Best 13 selling SUV's in China auto market, (Jan-Oct 2007)

The table below shows top 13 best selling SUV models, in Chinese market, October.
Rank Automaker Model Jan-Oct sales Y/Y change Market share
1 Great Wall Hover 46,979 114.9% 15.8%
2 Chery Tiggo 41,996 101.7% 14.1%
3 Beijing Hyundai Tucson 36392 64.8% 12.2%
4 Dongfeng Honda CR-V 35014 61.5% 11.8%
5 ZOYTE ZOYTE 2008 24623 - 8.3%
6 Changfeng Liebao 13795 -1.7% 4.6%
7 Toyota Prado 8413 71.6% 2.8%
8 Go-now Go- now 8068 46.6% 2.7%
9 Dongfeng-Nissan Paladin 7668 36.05% 2.6%
10 Landwind Landwin 7269 -12.4% 2.4%
11 SG Auto Shugang 7563 7.2% 2.5%
12 Changfeng Pajero 5319 22.3% 1.8%
13 JAC Refine 5639 - 1.9%


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Chinese Cars spark in South Afican Auto Market more and more

We may set up a manufacturing plant in South Africa,” says Geely South Africa chairperson Jacqui van Heerden. “If we achieve sales of around 10 000 units a year, we’ll consider it. Markets such as the US and Europe may also offer lucrative export opportunities.”

Geely is only one in a series of Chinese vehicles which have entered the country over the last two years, all through entrepreneurs aiming to snatch market share in the largest economy in Africa.

Geely’s plans are indicative of a new phase in Chinese vehicle manufacturing. It’s no longer only about making and selling vehicles in China. It’s about making and selling vehicles in China, and everywhere else in the world. And not a Chinese-made Honda or Ford either, but a true Chinese brand.

Geely is one of the first movers in this regard. It can afford to do this as it has no bureaucratic ties.

Geely is privately owned, with no shareholding by the Chinese govern- ment – which erases the argument of unfair competition owing to State subsidies. (The only other privately owned Chinese vehicle manufacturer, Chery, will start exporting vehicles to South Africa later this year, with the distribution rights going to McCarthy.)

What this means for Geely South Africa is that the Chinese parent company holds a direct stake in the local company, as it considers South Africa an important part of its future export growth strategy.

Geely South Africa is, therefore, 40% owned by the Chinese parent company, and 60% by local company TJM Holdings.

Van Heerden says TJM Holdings looked at trends worldwide, and decided “that Chinese vehicles are going to be the next big thing”.

JAPAN, KOREA, CHINA?
These days, South African business says ‘China’ is preceded by the same audible gasp once reserved for South Korea or Malaysia, or any other so-called Asian tiger.


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Chinese cars win increasing buyers in ME, N Africa markets

CAIRO, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- For years, consumers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have become used to buying small and low-tech made-in-China commodities. But now, they are showing increasing interest in trying something bigger -- China's home-grown sedans.
Within just several years, cars with Chinese brands are quickly leaving their own marks on streets in MENA countries, from Jordan to Egypt, which had been traditionally dominated by cars from Europe, Japan and South Korea.
Like many other made-in-China goods, Chinese brand cars have a formidable edge over their competitors with lower prices and high quality.
In the Jordanian capital Amman, Ala Suleiman who had just by a Chery sedan told Xinhua that he chose Chery because of its competitive price, soft installment payment and fuel economy. Chery Automobile Co. Ltd., one of the biggest home-grown carmakers in China, began to sell its car in Jordan about three years ago. And by now, Chery has sold more than 3,000 units in this Arabnation, said Moutaz al-Shaweish, sales manager of the franchise store set up by Chery Jordan Company Ltd.
Such sales volume was quite satisfactory given the fact that Chery, as a newcomer in the world's fiercely-competitive auto industry, was totally unknown in the Jordanian car market several years ago, said al-Shaweish.
"Actually, we were (then) facing many difficulties to convince consumers to buy our cars when they were offered for the first time in the market," al-Shaweish recalled.
But now, "we are not facing such difficulties as Chery isgrowing stronger and more competitive. Jordanians are willing to buy (Chery cars) for their quality and prices," he told Xinhua, adding that Chery car prices were competitive in comparison withany other brand including those from South Korea. Eng. Mohamed al-Qalam, chairman of Chery Jordan Company Ltd., said that demand for Chinese-made cars, including Chery, was remarkably good in Jordan this year.
"Chery gave consumers freedom of movement and choice in addition to specifications which meet demands of low-income brackets," al-Qalam told Xinhua.
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China Auto Controversy in Europe

The trucks were widely panned at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show in September as being shameless copies of the BMW X5 and Toyota RAV4. China Auto's vehicles seemed to draw more attention from corporate lawyers than any potential customers. Plans to import the Smart Fortwo-aping Noble city car have already been put on indefinite hold following legal threats from Smart's parent company, Mercedes-Benz. The Noble was a notable no-show in Frankfurt.

However, Karl Schlössel, chief executive of Augsburg-based China Automobile, recently told Inside Line that 1,700 vehicles will soon be arriving from China and for sale in Europe by early to mid-December. Built by Shuanghuan Automobile in Shijiazhuang, China, the CEO and UFO are sold in their home market as the Shuanghuan SCEO and the Laibao.

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Chinese cars to come to UK next spring

Chinese manufacturer Landwind says it will be ready to launch two models in the UK by next May.Managing director Paul Williams told whatcar.com that the seven-seater Fashion MPV and Expedition 4x4 have passed the European type approval tests that are required for mass-market sales.Mr Williams said the cars had gone through hundreds of changes and improvements to pass the tests and would get a three-star Euro NCAP rating. That's a far cry from the disastrous performance of the Landwind X6 4x4, which scored zero stars when tested by the German ADAC body for Euro NCAP in 2005.Williams said both petrol and diesel models would be available for the cars, which are likely to cost from around £9000. The ultimate ambition, said Williams, is to appoint 80 dealers across the UK and sell 8000 cars a year in this country.
chery geely nanjing hafei zhonghua SAIC lifan zhongxing great wall motor FAW MG Rover Dongfeng Changfeng China Auto

China's Chery to supply Fiat with 100,000 engines annually

HEFEI, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's fast-growing Chery Automobile Co., Ltd. and Italy's Fiat Auto have signed an agreement for Chery to supply Fiat with 100,000 engines a year.
The agreement was reached eight months after the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding on the deal. Chery also signed a deal with Chrysler Group last month to export the first Chinese-made cars to the United States.
"The agreement means that Fiat, which has been testing Chery's engines during the past year, has recognized the technologies and quality of the engines developed by Chery," said Zhou Biren, deputy general manager of Chery.
The 1.6 and 1.8-liter engines will be used in cars manufactured by Fiat in China and abroad, according to a statement on Chery's website www.chery.cn.
The agreement showed confidence by Chery and Fiat in cooperation and paved the way for further cooperation, Fiat chief executive Sergio Marchionne was quoted as saying.
Yin Tongyao, chairman and general manager of Chery, said, "The cooperation will help improve Chery's competitiveness on the international market. We are glad to cooperate with Fiat and look forward to developing together."
Chery became China's fourth largest producer of passenger cars in 2006, with sales of 305,200 vehicles and a 7.2-percent market domestic market share.
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Chinese cars: Toyota's warning

Cape Town - Toyota South Africa has distanced itself from any Chinese car brand in South Africa following media reports that some of them use Toyota technology.

"Toyota South Africa believes that this is an inappropriate link to make," says Andrew Kirby, Toyota?s senior vice president for sales and marketing.

"Toyota South Africa is not aware of any formal technology transfer between Toyota Motor Corporation and the manufacturers of these vehicles.

"We should also point out that the technology alluded to, is now more than 25 years old.

"There is no relationship between Toyota and the manufacturers of these vehicles and as such the Toyota dealer network is not able to provide any form of service or parts supply for owners of these vehicles," he said.

"We feel that the implied link to Toyota is unfortunate."

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Chinese carmakers going it alone and getting past 'Hongda'

BEIJING--In the city of Wuhu in Anhui province, factories of Chery Automobile Co. stand along the Yangtze River on a plot 100 times the size of Tokyo Dome.

Chery Automobile Co.'s compact car A1 is displayed in Shanghai in April. (REI KISHITSU/ THE ASAHI SHIMBUN)
Factory workers whose average age is in the early 20s appear in blue uniforms, and next to the plants sits a research institute operated with the support of China's Ministry of Science and Technology.

Chery was established in 1997 with a capital of 27 billion yen from five public enterprises run by local governments.

"We are still in a boyhood stage," said Yin Tongyao, 44, chairman and president of the company.

But the "boy" is quickly growing up.

Until now, the Chinese car industry has been led by makers jointly set up by Chinese state-run companies and foreign manufacturers.

In recent years, however, Chinese firms, such as Chery Automobile, Geely Group and Lifan Group, have not depended on foreign companies. Now, they are improving sales by manufacturing cheap vehicles, and some of them are looking to increase their exports.

According to Yin, the company's sales have shown continuous growth, increasing by 62 percent from 2005 to 310,000 units in 2006. Sales have expanded more than 10-fold in the first five years since it started to sell cars on a full scale.

In March this year, Chery took the top spot in terms of monthly sales of passenger cars in the Chinese market. It is the first time in 20 years that a Chinese company that is not a joint venture with a foreign maker was No. 1.

Slogans are posted inside Chery factories that say, "Let's make new products by ourselves," and "Let's become a world-leading company."

Three popular models--the Dongfangzhizi sedan, the V5 station wagon and the Ruihu SUV--move down the production line.

Other posters on the wall explain details of Toyota Motor Corp.'s production system.

"Toyota is our teacher. We are students," Yin said.

An executive of a Japanese carmaker recounted the day when he visited one of Chery's factories. Yin asked about what makes a good layout for a factory, and then diligently noted down the executive's reply.

Chery executives work hard. They have been given the nickname "7-15," which means "working 7 days a week, 15 hours a day."



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