Archive for China

Chinese auto manufacturer Chery claims the new Chery S18 (it’s not wrong for you to see a resemblance to the Suzuki Splash) to be Chery’s first self-developed electric car, capable of hitting a top sped of 120km/h and a maximum range of 150km on a full charge. The Chery S18 uses iron-phosphate-based lithium-ion batteries which can be charged in between 4 to 6 hours, and 80% charged in half an hour.

This makes Chery the 2nd Chinese manufacturer to unveil an electric car after BYD unveiled its plug-in hybrid BYD F3DM last year. Chery also demonstrated its hybrid systems as part of the Beijing Olympics fleet. Hybrid versions of the Chery A5 with electric motors and hybrid systems developed by supplier Ricardo were used as part of transportation arrangements. Its rival BYD on the other hand, has the confidence, support and investment of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway.

Look after the jump for a rear shot of the S18.

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Click for enlarged image

Apparently Proton is revisiting an old “friend”. Proton was in talks with Rover to supply it with the Proton GEN2 to be rebadged as a Rover to replace the Rover 45, which was at that time a car based on a derivative of the Honda Civic EG (Honda Domani).

We first heard of this in the year 2000, but things only picked up in 2004. In return, Rover would supply Proton with the Rover 75’s platform, which would have been used to produce a Perdana Replacement Model. Towards the end of 2004, it looks like things turned sour and the collaboration was canceled without any fruitful outcome. All they said was the partnership was “not viable”, and that was the end of it.

Now it appears that Proton is once again in talks with Rover, only this time the people doing the talking are their new owners SAIC. According to a source in Proton, things are still at the discussion stage. The deal once again is for the Rover 75 platform (now the Roewe 750) to be used by Proton as a new Perdana replacement car, and in return Proton will allow SAIC to use one of their platforms to badge produce a Roewe.

This could be the GEN2 (which is also sold in China as the Europestar RCR) or even the Proton MPV, as despite there being so many shots of what everyone assumed to be a Roewe MPV out there on the internet (with rear sliding doors), but apparently this has turned out to actually be the Luxgen MPV.

The 2.5 liter KV6 engine from the Rover will also likely be bundled together with the platform. While this is considered by many to be an old engine, SAIC has made some changes to the new rechristened 188 horsepower Roewe KV6 with the help of Ricardo and updated it to Euro 4 standards. A variant of the KV6 is found in the Naza Ria.

So, a Rover Perdana and a Mitsubishi Waja it is? Can’t wait for something concrete.

This is the other car launched by Changan Berjaya Auto on Monday, the Chana Era CV6. It’s essentially the same 5-door hatchback we saw in Putrajaya in March 2008. It’s pretty much a Viva-type of vehicle and the thing is it actually is decent to look at. There aren’t any strange jarring design cues that spoil the design, it’s simple, unpretentious and perhaps boring but it’s not hideous, nor does it employ any odd patterns like the triangles all over the Naza Forza.

For a sum of RM 36,862.00 for the Standard Solid version, you’ll get 5 seats, a 1,301cc engine producing 85 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 110Nm of torque between 3,500 to 4,500rpm, steel wheels, power steering with adjustable tilt, front power windows and a top speed of about 145km/h. For Metallic paint, you pay RM 37,368.00.

Going for the Premium version will cost you RM 40,888 for solid paint and RM 41,394 for metallic paint, and you’ll get alloy wheels, power windows for all four doors, ABS brakes, a single CD player with radio and a driver’s airbag. So it’s got ABS and an airbag covered, that’s pretty much how far safety features can go at this segment. Apparently during the launch period, you can get the Premium version for the price of the Standard version as an introductory offer.

The 1.3 liter engine is also a Suzuki-derived one, and probably a unit that’s a little more modern than the one in the van covered earlier, but it’s still pretty much a basic unit though it has a nice peak torque spread starting from 110Nm. From my observation of the units they had for display at the media preview, the build quality was even worse than the van. ChangAn even got basic things like the feedback an air conditioning knob gives when you turn it wrong. Go to a showroom and try it, it feels really weird, like you were forcibly twisting something through some thick oil, I would imagine this is what goes on inside a torque converter or something.

The selection knob for fresh air or recirculation air for the air conditioning appeared to be positioned too close to the dash and was cutting in to the dash plastic itself. The dashboard plastic itself isn’t really too bad however parts where various pieces meet together were way too rough. Some metal mounts and etc were too exposed like the bolt and joint where the seat and backrest connect together, etc. It’s a pity as the exterior doesn’t look too bad.

Despite the horrendous build quality, ChangAn knows people are also looking for mechanical quality and endurance, so they’ve recently organised this ChanaTrax event where a group of ChangAn vehicles including this CV6/BenBen drove from China to South Africa. That’s a total distance of 24,000 kms and there were some pretty high altitudes and rough terrain involved.

So I suppose it would be okay running around town here, it’s just that the only appealing thing going for this car at the moment seems to be its initial price tag.

2009 is the year of the MPV. The big two are the Proton MPV and the Perodua MPV that’s set to launch at different times this year, but before any of them manage to get in the showrooms comes the cheapest MPV in the market, the Chana Era CM8.

Now let’s backtrack a little – those of you who have been following this blog for a few years now may remember this vehicle being spotted a few years ago, in June 2007 to be exact. The CM8 was spotted in Subang Jaya with trade plates. Even before that in end-2005, we heard news of a company signing an agreement with the CM8’s maker ChangAn Auto to assemble the CM8 locally in Malaysia. It turns out that company was a unit of the Berjaya Group, Changan Berjaya Auto Sdn Bhd.

The result of all that discussion and planning since 2005 are two cars, and here we take a look at one of them – the Chana Era CM8, assembled locally in Oriental Assemblers in Johor. Chana Era is the brand that Changan Berjaya is using to market the ChangAn products here in Malaysia. The car is said to have over 40% local content. Take one look at you’ll realise this is probably something based on a Suzuki as it looks like the Suzuki ER-V, plus Suzuki is one of ChangAn’s partners in China.

Something similiar in size and shape to this vehicle was introduced in Malaysia sometime ago. I’m sure some of you remember the Suzuki APV, which retailed for over RM70k. It didn’t do very well, probably because of its van-like looks. But the 3.8 meter long Chana Era CM8 has one advantage under its sleeves – it’s insanely low price tag of RM38,888 OTR with insurance for the cheapest model. This goes up to just under RM45k for the most expensive models.

The Chana Era CM8 is built on a monocoque chassis which is superior in terms of ride comfort and handling compared to the body-on-frame that other cheap MPVs use. It’s essentially a van, with a van-like engine position. It has sliding doors on both sides of the vehicle for access to the rear. The 2nd and 3rd row have their own air cond blower located at the ceiling. The key differences between the Standard and Premium models are ABS brakes, a stereo radio with a single CD player, speakers, an electric power steering and 14 inch alloy wheels which are all features only available on the Premium version. Power windows are only available on the front two doors for both models.

Both variants are powered by a Suzuki-derived 1,310cc inline-4 16 valve aluminium alloy engine producing 80 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 102Nm of torque between 4,500 to 5,000rpm. This is mated to a 5-speed manual, with no automatic version in sight even in the near future. Top speed is 135km/h. Brakes are discs for the front and drums at the rear. Tyre size is 175/65R14 for both the Premium’s alloys and the Standard’s steel wheels. It measures 3,856mm long, 1,568mm wide and 1,898mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,430mm.

At first impressions the interior plastic quality and the touch and feel of the CM8 is quite rough, especially where different plastic bits meet together. Mechanically it remains to be seen but as it is a basic 16 valve inline-4 without any funky features like variable valve timing it should be easy to maintain. If you want to compare to another China-sourced car, the Naza Forza (Naza Sutera) definitely has better interior quality.

It’s quite obvious the proposition that the CM8 is offering to you is cheap to buy. There are many people who do not place importance on interior quality and just want something that works and isn’t expensive. This is the car for them. It remains to be seen whether it is cheap to maintain and cheap to run. I will try to get a test drive session and report to you how it drives as well as the fuel consumption I can get.

Hyundai, or rather BeiJing Hyundai has created this new look for the Sonata based on Chinese tastes and preferences, which seems right now to be in tune to a wackier version of the Toyota Aurion/Camry. Since the Sonata NF was designed to look a certain way, the Sonata NFC (NF China?) ends up looking like a mish-mash of the front and rear ends of another car slapped onto the mid-section of the Kia Optima.

The Sonata NFC will be called the Hyundai Ling Xiang in China, in order for it not to be confused with the Hyundai Sonata NF. It measures 4,815mm x 1,832mm x 1,475mm with a 2,730mm wheelbase. Price tags come in at 155,800 yuan for the baseline 2.0 liter model (cheaper than the cheapest Sonata NF at 165,800 yuan) and up to 228,800 yuan for the top of the range 2.4 liter model. There are a total of 6 variants.

Other than the different exterior looks, the interior also gets better rear seats to ensure a more comfortable ride for the rear passengers.

Coming up next: Beijing Hyundai is taking the previous generation Hyundai Sonata platform to develop another D-segment sedan that will slot in at a cheaper price than both the Sonata NF and the Sonata NFC. Production of the Sonata NF has now ceased as this Sonata NFC replaces it.

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It doesn’t take a genius to know that Shuanghuan Automobile ripped off the design of BMW’s X3 (tail lamps) and first generation X5 SUVs when it styled the Shuanghuan CEO. Even the name is similiar to the X5’s “the boss is back” tagline when it was launched in Malaysia.

But apparently a court in Milan, Italy couldn’t see that, and rejected BMW’s claim that the Chinese SUV infringed its copyright. BMW won a similiar case on its home grounds in Munich in July this year.

The Volvo S80L joins a handful of vehicles that have been stretched to suit Chinese market tastes. The S80L is essentially a long wheelbase version of the Volvo S80. It is a full 140mm longer than a standard S80, with all the extra length dedicated to increasing rear legroom. The Volvo S80L will be built at the CFMA Chongqing plant in China. It’s peers will be the likes of the Audi A6L and the E60 BMW 5-Series long wheelbase.

Ford is looking to dump its premium brand Volvo, known for its safety, and is currently said to be in talks with two Chinese car manufacturers – Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) and ChangAn Automobile Group.

The SAIC rumour came about last week, reported by publications which were quoting unnamed sources. According to reports, Ford is hoping the Volvo sale can fetch £4 billion, which is less than the £4.4 billion sum it paid for Volvo in 1999. SAIC could do perform some front wheel drive platform sharing magic between MG and Ford.

Ford refused to comment on the talks when contacted by members of the media. “We will not comment on speculation or rumors, nor will we comment on regular business discussions that we have with our partners,” Ford said in a statement. Changan is Ford’s partner in China, and makes some Fords and Mazdas in China under one of its subsidiaries. It also assembles the Volvo S40 in China.

Another Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor Group is also mildly interested in acquiring any assets the Detroit Three may dump for cheap. You may have noticed Dongfeng trucks in Malaysia. But Dongfeng is only monitoring the situation at best, and it’s too early to say if it would buy any assets.

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Volvo trucks doesn’t want Volvo cars if Ford sells

This video shows a Chinese woman (supposedly in Shanghai) arguing with a tow truck driver, who appears to want to tow her Chevrolet Captiva away for illegally parking or some kind of offense or another. She got fed up of arguing and just drove her Captiva away, still attached to the tow truck! Probably a testament to the torque a Captiva has, especially the turbodiesel version. This is probably a viral advertisement of some sort, but still quite a smart one. Watch the video after the jump.

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Antonov has secured its first customer for its new Antonov TX6 6-speed automatic transmission: Chinese automaker Lifan Motors. Antonov had earlier demonstrated a Volkswagen Golf 1.6 with the TX6 transmission installed to 7 potential customers and so far Lifan has bit. Geely is also showing strong interest in the transmission.

The TX6 can handle up to 260Nm of torque and is suitable for engine sizes from 1.5 liters up to 2.5 liters. It is produced in China exclusively for the Chinese automaker market but will be made available worldwide in the long term. It can shift from any gear to any gear, thus you can downshift 2 to 3 gears at once without delay. Also, a torque converter is not used but instead an indirect brake is used to launch, similiar to Japanese CVTs. The AMG Speedshift-MCT transmission is another planetary gearbox that does not use a torque converter to start up, instead it uses a start-up clutch.

Someone should tell Youngman that more gear ratios to keep the rev needle at an optimum rev band more often would do wonders for the odd torque curve of the Campro engines found in its Europestar RCR (rebadged GEN2) and Europestar Jingyue (rebadged Persona).

Look after the jump for some technical diagrams of the TX6.

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