First Chinese Cars Entering Australia

[dylancox]

Haha is it just me, or would a Holden badge sit perfectly in the centre of that grille and nobody would notice anything amiss? There's a bit of Cruze, Epica, Opel Astra in it...

[ltd]

I sure as hell wouldn't buy one, they earned the distinction of being the first to score zero out of five stars in the LNCAP (ANCAP equivalent for Latin America). See the link below for the video:

http://smh.drive.com.au/motor-news/c...ml?autostart=1

In response, Geely says the test was tainted, and they have subjected the car to their own test facility where it received 5 stars. Just outside Beijing is the new CHINCRAP test facility. Nothing ever fails.

[Ben73]

This guy at my work said to me yesterday that he is getting a Great wall 4x4 next week.
Me: Oh really
Him: Yeah they go really good, they were taking it offroad in a test and they were out performing Pajeros and Land rovers and other really expensive 4x4's
me: Sounds good.....

Didn't want to tell him my thoughts about how Great Walls are not off roaders and are the worst new cars sold today.

He said he is going to use his to tow a horse float.
Really a 100kw engine is going to move 2 tonnes of itself plus a horse float??? Maybe on perfectly flat ground.

[vztrt]

More on the zero stars.

http://www.caradvice.com.au/89627/ge...ap-crash-test/

Video: Geely CK1 gets zero stars from NCAP crash test
By Brett Davis | October 28th, 2010

Ever wanted to know what a zero-star NCAP car looks like during a crash? Meet the Geely CK1. Don’t worry about seeing one on Australian roads though; it’s made and sold in China.



The Geely CK1 is one of the most popular, and dangerous it turns out, cars on the market in China so the Latin NCAP guys thought they’d test it out in a standard 64.4km/h frontal offset impact.

As reported by Auto Express, NCAP authorities advised Geely about the extent of the danger and lack of safety equipment, warning Geely that it was more than a quick-fix problem. A NCAP representative was quoted as saying in the report,

“Installing an airbag in this car would not improve occupant protection as the body shell integrity is not good.”

We have to remember that Volvo – one of the most highly regarded advocates in car safety – was recently bought by Geely Automotive Holdings. Maybe Geely plans on helping itself to some Volvo safety technology?

Check out the recently added YouTube video below for some zero-star car carnage.

VIDEO

[Nikked]

Washed up a GW X240 at work and water rushed through the rear door seals...

[TheInterceptor]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Washed up a GW X240 at work and water rushed through the rear door seals...

Thats great for water crossings. I really do wonder how they perform off road....

[NC_Lane]

Originally Posted by TheInterceptor

Thats great for water crossings. I really do wonder how they perform off road....

I have been out with one a few times and its not bad at all. Sure, it doesnt keep up with the 'cruisers and 'trolls. The main problem we have seen is that there is little clearance under the front diff, so it gets beached on some of the deeper ruts. I guess any IFS 4wd would have that issue.

[Kieron]

Originally Posted by Ben73

This guy at my work said to me yesterday that he is getting a Great wall 4x4 next week.
Me: Oh really
Him: Yeah they go really good, they were taking it offroad in a test and they were out performing Pajeros and Land rovers and other really expensive 4x4's
me: Sounds good.....

Didn't want to tell him my thoughts about how Great Walls are not off roaders and are the worst new cars sold today.

He said he is going to use his to tow a horse float.
Really a 100kw engine is going to move 2 tonnes of itself plus a horse float??? Maybe on perfectly flat ground.

The V240 is essentially a Holden Rodeo chassis and the X240 is built on a Toyota Forerunner chassis so offroad, the X240 at least should perform quite well for the average punter offroad.

Towing wise, they will be crap of course but the rumored turbo diesels might be a bit more interesting.

[mash again]

Originally Posted by mik

surely in 2009 in AUSTRALIA we would`nt allow a pos to enter the country without at least having abs brakes fitted.....would we???

sep 2006 bf xt ute, mine has no ABS!

[vztrt]

China's JAC set to hit the road

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...2577DE0080319D

First trucks and then light vehicles as JAC looks to cover all bases in Oz by 2015

18 November 2010

By RON HAMMERTON in SHANGHAI

ONE of China's top-10 motor companies, JAC (Jianghuai Automobile Company), is proposing to target Australia with a full range of vehicles from mini cars to heavy trucks as part of an ambitious plan to expand its global exports from about 22,000 vehicles this year to 300,000 in just five years.

The first JAC branded vehicles – light-duty trucks from 3.0 tonnes to 8.0 tonnes – will arrive in Australia in the second quarter of 2011 to be sold through a network of more than 20 dealers established by independent importer White Motor Corporation (WMC) which already offers Chinese-made Higer buses in Australia and New Zealand.

JAC – 33 per cent owned by the Anhui provincial government where JAC is based in central China – also has longer-term ambitions to roll out light vehicles including cars, SUVs, people-movers and pick-ups around the world, although the import arrangements and schedule for Australia remain under wraps.

The Chinese vehicle maker's intentions towards Australia were made clear when visiting Australian journalists were not only briefed on current and upcoming light vehicles from JAC and given tour of its car plants but also allowed a brief test drive of a couple of cars straight from the production line.

WMC and rival importer Ateco Automotive both have their hands up for the JAC light vehicle distribution business, which has the potential to offer a massive Toyota-like range of vehicles at Chinese production prices.

JAC already exports products – mostly trucks – to 100 countries, mainly third world and developing markets in North Africa, Asia and South America. In Egypt, for example, it has carved out a healthy share that last month topped 10 per cent, while it is already number one in light truck sales in Chile and Peru.

It says it sees its immediate future in ramping up sales in Brazil, Russia and Turkey before targeting western markets with its passenger car range.

This means it could be at least two years and possibly up to five before JAC's offerings in Australia are broadened from trucks to passenger vehicles.

JAC plans to more than triple its total sales in domestic and export markets from 470,000 units this year to 1.5 million in 2015, with up to 20 per cent destined for overseas customers, including Australians.

The Chinese company – best known for its trucks in China where its has been number one in light-duty truck sales for a decade – built its first passenger vehicle, a seven-seat people-mover, just eight years ago. That vehicle became the top-selling MPV in the country.

It now offers a six-model passenger car range, as well as a one-tonne pick-up in both single-cab and dual-cab designs.

The car offerings range from the baby 1.0-litre A0-Class (a Toyota Aygo-lookalike mini hatchback), the light 1.3-litre A-Class sedan and hatch to compete with the likes of Toyota's Yaris and the Mazda2, the new Corolla-sized B-Class sedan and hatch (the latter a clone of the Honda Jazz, but larger), the B-Cross small crossover vehicle and the mid-sized C-Class (with 2.0- and 2.4-litre engines) that could easily be mistaken for a Mercedes-Benz from most angles.

As well, there is the compact Hyundai Santa Fe-lookalike SRV (also called Rein), in both front- and all-wheel-drive variants.

These vehicles are all powered by JAC's own range of petrol engines from one-litre to 2.4-litres, all made at its state-of-the-art engine plant at Hefei, the regional capital of Anhui province.

JAC also makes 1.9-litre and 2.8-litre diesels for its SUV, pick-up and light-duty truck ranges.

And in a move that will shake many western truck companies, JAC has signed joint venture deals to develop both heavy trucks and matching engines with American companies Navistar International and NC2, with many of those vehicles destined for export markets.

JAC's pick-up range is set to be expanded with a 4x4 model soon, and a van that can double as a small bus or cargo vehicle is also mooted.

While the company's trucks all carry 'JAC' badges on the nose, the light vehicles wear a five-pointed star badge that appears to take its inspiration from either Chrysler's Pentastar or Mercedes-Benz's three-pointed logo.

While JAC is coy on its plans beyond trucks for Australia, JAC International marketing director Eric Zhang told GoAuto: “We do hope we can come to your market.”

Like most Chinese car-makers, JAC is wrestling with achieving the high emissions and crash safety requirements of western markets such as Europe, the US and Australia, along with right-hand drive.

However, it says its A-Class small car already has been engineered to meet Euro standards.

Mr Zhang said the full European roll-out could happen in 2014 or 2015, as JAC was giving precedence to developing left-hand drive markets, especially Brazil, where it hoped to sell between 50,000 and 100,000 vehicles by 2015.

WMC general manager Shannon Taylor, who acknowledges that his company is in the running for the JAC light vehicle business, said the timing of JAC's entry into the Australia market was at least a couple of years away, and would probably coincide with its entry into other western markets demanding similar standards and right-hand drive.

He said JAC and his company were focussed on rolling out the truck range across Australia and New Zealand, starting with light-duty trucks and gradually expanding the range into the heavy end.

[BFZ Wagon]

Typical to see (as usual) that the Chinese can't help themselves and need to copy everyone else's designs and models. This latest company has a model that is a blatant copy of the Hiace. Toyota obviously have no issues with it (which surprises me).

It's annoying that Chinese companies like this can bring in substandard cars to sell to the gullible Aussie public, but we still can't bring in decent cars (whether new or used) from Japan or Europe that actually more than meet current safety requirements.

Oh well. I'll still stick with my good ol' reliable Ford Motor Company of Australia. (Unless they start bringing cars into Australian from China that is!)

End of

[Scott]

I can't believe that impact is only 64km/h. I drove an XF Pano straight into a tree at that speed and whilst it ran hot and noisy - it ran. All I got from it was a seatbelt bruise and a slightly sore jaw.

[Silver Ghia]

Noticed that if you look at AFF without logging on, there are Google ads appearing below the header that advertises GWC junk amongst other brands of cars...ON OUR FORUM!!!

They shouldn't be allowed to be imported into Australia, full stop, unless they fully meet safety standards including reaching 5 stars in crash testing which is the benchmark these days. The objective being to improve vehicle safety standards on our roads. Ridiculous situation brought about by inept politicians.

[JG34JA]

What Nitro said.

If only domestic-manufactured cars must be of a certain safety, what does that say about the level of the playing field?

If regulations must be so stringent, apply them equally and save the lives of bargain hunters as well.

[TheInterceptor]

They all resemble Hyundai's bar the black one, that looks like a Merc.

[vztrt]

More Chinese brands in the offing for Australia

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...2577E3001EC3B2

Importers sifting through 150 Chinese vehicle makers to find the next big thing

22 November 2010

By RON HAMMERTON

CHINESE vehicle importer White Motor Corporation is looking to expand its stable of brands beyond Higer and JAC (Jianghuai Automobile Company) for Australia.

WMC general manager Shannon Taylor visited another Chinese motor vehicle manufacturer late last week to sound out its potential as a source of vehicles for Australia.

But Mr Taylor said there will be a limit to the number of Chinese companies capable of servicing a market such as Australia, with its high standards of quality, safety and technological sophistication.

Rival importers Ateco Automotive and Chinese Automotive Distributors are also known to be in various stages of expanding their own stables of Chinese brands.

So far, about six Chinese brands are either locked-in for Australia or in the final stages of contract approval, with up to three more likely.

Ateco is already importing Great Wall vehicles and is set to launch the Chery vehicle line-up early in 2011, while CAD – owned by Perth multi-franchised car dealer and businessman John Hughes – has Geely on track for a 2011 launch.

In October, Mr Hughes told GoAuto he was poised to sign a second Chinese brand – a maker of pick-ups and SUVs – for Australian distribution.

Ateco also is believed to be talking with other Chinese car companies and one of these is believed to be JAC for its line of light vehicles, including passenger cars, SUVs, vans and utes.

However, WMC already has the JAC truck distribution agreement signed and sealed for a 2011 sales kick-off, and also wants the light vehicle side of the business.

Mr Taylor said China had a huge number of vehicle manufacturers, many of which were making contact with Australian distributors with a view to exporting to this market.

But he said only a few Chinese companies had the resources, products and quality standards to entice an Australian importer to get into bed with them.

“We are always on the look-out for new opportunities, and we would be silly not to at least go and have a look at the potential of these other companies,” he said in China, where WMC was showing off its new JAC truck range and expanded Higer line-up that is set to include a Toyota HiAce van competitor and, potentially, a pick-up, from late next year.

According to JAC executives, China has about 200 automotive brands, including almost every known western car and truck make, plus a further 150 Chinese brands.

They said the top 10 companies accounted for 70 per cent of Chinese sales, which this year are expected to top 17 million – up from 13.7 million in 2009.

But Mr Taylor, a former Nissan UD and Subaru executive, said that, while the array of car, bus and truck makers in China was huge, only a few “super companies” could deliver all the export requirements for western markets such as Australia.

He said Higer – the world’s third-largest bus-maker with an annual volume greater than Volvo, Scania and MAN combined – was one such company, while JAC – China’s largest light truck maker and exporter – was another.

Both of these companies are government-controlled – Higer is part-owned by the Chinese government, while JAC is 33 per cent controlled by the communist government of the Anhui province - putting them among the elite manufacturing companies with plenty of support from Beijing.

Both Higer and JAC have been given ‘export quality exemption’ from the Chinese government, having proved they could achieve export quality without constant checks from quality-control bureaucrats.

While JAC is best known for its trucks, it has been expanding its light vehicle range over the past eight years, starting with a people-mover and now including eight models covering sedans, hatches, SUVs and pick-ups.

Although JAC claims to have a production capacity of 730,000 units, its sales this year in both domestic and exports markets will be about 470,000 – sufficient to make it a top 10 vehicle-maker in China.

Higer expects to turn out about 20,000 buses and coaches this year, exporting to about 40 markets, including Australia and New Zealand.

Production volumes are expected to rise dramatically over the next few years with the introduction of light-duty commercial vehicles, foreshadowed by four prototypes – three vans and a pick-up – revealed to Australian journalists at its home base in Suzhou, north of Shanghai.

[vztrt]

Dealer groups back Chinese brands

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...2577E3001C74BC

Australia’s biggest auto dealer conglomerates stand behind Higer and JAC invasion

22 November 2010

By RON HAMMERTON

TWO of Australia’s biggest automotive dealer groups, with a combined stable of about 180 dealerships and an annual turnover of more than $5 billion, are supporting the introduction of Chinese brands Higer and JAC (Jianghuai Automobile Co) to Australia and New Zealand at a retail level.

Automotive Holdings Group – with about 100 dealerships – is providing funding for the exercise through fledgling importer White Motor Corporation, which was founded to import heavy trucks and buses in 2005.

The partnership has already delivered Chinese-made Higer bus and coaches onto the Australian market and, from the second quarter of 2011, JAC trucks will start rolling into showrooms across the country.

The WMC venture also has the support of AdTrans and its new parent company, AP Eagers, which between them have about 80 dealerships, including a number of heavy vehicle franchises selling Hino, Fuso, Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Sterling, Iveco and International vehicles.

Neither dealer group has significant ownership of WMC, which is said to be 90 per cent owned by Sydney doctor and medical practice owner Don Munro.

However, AHG is said to be a major funder of the exercise, presumably to get in on the ground floor with two of the biggest Chinese heavy vehicle brands.

WMC general manager Shannon Taylor said WMC’s strength would be in its retail network, backed by two of Australia’s biggest and most successful heavy vehicle dealer groups.

“No one else has been able to secure partners like these,” he said.

Mr Taylor said Higer buses were being sold through a network of 10 dealerships in all states of Australia except Tasmania and the Northern Territory.

He said the import operation, which started three years ago with dealers in Cairns and Melbourne, had not been all been plain sailing, with buses destined for Australia being refined according to Australian feedback and then relaunched this year.

Higer last year started making Scania buses at its Chinese factory, where a separate production line had been built for export models – both Scania and Higer – to deliver the quality expected in western-standard markets that, apart from Australia and New Zealand, included Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau.

Mr Taylor said the fact that Higer buses and coaches destined for Australia used Cummins engines and Allison transmissions, among other imported components and technologies, helped to provide peace of mind for Higer dealers and customers.

JAC trucks will be launched in New Zealand in January, followed by Australia in the second-quarter of 2011 due to its more stringent emissions rules.

In Australia, JAC truck sales will start with light-duty vehicles with GVM rating of between 3.5 and 8.0 tonne, through a network of more than 20 dealerships, including Tasmania, Northern Territory and regional centres.

JAC still has to decide who will distribute its light vehicles (cars, SUVs and pick-ups) in Australia, which will be subject to a separate import arrangement, but Mr Taylor points to the vast retail network of AHG and AdTrans/AP Eagers as WMC’s great strength for any passenger car range from China.

Although the two retail groups are partnering WMC in its Chinese product introduction, they are not limiting themselves to White-imported products. AdTrans has the Victorian franchise for Chinese-made BCI buses, a small Chinese bus-maker.

[vztrt]

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...128-1a7yv.html

On sale: Australia's cheapest new car
Matt Campbell
January 28, 2011 - 3:10PM



Chinese-made Geely city car on sale now for $11,990 driveaway.

Move over Proton S16, there’s a new cut-price kid in town.

Chinese manufacturer Geely’s first car is officially on sale in Australia, and it’s going cheap.

The Geely MK city sedan is now on the market for $11,990 driveaway – and while that price is the same as Australia’s reigning cheap car, Proton’s entry-level S16, the Geely MK also comes with a five year/100,000km warranty (whereas the Proton only gets three years).
Advertisement: Story continues below

A five-door hatchback version of the MK is also expected to go on sale within months, and it could even be slightly cheaper than the sedan.

The MK’s 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine produces 69kW of power and 128 Nm of torque – notably higher than some of its sub-$15K counterparts – but unlike some of its pint-sized competitors, the MK is only available with a five-speed manual transmission.

The MK is lagging on the safety front, too – while it comes with dual front airbags and anti-lock brakes as standard, it misses out on potentially life-saving side and/or curtain airbags, as well as stability control (a system that can help the car control a skid).

There’s also the small issue that it’s only being sold in Western Australia.

The Yaris-sized city car is being imported by Perth-based motoring magnate John Hughes, the man who pioneered the introduction of Korean brand Hyundai (Australia’s fifth highest-selling car manufacturer in 2010).

Hughes has previously told Drive the Geely MK will only go on sale in WA due to his importing business Chinese Automotive Distributors being based in Perth, claiming the difficulties involved in signing up new dealers with only one model ruled out any eastern seaboard dealers ... for now.

Other reasons Hughes says the MK won’t be sold elsewhere is because of new mandatory stability control laws that apply to some states, as well as the lack of an automatic transmission option.

Hughes plans to launch two more cut-price Geely cars at the Melbourne motor show in July, using the debut as a springboard for the brand’s east-coast introduction (a number of dealerships are believed to have been appointed already).

The cars to be unveiled at the Melbourne motor show are likely to be Geely’s LC “Panda”, a Suzuki Alto-sized city hatchback (pictured above); and the larger, Corolla-sized EC7 sedan (below).

Hughes is reportedly looking into a second Chinese brand specialising in 4WD vehicles and commercials to take on the flourishing Great Wall Motors brand.

Geely is only the second Chinese car brand to be sold in Australia but others – including Chery – are on the way.

[bobthebilda]

The Geely MK city sedan is now on the market for $11,990 driveaway

Those chinese must be selling things below cost to keep the economy going. The other day Kmart had toasters, grillers and kettles for $8. Take off 80 cents (GST), $3 (retailers margin), $1 (transport) and you couldnt possibly make a kettle for $3.20. The copper in the cord must be worth that much.

$11990 for a car. Must be leaving china for under $8500. Add $850 GST, $800 transport, $800 rego, $400 stamp duty, $650 retailer margin.

[dylancox]

Originally Posted by vztrt

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...128-1a7yv.html

All it needs is a Holden badge on that grille, and it would be the top seller

[TheInterceptor]

Yeh kinda looks like an astra...

[block58]

Does anybody else have uncontrollable fits of rage when looking at these pictures, knowing full well they will be driving in our neighbourhoods in the coming years?

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by block58

Does anybody else have uncontrollable fits of rage when looking at these pictures, knowing full well they will be driving in our neighbourhoods in the coming years?

Maybe not uncontrollable fits of rage, but definitely frustration. I don't understand why people would throw their money away on cheap nasty clunkers. The days of the Ford Falcon ruling the road are numbered and Geely is the new Hyundai.

[block58]

Originally Posted by Ford_The_Win

Maybe not uncontrollable fits of rage, but definitely frustration.

Maybe I exaggerated a bit when I said fits of rage, but seeing the cars all with smiling faces. It's almost like the little bastards are smirking at us

[bobthebilda]

Originally Posted by block58

Maybe I exaggerated a bit when I said fits of rage, but seeing the cars all with smiling faces. It's almost like the little bastards are smirking at us

Ah what does it matter. After the chinese invasion of australia in 2016 for our natural resources, we are going to have to speak mandarin anyhow. Might as well ingratiate ourselves with them now by buying their cars

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by bobthebilda

Ah what does it matter. After the chinese invasion of australia in 2016 for our natural resources, we are going to have to speak mandarin anyhow. Might as well ingratiate ourselves with them now by buying their cars

I'm not so sure, I probably shouldn't underestimate the Chinese, but I think they still want to be Western more than they want us to be Chinese.

[ea90_S]

the geely has arrived in perth John Huges stocks them saw a few out the front ill fitting panels gaps all over the place mismatched interior trim

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by ea90_S

ill fitting panels gaps all over the place mismatched interior trim

Sounds a bit like my EL

[ea90_S]

haha at least the EL has style!

[vztrt]

Geely set to rush new light car to Australia

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...257831001FCCE0

China’s Geely confirms new hatch to replace $12k MK launched just last month

8 February 2011

By RON HAMMERTON

THE cheapest new car in Australia, the Chinese-made Geely MK available for $11,990 driveaway only in Western Australia, is set to be superseded before the year is out by an all-new light car to go on sale nationally.

The Geely CE – a stylish five-door 1.3-litre hatchback that was revealed in concept form at the 2008 Beijing motor show – is set to go into production in China this year, with the first shipments for Australia due to land in the last quarter.

Crucially, the new model will be equipped with electronic stability control – already mandatory in Victoria and compulsory across Australia on all new models launched from November – and automatic transmission – two shortcomings of the MK that stymied plans by Geely importer Chinese Automotive Distributors (CAD) to sell the older MK light car in all states.

Instead, CAD owner, West Australian businessman and multi-franchised car dealer John Hughes, elected to sell the four-door, five-seat light sedan only in his home base of Perth where it has been rolling out of his Victoria Park showroom in steady volumes since it went on sale last month.

So far, Mr Hughes’s dealership has sold 20 of the manual-only cars, and he estimates this will grow to 50 a month – higher than the 30 to 40 he targeted.

But Mr Hughes already has his eyes on a replacement, the CE, which he says is expected to join the baby of the range, the LC hatch – known in China as the Panda – and the larger, Corolla-sized EC7 sedan and hatch in a network of Geely showrooms across Australia within 2011.

The Panda and EC7 are both set to make their debut at the Australian International Motor Show in July, although the EC7 might be shown only in left-hand drive form as a preview to its on-sale launch later in the year. The CE is unlikely to arrive in time for a motor show preview.

The three-car Geely range will be joined this year in the CAD stable by a yet-to-be named brand of Chinese-made light commercial vehicles and SUVs that will go head-to-head with Great Wall in Australia.

The Geely and LCV brands are being offered as a package to dealers to sell side by side – something other potential brands from China are unlikely to approve of.

Mr Hughes, who was instrumental in the introduction of Hyundai to Australia in the 1980s, told GoAuto that he had received 60 expressions of interest from dealers so far.

He said he had written to the current crop of applicants in the past few days, asking them to firm up their intentions.

“Then we will go east in about six weeks’ time to sift out dealers,” he said.

“The dealers will be in business very early in the third quarter, and we will be exhibiting at the Melbourne motor show in July, even if a couple of the models like the EC7 will be in left-hand drive.”

Mr Hughes declined to name the second Chinese brand to be handled by his company, saying he was “millimetres” away from signing the distribution agreement.

“We will be launching in the middle of the year and possibly before the Panda,” he said, adding that the LCVs would also appear at the Melbourne show.

“We will be launching a range of 4x2 and 4x4 dual and single cab utilities, followed later in the year by an SUV, competing very much against Great Wall in terms of specification and size.

“In fact, it (the ute range) has the same motor as Great Wall, which is a Mitsubishi.”

Mr Hughes said the deal would give prospective Geely passenger car dealers the bonus of a complementary LCV/SUV range, making the combined franchise more attractive.

The Geely range will kick off nationally in July with the LC Panda, which will most likely be known by a different name once it hits the showrooms.

Mr Hughes said he was still considering alternative names, as ‘Panda’ could not be used because it was already taken by Fiat, while LC was a little unexciting.

The Panda – so called because it was inspired by the Beijing Olympics mascot, complete with black-ringed ‘eyes’ – is sold under Geely’s Gleagle sub-brand in China, armed with a choice of petrol engines – a 50kW 1.0-litre three-cylinder, 63kW 1.3-litre four-cylinder and a 69kW 1.5-litre four-cylinder.

While the 1.0-litre model is available only with manual transmission, the 1.3 and 1.5-litre models have an alternative automatic transmission. As automatic is essential in the light car range in Australia, the four-cylinder engines seem to be most likely to spearhead the model here.

The bigger EC7 – sold under the Emgrand sub-brand – is offered in China with two four-cylinder engines – a 78kW 1.5-litre and 102kW 1.8-litre.

Currently, it is available only with a manual transmission, but reports out of China suggest an automatic is in the offing to make the car more appealing in export markets.

The EC7 recently was awarded five stars under the Chinese New Car Assessment Program (CNCAP), although that program is regarded as less demanding than the European, Australian or Japanese NCAP safety test regimes.

The EC7 has spawned a compact SUV in the RAV4 mould, the EX7, which is also in the CAD wishlist.

While the Geely CE concept car was shown at the Beijing show with a 1.3-litre engine, the export version might end up with a 1.5-litre engine – the same size as the four-cylinder in the MK now on sale in Perth – by the time it lobs in Australia.

This would provide a logical engine progression from 1.3 litres for the Suzuki Alto-sized LC, 1.5 litres for the Barina-sized CE and 1.8 litres for the Corolla-sized EC7.

The original CE concept displayed a touch of Honda Jazz style, although the Geely design team added their own flourishes that, if anything, looked better than the Japanese inspiration.

It remains to be seen if that design translates into production for Australia.

Mr Hughes said that despite the lack of auto transmission and a “soft launch” so far for the MK in WA, it had sold above expectation.

“As we expected, it is appealing to used-car buyers more so than traditional new-car buyers, but unexpectedly, we are selling quite a few to young females,” he said.

“I would have thought most of them would have preferred automatics, and of course, we don’t have automatic available.”