First Chinese Cars Entering Australia

[TheInterceptor]

The more i see these the more i love Falcon.

[vztrt]

Chery on sale

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...25783D007E2146

Third Chinese passenger car brand now on sale in Oz as Chery dealer ads commence

21 February 2011

By MARTON PETTENDY

AUSTRALIA is now home to three Chinese passenger car brands following the arrival of Chery, China’s largest vehicle exporter, with two small cut-price models that went on sale over the weekend.

The official Chery dealer launch will not be staged until March 1 by Ateco Automotive – the same Sydney-based vehicle distributor that brought us China’s pioneering Great Wall Motors and its bargain-basement utility and SUV range – following a formal announcement of the car-maker’s local availability later this week.

However, at least one Chery dealer is already advertising “The exciting new Chery J1” with a pricetag of just $11,990 drive-away (including all on-road costs), making the pint-sized five-door five-seater Australia’s most affordable hatchback.

The new Chery hatch matches the price of Proton’s S16 G sedan – hitherto Australia’s lowest-price car – and undercuts Australia’s first sub-light-sized model, Suzuki’s Indian-built Alto four-seat hatch ($11,790 plus on-road costs), once dealer delivery and statutory charges are factored in.

Geely became Australia’s second Chinese passenger car brand after Great Wall when Perth businessman John Hughes’ company Chinese Automotive Distributors began imports of the MK light sedan – also priced at $11,990 drive-away – in West Australia last year.

As GoAuto revealed two weeks ago, the MK will be replaced by the all-new Geely CE light-car, which will go on sale nationally by the end of this year.

While Great Wall is also due to launch its first passenger car in Australia – adding to the X240 small SUV and V240 ute – at least two other Chinese vehicle brands, including JAC and Foton, are also expected to hit Australian new-car showrooms in 2011.

Chery’s diminutive S2X-series J1 – known as the A1 in China – is powered by a 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that delivers 62kW at 5750rpm and will be available only with a five-speed manual transmission.

Longer than the Alto but shorter than the three-door hatch version of Toyota’s evergreen Yaris, the J1 weighs just 1115kg and measures 3713mm long, 1578mm wide and 1575mm high. It rides on a 2390mm wheelbase and offers 160mm of ground clearance.

Standard equipment will include twin front airbags, electronic stability control (now mandatory in Victoria for all passenger cars and SUVs with compliance plates dated from January 1), ABS anti-lock brakes, air-conditioning, power windows and mirrors, front disc brakes and 14x5.0-inch wheels with 175/60 R14 tyres.

The only option will be foglights.

Ateco Automotive would not confirm pricing of Chery’s other model, the compact J11 crossover, ahead of its official launch but confirmed both vehicles will be available through a national retail network comprising about 40 dealerships.

As we’ve reported, the T1X-series J11 – known as the Tiggo in China – is powered by a 100kw 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, this time matched with both five-speed manual and four-speed automatic transmissions.

The compact five-door/five-seat SUV has a base kerb weight of 1450kg and has an unbraked towing capacity of 750kg (925kg braked).

Chery’s J11 measures 4285mm long, 1765mm wide, 1716mm high and rides on a 2510mm wheelbase. Ground clearance is 168mm and standard wheels are 16x7.0-inch with 215/65 R16 tyres, with the option of wider 235/60 tyres.

The J11 mini-SUV will have a similar standard equipment list to the J1 city-car, meaning ESC, ABS (this time with four-wheel discs), twin airbags, power windows/mirrors and remote central locking.

[vztrt]

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...224-1b67c.html

$11,990: New car for the price of a 1986 Corolla Richard Blackburn
February 24, 2011 - 11:10AM

The cut-price Chinese invasion of Australia has entered the mainstream car segment for the first time with the new Chery J1 hatch and J11 compact SUV.

Chinese car maker Chery is about to turn the clock back 25 years for new car buyers, with a new small car going on sale next week for just $11,990 drive-away.

That price is less than a Toyota Corolla cost in 1986.

The cut-price hatchback, called the J1, will be joined by the J11 compact SUV, which at $19,990 drive-away is the cheapest softroader on the market by a considerable margin. That price includes leather trim and standard air-conditioning. A third vehicle, the Corolla-sized J3, will go on sale in the middle of this year.

Chery is just one of a wave of Chinese manufacturers set to re-write the rules - and price-tags - in the Australian car market.

Great Wall Motors, which launched in 2009, has already made inroads with its range of SUVs and work utes, while Geely Motors, which now owns Volvo, has started selling cars in Western Australia.

Two other markers, JAC and Foton, are expected to hit local showrooms by the end of the year, while a sixth, an as yet un-named brand, has advertised for staff and called for expressions of interest in dealership franchises.

The imminent invasion of Chinese brands has already driven down the price of some cars, with Malaysian car maker Proton selling its S16 sedan for $11,990 drive-away and Holden, Suzuki, Kia and Nissan releasing smaller, cut-price cars.

Chery is China's largest independent vehicle manufacturer, producing 680,000 cars a year. It is also the country's biggest exporter, accounting for almost half the vehicles sold overseas by Chinese car makers.

Its arrival is bad news for Holden, which will launch its second locally-built car, the Cruze small car, next month. The Chinese cars are likely to put pressure on both volumes and profit margins for the Holden.

The influx of Chinese cars is not all good news for consumers, as they've traditionally come with poor crash protection standards and questionable quality.

The cars won't be sold in Victoria until later this year because they don't comply with that State's mandate that all new cars come with stability control, which can prevent a car from skidding.

But a spokesman for Chery, Daniel Cotterill, says safety fears are unfounded.

"I think the Chinese car industry has moved a long way from those early crash tests," he says.

"These vehicles comply with all the Australian design rules and they are a decent, reliable vehicle," he says.

But there's no denying the two cars have a skinny standard equipment list when it comes to safety. Apart from the lack of stability control, side and side-curtain airbags, which protect occupants from a side-impact crash, are not available on either cars.

The J3 due mid-year will have six airbags and stability control available.

The new brand has a network of 45 dealers in all states except Victoria. It has signed 15 dealers in Victoria but they were been put on hold when the Victorian Government refused to give Chery an exemption from the stability control mandate.

"That cost 115 jobs and $10 million worth of investment in Victoria," Cotterill says.

Chery importer Ateco Automotive has modest initial expectations for the brand, with sales expect to total between 150 and 200 sales a month.

"With only two models and a small number of dealers, we think it will be a fairly steady start," Cotterill says.

The J1 is a 1.3-litre five-door hatchback, available only as a manual. Standard equipment includes air-conditioning, alloy wheels, power windows and an MP3 compatible stereo.

The J11 is powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine and comes in either manual or automatic guises, with leather seats, air-conditioning and alloy wheels.

To allay any customer misgivings about quality, Chery is backing the cars with 24-hour roadside assistance on top of the usual three-year 100,000km warranty.

The Chinese car industry is expanding at breakneck speed, with sales up by a third last year to 18.06 million units - roughly 18 times the size of the Australian market and more than the US and Japanese markets combined.

[bobthebilda]

Its arrival is bad news for Holden, which will launch its second locally-built car, the Cruze small car, next month. The Chinese cars are likely to put pressure on both volumes and profit margins for the Holden.

Its strange that the previous article has picked out the cruze as a reference. The cruze has alot more to worry about in regards to competition (Corolla and Mazda 3 both nearly doubled it in sales last month) than a chinese car that may sell a few hundred a month. Its appears that the segments that make up the largest part of the markets (light, small and medium) are going to have a massive race to the bottom (probably quality and price wise) over the next few years, to try and retain sales. Should be a blood bath for all those who participate. Wise decision of Ford not to make the focus locally.

[vztrt]

Chery releases Australia’s cheapest SUV

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...25784000805ECF

Sub-$20,000 SUV launched as Chery becomes Australia’s latest Chinese brand

24 February 2011

By MARTON PETTENDY

CHINESE car-maker Chery has set a new price benchmark in Australia’s exploding compact SUV sector by releasing its J11 city-crossover at a drive-away price of just $19,990 (including on-road costs).

However, the tiny front-wheel-drive five-door wagon will not be available in Victoria for now because it does not feature electronic stability control (ESC), the potentially life-saving safety technology that became compulsory in that state for all passenger cars and SUVs with compliance plates dated from January 1 this year.

Powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine, the J11 is now on sale alongside the pint-sized 1.3-litre J1 hatchback, which as we’ve reported is priced at a bargain-basement $11,990 drive-away but has now been confirmed to also lack ESC, through 45 Chery Automotive dealers in every state except Victoria.

A further 15 Chery dealers will be added in Victoria by November, when a similar ESC law makes the safety device mandatory nation-wide and the latest date that Chery distributor Ateco Automotive – the same Sydney-based importer that brought China’s pioneering Great Wall Motors to Australia – expects both the J1 and J11 to become available to it with ESC.

Before then, Chery’s third Australian model, the Toyota Corolla-sized J3, will join the J1 and J11 on sale outside Victoria, despite featuring ESC and six airbags as standard.

“ESC is required in Victoria now and so we won’t be selling Cherys in Victoria now,” said Chery spokesman Daniel Cotterill. “Our 45 dealers are everywhere in Australia except in Victoria. There are a couple on the border, but they can’t sell cars in Victoria.

“We will have an ESC car, the J3, mid-year and the plan is that we have ESC on the current cars either as soon as Chery can do it or by November this year when it’s required.”

Mr Cotterill said that unlike a number of other models that remain unavailable with ESC, Ateco Automotive did not receive an exemption to sell the J1 or J11 in Victoria – as it did for Great Wall’s compact SUV, the X240, which also does without ESC but remains on sale in Victoria.

“We would have rolled out an extra 15 dealers in Victoria,” he said. “We applied to VicRoads for exemption, and such exemptions have been granted to other models from other brands, but they took the view that because we weren’t on sale yet we didn’t qualify for exemption.

“With the dealer network that we had roughed out – and these are their figures not ours – they’ve missed out on 115 jobs in Victoria and $10 million in direct investment.”

Ateco Automotive says it will wait until both the J1 and J11 are available to it with ESC before releasing the J3 alongside them in Victoria. At that point, Chery will offer three models via national dealer network of 60 dealers.

“I don’t know that we could launch a Victorian (Chery dealer) network with one car,” said Mr Cotterill. “I would think we’d need the full range available before we could go to Victoria.”

Mr Cotterill said Ateco Automotive was prepared for criticism about the lack of ESC for Chery’s first two models in Australia, but said both vehicles should be compared with used cars in the same price range and that both models would be fitted with the now-commonplace safety device within months.

“People are allowed their view on that,” he said. “It’s an ADR-compliant car and you know as well as I do the process that goes on to get homologation approval to distribute cars in this country and both of those cars went through that process and passed.

“We don’t see why the rest of the country should miss out because Victoria decided to go (with ESC legislation) 12 months earlier.

“It becomes a decision based on a range of things – first of all availability of specifications from the manufacturer. It’s not like at the moment those cars are sitting there with those features and we’ve said no we want a cheaper car and we won’t have that. If they had them available we would have them.

“If they make it available later on in the model life then we’ll get it, so it’s based on availability rather than competitiveness and when you get down into that price bracket it’s not so much other new cars that you’re competing against – although of course you are – it’s used cars as well.

“You look at a $12,000 J1. What do you get for $12,000 on the used car market? People buy cars for a range of reasons and people import and distribute them for a range of reasons, but it will be interesting to see what happens.”

The J11 undercuts the most affordable SUV previously available in Australia, Suzuki’s utilitarian Jimny ($20,490, plus on-road costs), by $500 and is also $4000 cheaper than Great Wall’s conceptually similar X240 ($23,990 drive-away).

For the startlingly low on-road price, which is at least $6000 less expensive than the lowest-priced small 2WD SUVs from mainstream brands, the J11 comes fully equipped with leather seat trim, air-conditioning, power windows and mirrors, a four-speaker CD/MP3 sound system, 16-inch alloy wheels, foglights and remote central locking.

However, unlike the most affordable Japanese and Korean crossovers such as Nissan’s Dualis (from $24,990), Mitsubishi’s ASX (from $25,990), Suzuki’s three-door Grand Vitara ($25,990), SsangYong’s Korando ($26,311), Kia’s Sportage ($26,490), Hyundai’s ix35 ($26,990) and Holden’s Captiva ($27,990), the J11 comes with only rudimentary safety features.

Standard safety equipment for both the J1 and J11 extends only to twin front airbags, ABS brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and front seatbelt pretensioners, meaning both models will not be available with ESC or side or curtain airbags.

Unlike the J1, however, the J11 will at least come with the option of a (four-speed) automatic transmission, which is packaged with cruise control and steering wheel-mounted audio controls for an extra $2000.

For the record, full official J11 specifications revealed today show the J11 is powered by a 1971cc four-cylinder petrol engine that delivers 102kW at 5750rpm and 182Nm of torque at 4300rpm and returns average fuel consumption of 8.9L/100km in both manual and automatic guises.

Unlike the Toyota Yaris-sized J1, the Chery SUV comes with four-wheel disc brakes and a towing capacity of 600kg (900kg braked). A power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering system gives the J11, which rides on MacPherson strut front and “semi-independent” trailing arm rear suspension, a turning circle of 11.0 metres.

The five-seater J11, which has an official base kerb weight of 1375kg and a 375kg payload, measures 4285mm long, 1765mm wide and 1715mm high, making it 10mm shorter and 5mm narrower but 100mm taller than the ASX. The J11 rides on a 2510mm wheelbase and has 168mm of ground clearance.

Australia’s first Chery SUV, which is known as the Tiggo in China, will be available with a host of optional accessories, including a towbar kit, nudge bar, side steps, bonnet protector, headlight covers, weathershield kit, floor mats, dash mat, roof bar, rear parking sensors, Bluetooth connectivity, boot tray, rear sunshade and driving light harness.

As we reported earlier this week, when at least one Chery dealer jumped Ateco’s official March 1 launch date by advertising it at $11,990 drive-away, the J1 is powered by a 62kW/122Nm 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine matched only with a five-speed manual transmission.

New official data show it returns ADR81/02 fuel consumption of 6.7L/100km and comes standard with disc front brakes, 14-inch alloy wheels (with a steel spare), foglights, remote central locking, fuel use display, air-conditioning, power windows/mirrors, six-speaker CD/MP3 audio and a power steering system that delivers a 9.5-metre turning circle.

Optional accessories will include headlight covers, a front weathershield kit, floor mats, rear parking sensors and Bluetooth connectivity.

As we’ve reported, the J1 (known as the A1 in China) is longer than Suzuki’s sub-light-sized Alto but shorter than the Yaris three-door at 3700mm long, 1578mm wide and 1564mm high. It rides on a 2390mm wheelbase, has a kerb weight of 1040kg and a 375kg payload.

Both initial Chery models will come with a three-year/100,000km new-vehicle warranty including 24/7 roadside assistance.

Chery is China’s largest vehicle exporter and last year produced more than 680,000 vehicles. Last year Chery, which has exported a total of almost 500,000 vehicles to 80 countries, accounted for more than 40 per cent of all vehicle exports from China.

In Australia, it joins fellow Chinese passenger car brands Great Wall and Geely, which has been launched in West Australia but plans a national model rollout by the end of 2011.

“Chery is the largest and most diverse independent vehicle manufacturer in China,” said Ateco Automotive managing director Ric Hull. “Chery is known for its focus on constant innovation and drive towards better quality, well appointed cars at an affordable price.” In China, Chery also sells a number of electric and hybrid left-hand drive vehicles, and Ateco owner and governing director Neville Crichton has previously stated his company would import Australia’s first Chinese-built EV in 2011.

[vztrt]

Well least its cheap.

http://theage.drive.com.au/new-car-r...317-1bxl9.html

The $11,990 car: tested
Toby Hagon
March 18, 2011

Our rating: 1.5/5


Pros

* The price
* Perky-ish engine
* Five seats with adjustable head rests

Cons

* No automatic
* Lacks safety features
* Small with average storage
* Steering kickback
* Below-average cornering
* Buzzy engine requires premium unleaded
* Below-average build quality

The bargain price may appeal but it's easy to see where a new Chinese car maker has cut corners, writes Toby Hagon.

You may never have heard of the brand but Chinese car maker Chery is about to make a big impact on the Australian market - even if it's with small sales numbers.

The new J1 hatchback arrives as the cheapest new car on the market, matching Proton's S16 sedan with an $11,990 drive-away asking price.

It's a price tag that speaks the language of first-time car buyers and those who may otherwise have considered a second-hand car.

As with its rival Chinese brand, Great Wall Motors, which is making an impact on the entry-level ute and four-wheel-drive market, Chery has more established marques looking at ways to counter its price-led onslaught.

In some ways, it's surprising Chinese-made cars have taken so long to get to Australia. So many other things we buy are made in China, yet the first Chinese car brand only arrived here in 2009.
Price and equipment

The Chery's big sales pitch isn't so much its features but its price. While others sometimes match its $11,990 tag with special offers, the Chery's price is a permanent fixture. It also includes roadside assistance as additional reassurance on top of a three-year, 100,000-kilometre warranty.

As for features, there's an odd assortment. Power windows, alloy wheels and airconditioning are included, as is an MP3 audio input for the disappointingly tinny-sounding audio system. There are also foglights front and rear and, curiously, an alarm (an educated guess would suggest it probably doesn't need one), as well as a trip computer, yet the latter only displays instant fuel economy (which is near-useless) and not average economy.

Impressively, there's a full-sized spare wheel and tyre.

Safety features are sub-standard in the J1, though, something that's delayed its introduction to Victoria.

The car doesn't have stability control, which, from the beginning of this year, is mandatory for all passenger vehicles registered in Victoria. There are anti-lock brakes but only two airbags, at the front.
Under the bonnet

The J1's basic 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine musters a modest 62kW, so even with the lightweight frame (at just over one tonne) acceleration is average.

Still, it's perky enough if you're prepared to rev it. Fifth gear is a bit useless on all but freeways but third and fourth are handy for scooting around in 70km/h and 80km/h zones.

The gearbox shifts vicelessly but there's an inconsistent feel to the clutch pedal (which moves more than it should), teamed with the oddly shaped handbrake to make hill starts something you need to concentrate on.

Another downside is cabin noise; depending on the speed of the engine, there are various whirs, whines, buzzes, a noticeable vibration at 3500rpm, and even an intermittent high-pitched whistle.

Other bad news is that the J1 requires premium unleaded and can't accept any ethanol blends - not even E10 (10 per cent ethanol and 90 per cent petrol). It's also not particularly economical, using a claimed average of 6.7 litres per 100 kilometres.
How it drives

A tall, narrow body doesn't bode well for cornering stability and, indeed, the J1 leans noticeably at even moderate speeds through bends. Push a little harder and the adhesion limits are quickly reached.

The steering, too, feels disconnected and is prone to kickback over bumps.

The ride is pleasant enough, though, for a city car, albeit without decent control over successive or larger bumps.
Comfort and practicality

The J1 hasn't just wound the clock back on price. A quick look at the interior shows it lacks the manufacturing precision of the cars it will compete with in this segment. Some wavy plastics and ill-fitting components highlight the sub-standard build quality. Some of the colours don't match up perfectly; the airbag cover, for example, is a different shade of grey to the rest of the dash.

Still, the Chery does get adjustable headrests in all five seating positions, as well as proper lap-sash seatbelts. The glovebox is tiny, though the nifty small shelves under the steering wheel are perfect for coins and a phone.

The cabin itself is very narrow; even those up front are crammed together on seats that lack decent lateral support.

A small boot can swallow larger items if you fold the rear seats.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Why oh why do they design a tune that requires PULP for a 'cheap and cheerful' car?

This alone will deter many buyers. Proton does the same.. no logic at all

[Road_Warrior]

I saw one of those little Geely sedans on the road today. Twice actually, although I think it may have been the same car. I liken it to a 2000-ish model Ford Laser without the track record.

[vztrt]

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...325-1c8up.html

Model watch: Chery J1, J11
Stephen Ottley
March 26, 2011

The bar has been raised (or should that be lowered?) in the cutthroat compact-SUV and city-car segments by Chinese brand Chery.

The newcomer has set a new price benchmark by offering the country's cheapest hatch, the J1, which costs just $11,990 drive away.

It's a similar story in the SUV market, with the J11 $19,990 drive away, undercutting even fellow Chinese brand Great Wall.

The five-door J1 is powered by a 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine that produces a modest 62kW and 122Nm. It's only available with a five-speed manual gearbox. With a combined fuel use of 6.7 litres per 100 kilometres, it's reasonably economical, if not class leading.

Standard equipment includes power windows, alloy wheels, airconditioning, MP3-compatible stereo, an alarm and a basic trip computer. Safety features are limited to two airbags and anti-lock brakes. Potentially life-saving electronic stability control is not available, meaning the Chery can't legally be sold in Victoria. Also missing are side or curtain airbags.

The J11 will go head-to-head with some of Australia's best-selling vehicles in the booming compact-SUV marketplace. It is powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 102kW of power and 182Nm of torque. It is available with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox but drives the front wheels only. Official fuel use is 8.9L/100km.

The list of standard equipment includes airconditioning, power mirrors, alloy wheels, remote keyless entry, leather-trimmed seats, power windows and an MP3-compatible stereo. Options include a Bluetooth kit, rear parking sensors and a tow bar.

An extra $2000 adds the automatic gearbox, cruise control and steering wheel-mounted audio controls.

Similar to the J1, safety features are restricted to dual front airbags, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and front pre-tensioning seatbelts. On the plus side, both the J1 and J11 are fitted with a full-size spare wheel.

A brief drive of the J1 highlighted sub-standard build quality with ill-fitting panels and mismatched paint and interior plastics. Putting those issues aside, it is a competent performer on the road and will give budget-conscious buyers the chance to shop for a new, rather than used, car.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by vztrt

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...325-1c8up.html

Well, its better than Mum's 1999 Festiva, has airbags and lots of other things over it, more powerful and more torque, for $12,000 what more can you want?

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by vztrt

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...325-1c8up.html

Love the bit in the clip regarding the roof racks....

[Buntz]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Well, its better than Mum's 1999 Festiva, has airbags and lots of other things over it, more powerful and more torque, for $12,000 what more can you want?

Quality?


The dominating car companies of today should have bought them out as soon as they popped their heads up. Like the Korean car industry today... Chinese cars will eventually get better. And there is no way the big boys can match them on price. And when China out their resources into something... they mean business. They always mean business.

[InfernoSR]

Potentially life-saving electronic stability control is not available, meaning the Chery can't legally be sold in Victoria.

especially when its so wonderfully made...

A brief drive of the J1 highlighted sub-standard build quality with ill-fitting panels and mismatched paint and interior plastics.

Oh... i stand corrected

[Happymate]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Why oh why do they design a tune that requires PULP for a 'cheap and cheerful' car?

This alone will deter many buyers. Proton does the same.. no logic at all

That is just.... *&^&%^$$%^&*? The bogans that will buy and drive those will not like that one bit! Especially because they wont be able to recoup the extra fuel cost from centrelink and everyone else.

[Happymate]

Originally Posted by Buntz93ED

Quality?


The dominating car companies of today should have bought them out as soon as they popped their heads up. Like the Korean car industry today... Chinese cars will eventually get better. And there is no way the big boys can match them on price. And when China out their resources into something... they mean business. They always mean business.

Did I hear someone say tax them out of existance?

[vztrt]

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...421-1dpfd.html

Exclusive: Australia's next Chinese brand
Bruce Newton
April 21, 2011

Ambitious Chinese brand Haima the latest to head Down Under.

Haima Auto is the latest Chinese brand to plan an attack on the Australian market, nominating the second half of 2013 as a likely starting date.

The company has already conducted one fact finding trip to Australia and another round of talks is scheduled here in August with up to three potential distributors.

"Our international department already visits Australia once and we contact some dealers and we have plans to open in this market," Jack Gan of Haima Automobile overseas marketing told Drive. "We need to wait for the homologation and when we are ready we will begin.

"We will visit again in August for more discussions."

The launch lineup would likely comprise three small cars that are currently undergoing right-hand drive engineering conversion and homologation.

Freema


They are the Freema compact people-mover (see above and below), the 2 mini-car and the 3 small-car (bottom).
The linkage with Mazda naming is no coincidence as the 2 and 3 are based on the Mazdas of the same name, while the Freema is based on the Premacy.
Advertisement: Story continues below

Freema


The Mazda connection stems from Haima's origins. A subsidiary of First Auto Works (FAW), it was created in 1990 to build rebadged old model Mazdas for domestic Chinese consumption.

Haima


However, the Mazda deal ended in 2006 and Haima now builds and develops its own vehicles. Currently under development are the 1 super-mini, M11 mini, ZM2 family car, C2 SUV and C3 multi-purpose van.

The company has the stated aim of achieving one million sales per annum by 2015 and sales revenue exceeding 50 million RMB ($AUD7 billion).

Gan batted away questions about dealer numbers and sales volumes in Australia, saying it was too early for business case details to be resolved.

However, he said Australia would provide valuable education for Haima as it ramped up export efforts: "Australia is the first stop for us to open in the European market."

If Haima does make it into Australia it will be at least the fourth Chinese passenger car brand to go on-sale here, following on from Great Wall Motors, Chery and Geely.

GWM and Chery are both distributed by Ateco Automotive, while Geely is handled by WA car dealer John Hughes. At the moment the Geely MK small car is only sold in WA and the brand will not spread east until a new generation of vehicles comes online (due at this year's Melbourne motor show in July).

However, there is every chance other brands will beat Haima to Australia. A survey of Chinese brands at Auto Shanghai this week revealed a widespread knowledge of the Australian market and a desire to export cars here.

For many, however, the lack of right-hand drive vehicles is an obstacle and for some others an inability to meet Australian Design Regulations.

The five-door Freema2 is available in China with 1.3 and 1.5-litre petrol engines, the sedan and hatch Haima3 with 1.6 and 1.8-litre engines. The Freema comes with orthodox 1.6 and 1.8-litre engines.

Intriguingly, the Freema is now also available as a plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle in China and Gan says Haima would be keen to bring both technologies to Australia, although not necessarily at launch.

[kpcart]

Originally Posted by Happymate

That is just.... *&^&%^$$%^&*? The bogans that will buy and drive those will not like that one bit! Especially because they wont be able to recoup the extra fuel cost from centrelink and everyone else.

what makes you think bogans will buy these? bogans buy second hand 10 year old+ big aussie cars, and usually v8s and dont care about the extra fuel cost of the v8. they will not buy these. people who buy new cars on finance usually dont care if it has to run on PULP, as they are paying interest and the car is depreciating in value, all they care about is the price of the car at the dealership, the low cost of these chinese cars will appeal to many new car buyers, it did with japanese cars, it did with korean cars and it will with chinese cars.

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by vztrt

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...421-1dpfd.html

...is that a direct copy of a Mazda 2...? If so, it shouldn't be a bad little jigger.

We bought our son a brand new Suzuki Alto...revvy little three cylinder one liter, five speed, cloth interior, standard air con and power steer, ipod connectivity to the decent CD stereo, and by the bod plate it's made in India, of all places. It feels fine to drive, it's economical to the point of stupidity, and is quite comfortable...feels worth more than the $11,990 on the road that it cost us.

They're getting better and better...and once they analyse the foreign markets a little more closely, given the economies of scale they are capable of, we should see some interesting cars at sharp prices coming out of China and other countries in the region. Hell, a lot of cars for the big Japanese makers are now built in India, Taiwan, and Indonesia anyway.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Chery is now 11K on road. Wonder how long till we see a 10 grand new car?

A new car for $10,990
Jez Spinks
April 28, 2011 - 4:00PM


Would you pay $11,990 for this Chery? Georgina Robinson and Toby Hagon put Australia's first Chinese made car through its paces.



The cost of a new car has dropped to $10,990 after Chinese car maker Chery today introduced a new cash-back offer for its J1 city car.

Chery says it has taken advantage of the surging Aussie dollar to make its little hatchback Australia's cheapest car outright, having shared the distinction with Proton's $11,990 S16 sedan.

The J1's drive-away price remains $11,990 but customers now receive $1000 cash back after purchasing the five-door model that's powered by a 1.3-litre engine.

"The Australian dollar is running at levels not seen since 1983, the year Australia won the America's Cup," says Chery Automotive Australia's general manager, Dinesh Chinnappa. "We have decided to pass on the benefit of the strong Australian dollar to the Australian car-buying public."
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Chinese car maker, Chery, enters the Australian market with its cut-price J1 city-car.

Chinese car maker, Chery, enters the Australian market with its cut-price J1 city-car.

J1 buyers simply have to fill out a form and either pay the discounted price of $10,990 or pay the full recommended retail of $11,990 and leave with $1000 cash in the pocket.

Chery sold 53 J1s in March, the brand's first month on sale locally. It also sold 166 units of its other vehicle available in Australia, the J11 SUV that costs $19,990 drive-away.

Neither model is currently offered in Victoria because they lack electronic stability control, a potential life-saving system that can help to control a skid.

Chinese cars still have plenty of room to improve in their bid to become genuine rivals for cars from Europe, Korea and Japan. Drive rated the J1 1.5 stars out of five in its recent road test.

Chery says more enticingly priced Chinese cars are guaranteed to follow the likes of the J1 and J11, as well as models from Great Wall Motors.

"The massive recent expansion of the Chinese auto industry will have increasing benefits for Australian consumers in coming years via a greater number of vehicles on sale with low prices and high levels of standard equipment that represent unbeatable value for money," says Chinnappa.

[Paxton]

Top Gear Australia's episode being filmed last night was about this. They tested a Cherry around Eastern Creek for 24 hours, and didn't manage to break it. I'd never buy one, but I said that about Hyundai. If it were my money and the car had to be brand new, I'd save another couple of grand, and get an i20, Alto or Micra, but that's just me. If the car didn't have to be new, there are many, many cars that are a better prospect than this. Pretty much everything else on the road in Australia, for example.

[vztrt]

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...503-1e5ry.html

China: half of world's new-car sales by 2020.
Jez Spinks
May 3, 2011 - 10:41AM

World's biggest car market set to become gigantic - with new-car boom predicted to reach 40 million sales by 2020.

China could account for half of the world’s new-car market by the end of the decade, according to industry experts.

The world’s most populous country already boasts the biggest car market globally, but its gap to second-placed North America is expected to widen dramatically by 2020.

China achieved a global record new-car sales figure of 18.06 million units in 2010, and the country’s manufacturers and officials are predicting the country will reach 40 million by 2020.
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In contrast, Australia sells just over one million new cars annually.

China's biggest tyre supplier, Korean brand Hankook, believes it's inevitable the market will continue to pull further away from markets such as the US, which it replaced as the No.1 global market in 2009.

"Many people [in the industry] say it will grow up to 40 million vehicles by 2020," says Hankook Tire China's vice-president of marketing and sales, Byeong Jin Lee. "If the world market [by then] is 80 million, that means one of every two [new] cars sold would be here in China.

"I think that is very much possible. Nobody expected such growth 15 years ago.

"I have no crystal ball but by 2009 China market has made more than 50 per cent growth and last year another 34 per cent of the growth.

We cannot expect same rapid rate of growth for future but I am optimistic for the economy and we're still talking about 10 per cent growth still every year.

Chinese new-car sales experienced their first slow-down in the first quarter of 2011, but the manufacturers believe this is only a temporary blip.

Hyundai's China division says figures from the Chinese government and key local car makers such as Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) continue to forecast that passenger car sales alone - not including commercial vehicles and SUVs - will expand to 20 million annual units after 2015, reaching 30 million after 2020.
Passenger-car and SUV sales accounted for about 13.7m of 2010's 18.06m sales.

China is now Hyundai's biggest market, surpassing even its home nation of South Korea where it dominates the market.

The biggest presence yet of world debuts of concept and production cars from European and American car brands at this month's Shanghai motor show proved how vital the market has become for every global player.

Mercedes-Benz, which says China will soon replace Germany as its biggest market, increased sales by 115 per cent last year - to 147,700. BMW grew 87 per cent (183,300 sales) to be Audi's closest challenger. Audi sold 227,900 vehicles in China, up 43 per cent.

The Volkswagen Group has already reported sales for the first quarter of 2011 have increased by 18.5 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Hankook's Mr Lee says the German brands are benefitting from great foresight.

"Germany has made a much earlier investment in China [than other countries], and not just Volkswagen," says Lee. "Somehow they knew [that China would become a significant market]."

Hankook admits some of its impressive growth in China - its market share currently stands at 20 per cent - is a result of "growing up together" with VW, the No.1 foreign car brand in China.

The Korean tyre company predicts 200 million vehicles will be registered for Chinese roads by 2020.

[vztrt]

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...257880000E5E90

Chinese JAC passenger cars locked and loaded for Australian launch in 2012

3 May 2011

By RON HAMMERTON

TOP 10 Chinese vehicle manufacturer Jianghuai Automobile Co (JAC) is set to launch its passenger car range in Australia within 18 months, becoming the fourth car-maker from the world’s biggest motor market to lock in its car export plans for this country.

The JAC range of cars and SUVs will be imported by Sydney-based WMC Group, which is already gearing up to introduce JAC trucks and vans in the second half of this year alongside its existing Higer Chinese bus import business.

JAC cars will go head to head with existing Chinese light-vehicle brands Great Wall Motors, Chery and Geely, which all have major model expansion plans in place for Australia in the next two years.

WMC Group managing director Jason Pecotic confirmed to GoAuto that the deal to extend the JAC distribution deal beyond trucks to light passenger cars had been signed in February, with JAC selecting two car platforms to be developed in both right- and left-hand-drive for western markets, including Australia, and exported by the fourth quarter of next year.

This means WMC – formerly known as White Motor Corporation – will have exclusive rights to distribute all vehicles under the JAC brand across Australia and New Zealand.

JAC, best known as China’s second-largest truck-maker and number-one truck exporter, already offers nine passenger vehicles in China, ranging from a Suzuki Alto-sized five-door hatch to a Camry-sized sedan, and including two people-movers and a Hyundai Tucson-style SUV.

GoAuto understands that at least two Australian importers sought the highly prized JAC light-vehicle deal.

The successful WMC bid was backed by Australia’s biggest automotive dealer group, Automotive Holdings Group, which is set to offer both JAC trucks and cars through its national dealer network.

Mr Pecotic said WMC’s commitment to the truck business had been instrumental in winning the passenger car import deal.

“We have spent millions on trucks and pre-purchasing product over the last few months,” he said.

Mr Pecotic said that, now the decision had been made, JAC was moving ahead with its product development plans for Australia.

“It is all coming together so quickly,” he said. “They are moving ahead at 100 miles an hour.”

WMC’s JAC import operation kicks off in New Zealand in May with the showroom launch of the first 7.5-tonne, Cummins Euro 4 diesel-powered truck.

The same truck but with a Euro 5 version of the ISF 3.8-litre Cummins engine – made under licence by Chinese truck-maker Foton – will hit the Australian market in limited numbers in August before larger shipments arrive in the final quarter. A smaller 4.5-tonne model is set for launch about the end of July.

The JAC Multivan – a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-style six-metre-long multi-purpose van powered for Australia by a 2.8-litre four-cylinder ISF Cummins engine – is scheduled to go into production in October and arrive in Australia in November.

Although the passenger car plans for JAC in Australia are still under wraps, the company is likely to follow the lead of other Chinese brands and start with light and small cars, potentially with more than one variant built off each platform.

Contenders could be the current or next-generation versions of the Cruze-sized JAC J5 in sedan and five-door RS crossover styles, the smaller J3 sedan and hatch, or the baby of the range, the J2 five-door hatchback city car.

The J3 was famously designed by Italian styling house Pininfarina, making it among the most contemporary cars from a Chinese manufacturer. The J5 is also said to have been influenced by the Italian designers.

However, all these models will probably have to be renamed for Australia, as rival Chery has already snapped up the ‘J’ format for its range, which so far includes the J1 and J11 with a J3 on the way.

Similarly, Chery importer Ateco Automotive was forced to change the name of the Chery cars – known as A1, A3 etc elsewhere – because Audi had already adopted those tags worldwide.

All existing JAC passenger cars are front-drive and powered by four-cylinder engines, either petrol or diesel, ranging from the 1.0-litre unit with just 55kW/85Nm in the J2 to 2.4 litres with 110kW/210Nm in the S1 SUV that also offers a 2.0-litre diesel producing 100kW/190Nm.

JAC makes its own 16-valve four-cylinder petrol engine in a range of sizes, while also running alternative engines from Mitsubishi.

Manual transmissions, in either five or six speeds, are standard across the range, but no automatic transmission is currently on offer.

Based in the central Chinese city of Hefei, JAC has a production capacity of 700,000 units a year and last year sold 460,000 cars, trucks and buses – up from 310,000 in 2009 – putting it among China’s top 10 manufacturers.

Last year, it exported 20,000 vehicles, mostly trucks, to developing countries. It hopes to double those exports this year and push its overall sales to 600,000 units.

The local Anhui provincial government based in Hefei is a major shareholder in the company, which has backed its commitment to exports by opening research and development centres in Turin, Italy, and Tokyo, Japan.

The Turin and Japanese operations are jointly credited with designing the JAC Multivan, with Turin looking after the exterior and Tokyo being responsible for the interior.

In China, the van is offered in a range of configurations, from standard commercial work van to coach and even ambulance.

Local importer WMC already imports a range of Higer buses, all powered by Cummins engines fitted with Allison transmissions.

Its latest model is the Higer Munro – a 27-seater named after majority shareholder in WMC Group, Sydney doctor Don Munro.

[Whitey-AMG]

Originally Posted by vztrt

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...257880000E5E90

That is a good read

Also of note in that article is the price slasher J1 from Chery
This thing will sell for $10,990 DRIVE AWAY

[Polyal]

For the people who only commute around cities then unfortunately I can see this working. The Gov is going to need to look at how seriously they want to support local manufacturing.

They already dump alot of money in, perhaps having a min safety standard for cars sold in Oz would be a political way to do it.

They already tax imports pretty high.

[Ford_The_Win]

I'm suprised that they aren't being sued - that yellow Hatch looks a lot like the Mazda 2, the 4x4 looks eerily similiar to the Prado..and the red sedan is an almost carbon copy of the Lancer..

[2011G6E]

I'm old enough...just...to remember my father getting a good-natured ribbing from our neighbor in 1971 when dad came home with a brand new Mazda Capella sedan...the neighbour had a Kingswood wagon. Some of his workmates at the post office also had a bit of a go at him...."Jap Crap!".
Our Mazda had a standard push button AM radio, power disk brakes, and was very well screwed together.

Then in 1974 my parents bought a top of the line brand new Mazda 929 wagon...standard with tinted windows, air conditioning, four speaker AM/FM push button stereo ("What's FM dad?"..."No idea son..." There were no FM stations in our part of Australia back then. ), very nice metallic paint standard, and full instruments. it was dark purple-blue with a white interior...wish I'd have bought it off them when they traded it in.
Not many people joked at my old man for buying the 929...a lot changed in three years.

The point is, within a lot of peoples lifetimes, we've seen Japanese cars go from being tinny, cheap, sometimes nasty little buzz boxes, to quality value for money vehicles with standard features a lot of cars dream of, or make you pay a lot extra for.

Keep an eye on China...that prediction about half the car sales by 2020 could be pretty accurate.

As for being copies of other cars...well, as I said, the Suzuki Alto is actually made in India, and many other small cars are built around Asia instead of Japan where the parent company is located.
It isn't out of the realm of possibility that China would just buy the design rights...there is a manufacturer there that makes an exact copy of a H1 Hummer, apart from the grill opening going across instead of up and down.

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

I'm old enough...just...to remember my father getting a good-natured ribbing from our neighbor in 1971 when dad came home with a brand new Mazda Capella sedan...the neighbour had a Kingswood wagon. Some of his workmates at the post office also had a bit of a go at him...."Jap Crap!".
Our Mazda had a standard push button AM radio, power disk brakes, and was very well screwed together.

Then in 1974 my parents bought a top of the line brand new Mazda 929 wagon...standard with tinted windows, air conditioning, four speaker AM/FM push button stereo ("What's FM dad?"..."No idea son..." There were no FM stations in our part of Australia back then. ), very nice metallic paint standard, and full instruments. it was dark purple-blue with a white interior...wish I'd have bought it off them when they traded it in.
Not many people joked at my old man for buying the 929...a lot changed in three years.

The point is, within a lot of peoples lifetimes, we've seen Japanese cars go from being tinny, cheap, sometimes nasty little buzz boxes, to quality value for money vehicles with standard features a lot of cars dream of, or make you pay a lot extra for.

Keep an eye on China...that prediction about half the car sales by 2020 could be pretty accurate.

Agreed, the volumes they can potentially sell mean their methods and content will get better and better.

Not many people laugh and Hyundai or Kia these days either.

Bet ya wish he still had the Mazda Capella sedan!

[Whitey-AMG]

As with everything - people will vote with their wallets.......we'll see how patriotic we all are in 5 years time......

I'm kinda betting we won't even have a Commodore or Falcon variant within 10 years. Light SUV's and small car imports are already flooding the market. As a manufacturer you either PLAY or you PAY the price of diminishing market share.

In a couple of years time I'll need to be looking for a car for my daughter......It won't be a FALCON. It will need to be something small , nimble , fuel efficient and not cost me a small fortune because of badge engineering. Unforunately , there aren't too many "locally" manufactured products that meet this criteria. Lucky for her she's already done 2 years of Chinese at school......I'm hoping se'll be able to help me bargain with the JAC / Chery dealership......LOL

[Buntz]

Originally Posted by ESP

As with everything - people will vote with their wallets.......we'll see how patriotic we all are in 5 years time......

I'm kinda betting we won't even have a Commodore or Falcon variant within 10 years. Light SUV's and small car imports are already flooding the market. As a manufacturer you either PLAY or you PAY the price of diminishing market share.

In a couple of years time I'll need to be looking for a car for my daughter......It won't be a FALCON. It will need to be something small , nimble , fuel efficient and not cost me a small fortune because of badge engineering. Unforunately , there aren't too many "locally" manufactured products that meet this criteria. Lucky for her she's already done 2 years of Chinese at school......I'm hoping se'll be able to help me bargain with the JAC / Chery dealership......LOL

Seems you care more about the cost of it than your daughters safety.

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by Buntz93ED

Seems you care more about the cost of it than your daughters safety.

Another awesome sweeping statement hey?