SAIC WILL MAKE ITS OWN CARS
Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2006 6:37 pm
SAIC to build its own cars
You may remember when MG Rover bankrupted last year, Chinese car maker Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) bought the intellectual properties of Rover 25 and 75, plus the Rover K-series and KV6 engine. Now SAIC has formally announced to build its own version of the Rover 75 and export to Europe. Prototypes of the car is being testing in its R&D center in England, which hired ex-Rover engineers to oversee the project.
For your information, SAIC is the largest car maker in China. Last year, it produced 1.05 million cars and trucks, 750,000 units of which were passenger cars. However, the success is due to its partnership with Volkswagen and GM to produce their cars locally. In fact, nearly all of the passenger cars it produced were Volkswagen Passat, Santana, Gol and Polo, GM's Buick Regal, Buick LaCrosse, Buick Excelle (=Daewoo Nubira) Cadillac CTS, Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Epica etc. So far SAIC does not has its own brand and development capability to put it on the map of worldwide car makers. That's why AutoZine has yet to list it in the manufacturer's page.
The China government is encouraging car makers to globalize and stand on its own feet, SAIC has decided to launch its own brand and cars. The first one will be the Chinese version of Rover 75, although it is hardly a demonstration of its own ability. The car will be launched in early 2007. Over the next 4 years, there will be 4 more product lines added, including a hybrid vehicle (remark: sounds like an April Fool joke to me).
Currently, SAIC has a production capacity of 120,000 cars and 170,000 engines. By 2010, it plans to build 200,000 to 300,000 cars of its own brands, including 50,000 for export. But it will be a very difficult uphill battle, because until now the Chinese car maker has no experience of design and develop its own cars. From my understanding of China's big industrial enterprises (I am regularly working with those in the electronics field), I would say it could take a couple of decades at least to meet the world standard, just like what Japanese and Korean experienced.
Source : www.autozine.org
You may remember when MG Rover bankrupted last year, Chinese car maker Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) bought the intellectual properties of Rover 25 and 75, plus the Rover K-series and KV6 engine. Now SAIC has formally announced to build its own version of the Rover 75 and export to Europe. Prototypes of the car is being testing in its R&D center in England, which hired ex-Rover engineers to oversee the project.
For your information, SAIC is the largest car maker in China. Last year, it produced 1.05 million cars and trucks, 750,000 units of which were passenger cars. However, the success is due to its partnership with Volkswagen and GM to produce their cars locally. In fact, nearly all of the passenger cars it produced were Volkswagen Passat, Santana, Gol and Polo, GM's Buick Regal, Buick LaCrosse, Buick Excelle (=Daewoo Nubira) Cadillac CTS, Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Epica etc. So far SAIC does not has its own brand and development capability to put it on the map of worldwide car makers. That's why AutoZine has yet to list it in the manufacturer's page.
The China government is encouraging car makers to globalize and stand on its own feet, SAIC has decided to launch its own brand and cars. The first one will be the Chinese version of Rover 75, although it is hardly a demonstration of its own ability. The car will be launched in early 2007. Over the next 4 years, there will be 4 more product lines added, including a hybrid vehicle (remark: sounds like an April Fool joke to me).
Currently, SAIC has a production capacity of 120,000 cars and 170,000 engines. By 2010, it plans to build 200,000 to 300,000 cars of its own brands, including 50,000 for export. But it will be a very difficult uphill battle, because until now the Chinese car maker has no experience of design and develop its own cars. From my understanding of China's big industrial enterprises (I am regularly working with those in the electronics field), I would say it could take a couple of decades at least to meet the world standard, just like what Japanese and Korean experienced.
Source : www.autozine.org