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LUXGEN neora concept – transforming ‘cold’ into ‘emotion’

April 27, 2011 at 11:30 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Concept Cars, International News, Luxgen


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ROC-based carmaker LUXGEN has lifted the covers off its latest creation, called the neora. The intelligent electric concept, as it has been tagged, showcases design cues that will be seen in the company’s upcoming models in the future.

“To transform the cold and rigid industrial product into one of the emotional kind” is what the neora is all about design-wise, says the Taiwanese company. Well, nothing like infusing warmth and character into an inanimate object, or attempting to, hey?


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The front-wheel-drive vehicle is powered by a 180 kW electric induction motor, with juice coming from a 48 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which can be charged to 80% within an hour. On a single charge, the battery provides enough zip for up to 400 km of travel distance.

Performance specs for the 1,600 kg include a 0-100 kph time of 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 250 kph.


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Features on the neora include a head-up display, a PDLC electric glass sunroof, a LED display infotainment system for the rear passengers and a 9-inch active intelligent information system display on the centre console, which offers navigation and information exchange with other suitably-equipped vehicles.

Inside, there’s a big nod to environmental sustainability, with the futuristic cabin featuring the use of eco-friendly trim. Everything works around the chosen earth tone shade – with the grey-theme highlighted by blue accents – including the recycled wood found in the mix.

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BAIC rolls out T60 concept from old Saab platform

April 26, 2011 at 11:32 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, China, International News, Saab

Back in December 2009, China’s Beijing Auto (BAIC) purchased intellectual property for Saab’s 9-5 and 9-3 sedans from General Motors, who no longer wanted the Swedish marque. The $200 million purchase will bear its first fruit in the form of an own brand sedan by the end of this year, it was revealed earlier.

At the Shanghai show, BAIC wheeled out this T60 concept car, which shows extensively reworked bodywork over the ageing Saab platform. The T60, which looks very modern, resembles different models from different angles, so it’s a good car to play “spot the inspiration” with.

This shortcut to a new car will go on sale early next year in China. Some might dismiss it as new skin over old bones, but the previous gen Saab 9-5 was sold in Europe only until recently and is Euro NCAP proven – so this should be a safer car than many homegrown models.

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Volkswagen considering new entry-level brand for China

April 26, 2011 at 11:03 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, China, International News, Volkswagen

According to a report, Volkswagen is mulling over the addition of a domestic brand in China to work the rapidly-growing entry-level segment.

Currently, the brand is not competing in the 20% of the market occupied by low-cost products, but VW Group China, together with its partner First Auto Works, is currently evaluating whether it needs to add a domestic brand to do so.

If it does open a new entry-level brand into the market, VW will join the growing list of manufacturers introducing joint-venture entry-level brands – General Motors, Honda and Nissan already have such representation in the segment. It all falls in line with the Chinese government’s call for international automakers to create such brands so their Chinese partners can gain expertise and technology, the report adds.

Even if doesn’t introduce that entry-level brand, VW is already set to double its production capacity to around four million units a year by 2018, up from the projected sales of two million units this year.

The company will be opening two new assembly plants – with an annual capacity of 300,000 each – in the country, and production at its seven existing plants will of course be increased. It will however take about two to three years before the new plants can begin production.

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ARTIGA Concept unveiled in Shanghai – yes, it is what you think it is, a Satria Neo, replete with supercharger!

April 21, 2011 at 1:35 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, China, International News, Proton

Proton’s Motorsport division lads have certainly been busy bees. The Satria Neo R3 Supercharged seen recently hasn’t been the only thing worked on, it seems.

Say hello to the ARTIGA Concept, which Proton – or rather, Youngman – has unveiled at Auto Shanghai. It’s another Satria Neo-based offering the company says is a study on the future of the hot hatch for Proton, one inspired by its participation in motorsports, but taken to a new level.

Unlike the supercharged R3 Neo, the debutant in China is less flashy colour-wise, clad in a more stoic grey tone, but in terms of exterior lines is certainly more aggresive, with extensive use of carbon fibre. Among the places the stuff makes its way on to is the bonnet, side skirts, spoiler as well as rather aggressively-shaped front and rear diffusers. The car features a patented stamping process to mass produce the carbon fibre parts, which helps to significantly reduce the cost of the items.

Plenty in the way of radical bulging bits though – check out what passes off as wheel arches on the car, working their way into the remodelled bumpers! Elsewhere, the concept features centrally-mounted twin tailpipes, swanky new headlamps and Oz Racing wheels, among other things.

It features the same supercharger treatment – as the Satria Neo R3 Supercharged – to increase power and torque (which should put it at 180 hp and 200 Nm, presumably), as well as the same Ohlins and AP brake package as seen in the limited-edition Satria Neo Lotus Racing.

The ARTIGA is on display at Proton’s Chinese partner Youngman’s booth, and is there to gauge the public’s feedback and interest. A bit of trivia: The car is sporting a Youngman logo, as Proton currently has no direct presence in China at the moment. Clever name too, ARTIGA is, yes?

Live show photo gallery after the jump. Update: Interior shots added
[Read more...]

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Youngman Europestar L5 based on long wheelbase GEN2 platform launched at Shanghai 2011

April 21, 2011 at 1:20 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, China, International News, Proton, Youngman

Proton’s Chinese partner Youngman Europestar showcased the Youngman L5 you see above at the 2011 Shanghai Motorshow happening right now.

The Youngman L5 is based on a Proton GEN2 platform with a lengthened wheelbase of 2,670mm which is 70mm longer than the original GEN2 wheelbase. It seems China really does need an extended wheelbase version of everything, including a GEN2!

It was developed in collaboration with Lotus Engineering, with internal and external styling jointly done by Youngman and Lotus for the Chinese market. In the engine bay you’ll find the 1.6 litre Campro CPS engine making 125 horses and 149 Nm of torque.

The red car you see in the gallery is a hatchback, while the white car is a sedan. The Youngman L5 sedan goes for approximately RMB98,000 (about RM45k) while the L5 hatchback is slightly more expensive at RMB108k (RM50k). The price list goes all the way up to RMB122k for the top spec version.
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Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended Wheelbase for China market

April 20, 2011 at 3:02 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, China, International News, Rolls Royce

Chinese bosses love legroom and want lots of it, which is why we see “L” versions of cars like the BMW 5-Series, Audi A6 and Volvo S80. But a long wheelbase version of the Rolls-Royce Ghost? Yes, it’s been launched at the ongoing Shanghai show with “Extended Wheelbase” as the name extension.

The Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended Wheelbase is the first ever RR to be launched in Asia, and there’s no prizes for predicting that it will be the best selling RR in China, where it will cost 5.118 million RMB, about 20% costlier than the standard Ghost.

For that premium, buyers get a 170 mm longer wheelbase and increased minimum rear kneeroom (distance between the back of the front seat in its rearmost position and the front of the rear seat’s squab) from 160 to 330 mm. In addition, a panoramic sunroof is standard. From the outside, the Ghost EWB has a new forged alloy wheel design.

But if they wanted a larger Rolls, isn’t there the Phantom? Autocar UK asked the same question, and here’s what RR CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos told them:

“For some of our customers, a Phantom is just too much: too big, too ostentatious, too formal, too expensive. The Ghost EWB is a car that’s more usable every day; the sort of car that you can be chauffeured in during the week, and still enjoy as a driver’s car at weekends. And that’s an increasingly popular usage pattern in developing Asian markets.”

More hi-res pics after the jump.
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Baojun 630 launched in China – sales begin this month

April 20, 2011 at 1:38 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Baojun, Cars, General Motors, International News

The announcement of the launch of the brand was made last November, with production of its first model beginning the same month. Now, five months on, GM’s newest car brand, Baojun, has officially launched the Baojun 630 into the market.

Aimed specifically at the Chinese market, the 1.5 litre Euro IV-compliant sedan – which sits on a Buick Excelle platform – has been designed to attract young drivers in the country’s second- and third-tier cities, primarily the middle-class crowd in its vast interior.

Produced by GM and its partners Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation Group and Wuling Motors in Liuzhou, Guangxi, the Baojun 630 is set to address the growing demand across the country for affordable personal transportation, and will be attractively priced between US$10,000 and US$15,000.

Baojun, which means “treasured horse”, will start selling the 630 later this month. It has a network of 150 dedicated dealerships across the country, but the number of dealerships is expected to double by the end of the year, says GM.
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Kia K2 sedan unveiled in Shanghai – only for China?

April 19, 2011 at 2:08 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, China, International News, Kia

The Kia K2 revealed in leaked and spyshot photos yesterday has been officially unveiled in Shanghai. Based on the all-new Rio platform, the B-segment sedan is designed and engineered by Kia and its Chinese JV Dongfeng Yueda Kia specifically for the Chinese market, and will begin production at DYK’s manufacturing facility in Jiangsu in June.

The K2, which measures in at 4,370 mm long, 1,700 mm wide and 1,460 mm tall (with a 2,570mm wheelbase), is being positioned as a premium small car with advanced styling and upgraded levels of quality and performance. A five-door hatchback version is set to join the party sometime in August.

Though sharing the same technical underpinnings as the all-new Rio, the K2 has been completely redesigned for the Chinese market, drawing on styling cues from the popular K5 sedan (the new Optima) – it has definitely borrowed a fair bit element-wise from the latter, if rescaled.

Design elements include a front featuring Kia’s signature tiger nose grille, a large air intake, dynamic swept-back headlamps and an interesting fog lamp design, for starters. A side character line, side air vent and trunk edge line beef things further, and the rear features a two-tone bumper and modern combination lamps.

The driver-focused interior features, among other things a three-cylinder supervision instrument cluster, cloth lined door panels, 60:40 split rear folding seats, leather steering wheel and TGS knob, as well as push-button engine start, replete with smart key. Kia says the K2 has a best-in-class interior space, and the car offers 500 litres of boot space.

For the market, the K2 will be available in six trim levels across two engine variants, these being the 106 hp 1.4 litre or 120 hp 1.6 litre Gamma petrol units, mated to either a manual or automatic transmission.
[Read more...]

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Peugeot SXC Concept: New look applied on a crossover

April 15, 2011 at 10:25 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, China, Concept Cars, International News, Peugeot

It’s an indication of China’s prominence that so many carmakers are lining up to set up world debuts in Shanghai. Peugeot is one of them, and the French marque that’s targeting 200,000 sales this year plans to launch at least one new model per year in the world’s largest auto market. At this year’s Auto Shanghai, they will launch the 508 saloon for China and also show off this sleek looking crossover concept called SXC.

Done by Peugeot Style Studios of the China Tech Center in Shanghai, the SXC (which stands for Shanghai Cross Concept) takes Peugeot’s new look first seen on the SR1 and applies it to a crossover body. According to the design team, SXC adopts certain characteristics from the world of the SUV (such as strength, high driving position, protection), without caricaturing them. It’s modern, elegant and refined and “close to the upmarket world of the saloons”.

At 4.87 m long and 2.035 m wide, the SXC is quite a large vehicle, mirroring the size of an Infiniti FX. Main styling points to look out for are the “floating grille”, “feline headlamps”, boomerang rear lamps, reverse-hinged doors, two-part panoramic roof and the use of brushed aluminium on the exterior.

Power is courtesy of Peugeot’s HYbrid4 technology. which sees a 218 hp 1.6-litre THP engine driving the front wheels and a 70 kW (95 hp) electric motor driving the rears. Combined fuel consumption is rated at 5.8 L/100 km and CO2 emissions is at 143 g/km. The drivetrain has a “zero emissions” mode powered solely by the electric motor at low speeds.

Gallery after the jump.
[Read more...]

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Ex-Ford engineer faces jail for stealing trade secrets

April 14, 2011 at 11:29 am By Danny Tan Filed Under China, Ford, International News

Seventy months in federal prison and a fine of $12,500 is what Xiang Dong Yu a.k.a. Mike Yu has to repay after the ex-Ford engineer pleaded guilty to two counts of theft of trade secrets. In addition, the Beijing native who has permanent resident status in the US, will be deported upon completion of his sentence.

Yu, 49, was a product engineer at Ford from 1997 through early 2007. In late 2006, he accepted a job at at the China branch of a US company, which is not a crime. What is a crime was that on the eve of his departure from Ford (and before he told them of his new job), Yu copied some 4,000 Ford documents onto an external hard disk. These files include Ford design documents about engine-transmission and electric power supply systems.

He the left and eventually joined Chinese automaker Beijing Automotive Industry Corp. You would know BAIC as the purchaser of the old Saab 9-5 from General Motors. Beijing Auto is the joint venture partner of Hyundai and Daimler AG. It also assembles Chryslers and makes SUVs and 4WDs based on old Toyota and Jeep designs. The company’s group sales totaled 1.4 million vehicles in 2010, making it the fifth largest automaker in China.

What then happened to Yu? He was arrested in October 2009 upon arrival at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport from China.

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