 90 percent of the engine materials are recyclable.
Naveco sold 19,480 light buses in 2007, up 36.14 percent y-o-y. It is introduced that PowerDaily with be priced between RMB 200,000 to 300,000 (about 28,571 to 42,857 U.S. dollars) in China.
PowerDaily A36Length/Width/Height (mm)
4845ⅹ2000ⅹ2500
Engine Type F1CE0481P (in-line, 4 cylinder, water-cooled, turbo-charge, MED-cool, common rail, direct injection diesel engine)
In its commercial vehicle display area, DFC showed 12 trucks and 7 engines, among which, was Dongfeng Kingrun, a medium-duty truck lineup comprised by over 40 models.
It has taken the company 3 years for the research of the new truck, which is featured by oil-saving, reliable, safe, comfortable, weight-reducing, and easy-refitting. It is designed for regional logistics.
Dongfeng Kingrun, with GVW ranging from 8 to 16 tons, adopts three kinds of engines, Cummins engine, Dongfeng 4H engine, and LNG engine. The Cummins ISDe engine and Dongfeng EQ4H engine takes common rail system, and the LNG engine lies in a leading place in China.
DMC produced 107,300 and sold 106,700 commercial vehicles in the first quarter this year, respectively up 22.78 percent and 34.52 percent compared with the same period last year.
Dongfeng Kingrun Medium-Duty Truck (DFL5120XXYB1)Engine Type ISDe180 30Engine Rated Power(ps)
180
Max Torque (N.m) 650Transmission DF6S750Top Speed (km/h) 105Front Axle/Rear Axle 4.5/9Wheel Base 5600Curb Weight (kg) 4700GVW (kg) 12000Min Ground Clearance
240
Emission Standard Euro Ⅲ(or Euro Ⅳ with SCR)Major Features Bumping Bag Spring Seat, Electrical Control Silicon Oil Fan
Clutch.
Shaanxi Auto Group
Shaanxi Auto Group brought Delong F3000, which is to be marketed in May, to the 2008 Beijing International Auto Show. It is introduced that Delong F3000 is designed upon MAN’s technique, and is featured by less curb weight, only 8.5 tons. According to the company’s website, it has sold over 10,000 heavy-duty vehicles respectively in March and April.
Delong F3000Driving Mode 6ⅹ4Driving Cabin Delong cabin with electric hydraulic overturn Engine Type Weichai Power WP 12.375 NEngine Displacement (L) 12Transmission Fast 16JS200TAAxle MANSteering Gear ZF8098Main Frame MANOil Tank Capacity (L) 400 aluminumCurb Weight 8.5 tonsEmission Standard Euro ⅢMax. Torque (N.m/rpm) 1800Major Features ABS, ASR, automatic constant temperature AC, CD, GPS,
Vehicle-loaded telephone, power sunroof, power window, back car monitor.
JAC
JAC made a debut of its H series heavy-duty trailer, and a 7-meter-long bus chassis on the 2008 Beijing International Auto Show. It is introduced that the H series trailer is targeted for the long-distance logistics market, and the bus chassis is designed for upper class bus makers.
JAC Heavy-Duty Trailer HFC4251K3R1Overall Dimension 6685ⅹ2495ⅹ3490/3180Wheelbase 3050+1350Track Tread (mm) 2040/1860Suspension Arm (mm) 1495/790Driving Mode 6ⅹ4Engine Type WP12.375Engine Displacement (L) 11.596Max. Torque (N.m/rpm) 1500/1200-1600Max. Output (kW) 375/2200Top Speed (km/h) 90Transmission 12JS160T/12JS160TAClutch Single, Dry Plate, Diaphragm SpringRear Axle Steyr Technology (4.8)Steering System Power steering with AF steering gearBrake System Dual-Circuit Air Brake Curb Weight (kg) 8800GVW(kg) 25000Towing Capacity (kg) 60000Major Features AC, ABS, Power Windows.
Foton attracts many visitors in the 2008 Beijing International Auto Show by its Euro V intercity fuel cell bus. The company even directly linked the tail pipes to a fish pound, and fish are living vigorously.
The new bus, coded BJ6126, is an electric-electric hybrid bus, adopting Ni/MH cell, which can realize “zero emission”. Wu Xuebin, vice general manager with Foton said that Ni/MH cell is a kind of electricity-generating device, which could directly transform chemistry power into electric power.
It is introduced that the Euro V intercity fuel cell bus is a 100 percent self-developed product, with the complete vehicle system developed by Foton and the power system by Qinghua University. The bus could reach a top speed of 80 km/h, and could be continually driven for 240 kilometers.
Data Bank
Heavy-duty Truck Production & Sales by Producer in Jan.-Mar.2008(Unit: 1)