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SAIC Changes Its Name

From China Car Times.

SHANGHAI Automotive Co Ltd, the listed unit of China’s biggest car maker, has been renamed Shanghai Automotive Group Co Ltd, marking the completion of an assets restructure of its parent, the company said in a statement yesterday.

Shanghai Auto, 83.83 percent owned by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp, sold additional shares to the parent for taking its stake in two venture with General Motors Corp and Volkswagen AG. The move helped Shanghai Auto increase competitiveness by focusing more on car manufacturing instead of auto parts. Shanghai Auto is now responsible for making SAIC’s self-owned car models including Roewe 750 and other upcoming new products.

 

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SAIC plans to introduce 30 new cars in next five years!

December 18th, 2007 - the Chinese motoring press are reporting that SAIC plans to push out 30 cars over the next five years, that includes five new platforms.

Roewe has been selling well so far this year, with SAIC selling 18,000 Roewe 750’s between March and November of 2007, and on average sells around 2000 vehicles per month in 2007.

China Car Times knows of the Roewe 750 (W161 platform) and the Roewe 550 (W261 platform) we are now hearing rumors of an S161 platform which will form the basis of a small car, the Roewe SUV is based off the S100 platform.

Surely our more astute readers will realize that SAIC are actually claiming that they can bring out a new car every two months over the next 60 months/five years.

source: China Car Times

 

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Excellent news for SAIC - the company sold 1.5 millions vehicles in first eleven months of 2007!

December 20 2007 - Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) has sold 1.5 million vehicles in the first eleven months of this year, reaching its sales target for the full year of 2007, China Business Times reported today.

SAIC's passenger vehicle sales have reached 996,675 units in January through November, up 22.5 percent from a year earlier. In passenger vehicles, Shanghai VW sold more than 400,000 units, and Shanghai GM sold 430,000 vehicles. Ssangyong, a subsidiary of SAIC, has experienced buoyant sales in Chinese market.

During the same period, SAIC sold 30,000 commercial vehicles (heavy and light duty trucks), 15 percent higher than its full year target.

The company is expected to sell 1.6 million vehicles by year end. By 2010, SAIC will be able to produce and sell 2 million vehicles and of which 600,000 will be SAIC's self-developed models, the company said earlier.

source: Gasgoo.com

 

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Sales results for 2007.

January 9, 2008 – Shanghai Automobile Industry Corporation, or SAIC, still holds No.1 position in China automobile industry by selling 1.69 million vehicles in 2007, up 25.8 percent from one year earlier, the company announced yesterday.

In passenger vehicle sales, SAIC sold 1.13 million units, up 24.3 percent year-on-year. Shanghai General Motors has consolidated its leading position in China’s passenger vehicle sales by selling more than half a million vehicles in 2007, while Shanghai VW sold 456,000 units and Ssangyong sold 136,000 vehicles.

SAIC also sold 16,000 Roewe vehicles since it was launched in March of 2007.

In commercial vehicle sales, SAIC sold 553,000 units, up 29 percent from one year earlier. SAIC-GM-Wuling sold 520,000 mini-vans (Wuling Star) in 2007, up 23.8 percent year-on-year; SAIC-Iveco-Hongyan sold 24,000 trucks, up 69.7 percent year-on-year.

source: Gasgoo.com

 

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China's SAIC Motor net profit surges 242% in 2007

From gasgoo.com:

March 27, 2008 - SAIC Motor Corp Ltd., listed company of China's largest automaker Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC), posted a net profit RMB 4.63 billion ($656,000) for the whole year of 2007, up 242% over the previous year.

In 2007, SAIC has sold a total of 1.69 million vehicles in the Chinese market, up 25.8% year on year, and 1.13 million of them were passenger vehicles, an increase of 24.3% from one year earlier. The number makes it the leading automaker in China in terms of sales.

Its two passenger car joint ventures with General Motors Corp and Volkswagen AG sold 500,308 and 456,424 vehicles respectively last year, while commercial vehicle ventures Saic-GM-Wuling and Saic-Iveco Hongyan each sold 520,000 and 24,000 vehicles. Sales of South Korea subsidiary Ssangyong Motor were 136,000 vehicles, up 13%.

Also by the end of last year the listed company had issued RMB 6.3 billion convertible debts, which provided fund support for improving R&D facilities and capabilities.

Due to increased auto sales and capital injection, the automaker's total revenue last year has reached RMB 104 billion ($14.8 B), a growth of 434% from one year earlier.

Earnings per share stood at RMB 0.708, up from RMB 0.355 a year earlier.

The company said it has set a sales target of 1.9 million units for 2008, with total revenues growing to RMB 119.1 billion. It predicts that China's total domestic auto demand will grow by 10% to 9.7 million units this year.

From China Car Times:

SAIC top brass are probably kicking themselves that they didnt stick a bid in for Landrover and Jaguar, after a record breaking 2007 they can easily afford it!

In 2007 SAIC sold 1.69 million vehicles, which translates into a 25.8% year on year increase on 2006. Profit in RMB was 4.63 billion RMB. Of the 1.69 million vehicles sold, 1.13 million were automobiles.

Sales with its joint venture partners worked out as follows: GM sold 508,380 vehicles, and VW 456,424. SAIC’s minivan and truck making ventures, SAIC-GM-Wuling and SAIC-Iveco Hongyan each sold 520,000 and 24,000 vehicles. Some more good news for SAIC bosses are that sales at its Korean owned manufacturer, Ssangyong, are up 13%. Ssangyong sold 136,000 vehicles in 07, a respectable figure for essentially a niche market player.

SAIC is planning to push the goal posts even further in 2008, with them planning to sell 1.9 million vehicles. Can they meet those targets? Possibly, the Chinese Car Industry shows no signs of slowing just yet.

 

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SAIC profit rises on China's Volkswagen car demand.

SAIC Motor Corp., China's biggest automaker, boosted first-quarter profit 7 percent after selling more cars at ventures with Volkswagen AG and General Motors Corp.

Net income climbed to 1.24 billion yuan ($177 million), or 0.191 yuan a share, from 1.16 billion yuan, or 0.177 yuan, a year earlier, the Shanghai-based carmaker said in a statement to the city's stock exchange. Sales rose 14 percent to 28.9 billion yuan from 25.5 billion yuan.

SAIC Motor's auto sales growth trailed the total market because of cooling demand for Buick Excelles made by its venture with GM. The company tripled profit last year after buying 19.1 billion yuan of assets from its parent to gain direct access to the world's second-largest vehicle market.

"Given the company's huge base and rising raw material prices, it will be more and more difficult to maintain fast profit growth," said Zhang Xin, an analyst with Guotai Junan Securities Co. in Beijing.

SAIC Motor's vehicle sales climbed 15 percent in the first quarter to 463,683, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The overall market expanded 21 percent. China is likely to surpass the U.S. as the world's biggest car market by 2015, according to Volkswagen.

Sales growth at GM, which only builds vehicles in China through ventures, slowed to 7.4 percent last quarter, trailing Volkswagen as Chinese drivers shunned GM's Excelle in favor Volkswagen Santanas. Volkswagen builds the Santana through a separate venture with SAIC Motor.

GM's first-quarter sales in China were also hit by the country's worst snowstorms in five decades, which disrupted the delivery of parts and shipments of new vehicles from minivan- maker SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co.

SAIC Motor agreed to buy Nanjing Automobile Group Corp.'s auto-making units late last year to add new models including MG cars and trucks.

source: Bloomberg

 

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SAIC to export Roewe 550 to Europe in early 2009.

May 21, 2008 - Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) displayed the Roewe 550 at the Beijing auto show last month and the world saw the first new Chinese car emerging from the remnants of MG Rover. SAIC will launch this car to the European market in early 2009. And another all-new model, Roewe 750, also jointly designed by its auto technical centers in Shanghai and Britain, is expected to go on sale in Europe later this year.

The Roewe 550 is a mid-sized car, developed from a model of the British car-maker. SAIC, the Roewe's maker, was involved in the project as part of a technical deal made before MG Rover failed. The 550 is based on the Rover 75, shortened, modified and restyled. SAIC owns the intellectual property of Rover and MG models and has already relaunched the old 75 as the Roewe 750, which is basically a stretched version of the Rover 75 with a revamped interior and new grille. SAIC have reportedly held talks with the German company, Karmann, in hopes of getting them on board to make the Roewe 550 for the European mainland.

While production of the MG Rover-based cars is forging ahead, SAIC will begin production of the MG TF LE500 roadster at MG Rover's old Longbridge plant in the UK in early August this year. In 2009, SAIC will launch its self-developed mid-sized sedans under the name MG6 to complete the MG portfolio.

SAIC is China's biggest car company. For some years it has made vehicles in joint ventures with General Motors and Volkswagen and is now beginning a series of own-brand models. The Roewe 550 is the first intended for export as well as the burgeoning domestic market.

Earlier this year, SAIC took over Nanjing Automobile Corporation (NAC), which had bought the MG Rover tooling and equipment as well as the MG name. The merger allowed SAIC to use the MG brand for export. SAIC and NAC have said their next target for expansion is Europe.

When it is launched in Europe in early 2009, the Roewe 550 is expected to sell for 12,000 to 20,000 euros.

source: Gasgoo.com

 

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SAIC-Roewe to roll out high-end NLC in 2010.

June 12, 2008 - SAIC-Roewe has been developing an upgraded version of Roewe750 for a position in the medium car market. This model, code-named NLC (New Large Car) inside, is to be launched in 2010 as scheduled.

SAIC Roewe has worked on the upgraded version of Roewe750 since last year. It will be an all-new model powered by a new engine and will be based on an all-new platform. The model will target the commercial car market, sources of SAIC said.

“We have fulfilled the basic body styling and expect to enter the engineering R&D stage this year,” said an SAIC engineer involved in NLC development. NLC is designed to accomplish Lexus’ performance at Camry’s cost.

The hybrid project (code-named NLE) is also promoted simultaneously as the supporting system of NLC. The 2.0-3.6L L4 and V6 series of NLE will be mass-produced as soon as possible to replace the current K-series engine, confirmed Gao Weiming, general manager of the technical center in SAIC.

SAIC-Roewe has struggled for a market share in the mid-class and luxury car market since Roewe750 was launched in early 2007. Roewe is passionate to enter the high-end car market.

source: Gasgoo.com

 

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SAIC launches own-brand project in Nanjing.

October 28, 2008 - SAIC Motor launched its in-house developed engine and A-class car platform programs yesterday at Nanjing high-tech industrial development zone, Nanjing Morning Post said today.

The second phase of Nanjing Pukou facility, SAIC’s own-brand project, is expected to complete by 2009 with a total investment of 2.566 billion yuan ($375.7 million). The project includes an all-new A-class car platform and NSE series engines for four models. On completion, the Pukou facility will have an annual capacity of up to 200000 vehicles and 250,000 engines.

The A-class car platform will produce hatchback, sedan, small MPV and also a revamped mid-sized model based on MG, as SAIC’s own-brand models for the global markets. All the new models will be powered by NSE series engines, which are developed by SAIC Motor Technical Center Ranging from 1.3L to 1.6L, the engines generate an output between 65kw and 120kw, with emission standard meeting the Euro IV or even V.

SAIC said it will complete the main production lines in its Nanjing base by 2010 and plans to roll out the first model by February 2010.

from Gasgoo.com

 

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SAIC top man Mr. Chen Zhi Xin, announced yesterday that Roewe and MG will unite together for research, production, scope, purchasing and share investment resources to build their respective brands.

SAIC plans to merge its production bases into one east coat production base, the three factories, Pukou (in Nanjing), Lin Gang, Yi Zheng and An Ting (Shanghai) will come together to produce cars in the SAIC portfolio.

According to SAICs plans, SAIC will no longer be based on brand, but rather platforms. The Nanjing factory will be focussed on production an A-class small car, and small engines. Lin Gang will be focused on producing A+B segment cars, as well as producing the current Roewe 750, Lin Gang will also produce the Ssangyong range of SUVs in China.

The Lin Gang factory will produce 6 different types of car, the Roewe 550, and the next generation 750 and engines. The next generation 750 is expected to enter the market in either 2009, or 2010, further information on the next generation Roewe 750 was not forthcoming. The next generation MG7 is also in the development stage, and could also be produced in the Lin Gang factory.

MG plans to have an A-segment car, which will be available in hatch and sedan format. A small MPV will also be made, and work on a compact car is also in progress, these cars may be named the MG5 and MG6. The MG6 will be the next car to go on the market after the launch of the MG7 Automatic model, and will go on the market in 2009. MG spokesman, Mr. Jian Lu Qiang revealed that the MG6 wont be based on the Roewe 550 platform.

December 2nd, 2008, China Car Times

 

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Roewe, MG sales teams merged to cut cost

February 9, 2009
Last week, SAIC's affiliated Roewe, and the sales division of Nanjing MG Auto Co., Ltd. moved out of their former offices to the building of their parent's technology center in Shanghai, said sina.com today. In its effort to cut costs, SAIC is merging the sales networks of the Roewe and MG brands.

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) plans to gain nearly 1% more profits through cutting costs in 2009, as a measure to fight against the worldwide financial crisis that started in the second half of last year. The 1% profit is not only a target set for the parent, but also each affiliate, to be achieved by by lessening expenditures, and lowering salaries of top executives.

SAIC has decided to cut down the losses of affiliated proprietary brands and enhance their profitability through unified marketing. Earlier this month, the sales and marketing divisions of Nanjing GM said they were moving out of their Nanjing offices to SAIC's technology center located in Anting of suburban Shanghai, to be merged with the Roewe sales team of SAIC Motor.

Besides, Nanjing MG will be merged into Nanjing Auto Corp, which SAIC acquired one year ago. With the MG assets as its major part, Nanjing Auto will become an important base for SAIC to develop own-brand models. In addition, the Nanjing Iveco Auto Co assets of Nanjing Auto will also be handed over to SAIC Commercial Business Unit.

Industry experts pointed out that SAIC is the first leading automaker in China to announce its target to lower costs after the financial crisis. As China's auto sales growth is expected to dive to the lowest point of 5% since 1998, more domestic carmakers will follow suit to cut costs and boost profitability.

source: Gasgoo.com

 

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SAIC to launch 14 own-brand models in three years

China's biggest automaker SAIC Motor will launch 14 own-brand models under the brand names Roewe and MG for the period 2011 to 2014, media reported today.

Specifically, there will be a new-generation Roewe 750 and a facelift Roewe 550, while a new A-Class hatchback (code-named AP12) and a new small SUV (code-named AS21) will be planned for MG in 2011. During 2012 to 2013, SAIC will release a facelift Roewe 350, an MG A-Class sedan (code-named AP13) and a Roewe A0-Class sedan (code-named ZP13). By then, all SAIC A-Class platform products will basically be completed as well.

This year, SAIC has already launched the MG6 and Roewe 350 compact sedans. In the second half of this year, the company is expected to launch the MG A0-Class hatchback (code-named ZP11) in the form of the new MG3 while the Roewe brand will get the long-awaited W5 SUV.

"SAIC has actually spread its wings out into different segments and pulls away from the mid-size sedan market that it has so far settled itself into," a relevant person of the company revealed recently.

Moreover, a new Roewe 750 now under development in the company is expected to be launched in mid-2011 and will be based on the Buick Lacrosse platform.

The year 2012 will see minor facelifts to the Roewe 350 and the MG6, while the MG7 will be swapped for a new model. Besides, an A-Class MPV (code-named AM11) as well as a larger Roewe MPV (code-named B11) will be launched in 2012 and in 2013, respectively.

http://autonews.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1016062/saic-to-launch-14-own-brand-models-in-three-years.html

 

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Tony Williams-Kenny appointed as Design Director

Owen Ready of Car Design News reports that SAIC Motor UK Technical Centre Limited’s (SMTC UK’s) Design Director, Tony Williams-Kenny has recently been appointed as parent company SAIC Motor Corporation Limited’s (SAIC Motor’s) new Design Director – he replaces Ken Ma who has joined one of China’s other leading OEMs, Chang’an Automobile (Group) Company Limited, as Head of Design.

Williams-Kenny, who has a BA (Hons) in Transport Design and an MA in Automotive Design from Coventry University, worked as a Designer for Mitsubishi Europe Design in Germany before joining MG Rover Group Limited as Design Manager in 2000. However, since moving to SMTC UK, he has worked on the Roewe 550 and, more recently, overseen the design of the MG6, the MG ZERO Concept and the production version of the latter, the MG3.

AROnline believes that SAIC Motor’s appointment of Tony Williams-Kenny may well be the first time that a European Designer has been given such a senior design role at one of the major Chinese OEMs – a role in which he will be responsible for overseeing the development of the next generation of MG and Roewe models including the upcoming MG7/Roewe 750 replacement.

http://www.aronline.co.uk/index.htm?cv306indexf.htm

SAIC Motor’s new Design Director, Tony Williams-Kenny (first left), at the SMTC UK opening in 2010