Chery Automobile Corp: #3 with a bullet
Chery Automobile Corporation is upending the competition in its home market. The manufacturer leapfrogged a healthy three notches on China's sales ranking list in February, in the process marking the first time a domestic has pushed out a foreign joint-venture to take to the podium.
Cherry shifted 21,000 units last month (an impressive 130-percent increase year-over-year), largely on the
strength of GM's their QQ subcompact. The latter, a bargain-priced entry isn't exactly a profit
center. Xinhua reports that the automaker earns about 500 yuan profit-- about $62 USD. Still, turning a profit on small
cars is a difficult business, be it in China or here in North America.
Regardless, Chery's efforts saw it take third place in overall sales during February behind Shanghai GM and Shanghai Volkswagen. It unseeded another Wolfsburg joint-venture, First Automobile Works/VW.
[Source: Xinhuanet.com]













Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mal Fuller 4:34PM (3/04/2006)
"Still, turning a profit on small cars is a difficult business, but it in China or here in North America."
Assuming you meant BE it in China or...., my comment is that here in North America GM & Ford find it quite a trick turning a profit on anything, not just small cars!
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bhtooefr 5:46PM (3/04/2006)
Who wants the chick in that photo? :P
Anyway, the funny thing is, FAW's bread and butter is the Jetta. But, not the Jetta that we can buy here new. (They have the previous generation Jetta, as the Bora. That's what it was sold as in Europe, of course.) The Jetta that they get there is merely a freshened version of the Mk2 Jetta. Yep, my 1985 Jetta diesel is merely a few body panels, a new interior, and an engine away from being a 2006 Jetta GDF.
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Joshi 7:20PM (3/04/2006)
I dig the QQ. I'd so buy it if it (or the Daewoo/Chevy version) was available in the States.
Well, if it was cheap enough. ;-)
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Will Wheeler 9:46PM (3/04/2006)
Does anyone else see a problem with these cars coming to the US? Or does anyone have a problem that buying these cars helps China build more missles to aim at us? (I realize this is a simple explaination, but since most of the industry in China is state owned an run, it's not hard to direct a lot of the profit into military coffers.)
I guess I am just suprised that there isn't any concern about China, and what their future intentions are. So as long as everything we buy is cheap, it doesn't matter what the future consequenses are?
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Jackie 12:50AM (3/05/2006)
China is just as entitled to sell its cars here as are companies in Europe and Japan- Jackie
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Scott 2:10AM (3/05/2006)
China's aiming missles? I thought that was North Korea and possibly Iran...
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Neon 3:25AM (3/05/2006)
I though the missles suppose to aim at something?
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hans wee 6:12AM (3/05/2006)
china doesnt need missles, they could sink our money market tommorrow if they wanted with the cash hoarde they have from our trade deficits.
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Car-la 7:37AM (3/05/2006)
I'm actually not that concerned with missiles directed at the US, rather with the theft of intellectual property. Isn't this car called the Daewoo Matiz in other countries? And the Chinese just copy it without hesitation.
Currently, Chinese companies can copy anything, and throw it on the market a lopt cheaper than the original developer, since they didn't have to pay or the development.
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Roland 9:16AM (3/05/2006)
Why is it that EVERYONE is going for the Rice Rockets & Europian (sp) Cars? We build some of the finest cars in the world, and it is also better for our economy. People will complain about the President giving foreign countries our jobs, yet they are doing so while driving cars that are manufactured in Japan, Germany, and many other countries, putting our own people out of work! They think that by these companies assembling these cars here @ just above minimun wage, with hardly any benefits is just as good as building them here, but it isn't, and never will be! Just look at all the people from Ford & GM that have lost thier jobs because of this, yet they complain about this, and STILL drive Jap Crap? I've purchased many brand new AMERICAN cars since coming home from Vietnam, and would NEVER even think of purchasing a Foreign Car and giving MY MONEY to another country! Our cars are just as good, if not better, for example look at the Chevrolet Corvette, one of the fastest and very economical Sports cars ever produced in this country! Our Corvette ZO6 is in my opinion, and many others the FASTEST, and still economical, very comfortable, a car that you can drive everyday, yet Race it on the Weekend if you want, taking home Trophys along the way! Look at the LeMans' Series and see who has been winning that the last 4 or 5 years, the C5R & now the C6R's are whipping out the compitition with ease! I presently own a 2005 - C6, with the Z51 package, loaded! I believe this is the FASTEST car I've ever owned, and I've owned alot of factory Hot Rods, going back to the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, now the new century, owning such cars as the 4-4-2's, Hurst Olds, GTO's, Camaro's, Grand Prix's, and several Corvette's that all have givin me extremely good fuel milage, yet you NEVER see this in any magazine, or the News, or any Reports by people like Consumer Reports (which I've written too, and asked if they are owned by a Japanese Company), Car & Driver will never tell you what I am saying either, along with many other publications! My new Corvette gets 22 to 24 mpg around town, and 28 to 30 mpg on the highway, and I do NOT drive slow either! Although I am speeding, I am still just keeping up with traffic on our New England Highways, which seems to be the norm, 80 to 85 mph normally will NOT get you a Ticket in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island & Conneticut. Why this is, I have no idea, but I know for a fact that I can do these speeds and still not get a ticket, and I am assuming that it is like this in most other states either! The Corvette is at home at these speeds, and gets it's best mileage there, it handles extremely well, stops extremely fast, and can take evasive turns to avoid an accident with no chance of tipping over, or losing control! It has built in safe guards to prevent this from ever happening, but it is NOT for the people that can't drive under these conditions in any car, they are doomed for an accident no matter what they are driving or what speed they are diving, and need to be sitting in something that is made of bubble wrap, and I'm not sure that would help these people in any case! Not too many VERY expensive foreign cars have these safe guards built into them, unless you want to spend 10 years of your salary to purchase one! Yet the American Icon is affordable, economical, safe, comfortable, and extremely Fun to drive! One example of the handling features in the Corvette; I was feeling ill one evening coming home from a friends house, and had my wife drive my car for me. Not being used to the quick handling (we JUST purchased this particular vehicle) my wife attemtped to take a left turn at 70 mph, not realizing she was going that fast, and the cars rearend started to come around to greet us, the Active Handling kicked in, the car applied a rear break, and cut the fuel to the engine just enough to slow it down and keep it under control, therefore keeping us out of the woods, and an accident. She had no idea what had happened, but I was watching the Driver's Information Center, which tells you what is going on with the car at the moment, and seen "Active Handling "ACTIVE"! I felt the car start to slide, then come back under her control! This would NOT have happened in most any other car, especially your very High Priced Foreign cars, they just do not look at thingss like this, just how many Cup Holders would this vehicle hold, and where to put them, also how much wood can we put into the Dash to make it pretty for the woman of the house to like, and force her husband to purchase this good looking car! It's BS to think that a Foreign car is as good as our AMERICAN one, and we would also be keeping our Jobs here in america, and not paying foreign car manufacturer's to come here and assemble their cars here, and tell everyopne they are BUILT here, paying $9. 0r $10. dollars an hour, instead of what the UAW pays it's employees to build fine American Mobile Power, with QUALITY!!!!!! Well, guess I'll get off my soapbox for now, but please people THINK of what your doing to US, you and I when you purchase a Foreign car!? Who are you going to put out of work next time you purchase your Toyota or Lexus? BTW, most people don't even realize that the Lexus SUV is NOT a 4 wheel drive vehicle, it's a Front wheel drive station wagon!!! NOT an SUV!!!
Reply
Roland 9:22AM (3/05/2006)
Why is it that EVERYONE is going for the Rice Rockets & Europian (sp) Cars? We build some of the finest cars in the world, and it is also better for our economy. People will complain about the President giving foreign countries our jobs, yet they are doing so while driving cars that are manufactured in Japan, Germany, and many other countries, putting our own people out of work! They think that by these companies assembling these cars here @ just above minimun wage, with hardly any benefits is just as good as building them here, but it isn't, and never will be! Just look at all the people from Ford & GM that have lost thier jobs because of this, yet they complain about this, and STILL drive Jap Crap? I've purchased many brand new AMERICAN cars since coming home from Vietnam, and would NEVER even think of purchasing a Foreign Car and giving MY MONEY to another country! Our cars are just as good, if not better, for example look at the Chevrolet Corvette, one of the fastest and very economical Sports cars ever produced in this country! Our Corvette ZO6 is in my opinion, and many others the FASTEST, and still economical, very comfortable, a car that you can drive everyday, yet Race it on the Weekend if you want, taking home Trophys along the way! Look at the LeMans' Series and see who has been winning that the last 4 or 5 years, the C5R & now the C6R's are whipping out the compitition with ease! I presently own a 2005 - C6, with the Z51 package, loaded! I believe this is the FASTEST car I've ever owned, and I've owned alot of factory Hot Rods, going back to the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, now the new century, owning such cars as the 4-4-2's, Hurst Olds, GTO's, Camaro's, Grand Prix's, and several Corvette's that all have givin me extremely good fuel milage, yet you NEVER see this in any magazine, or the News, or any Reports by people like Consumer Reports (which I've written too, and asked if they are owned by a Japanese Company), Car & Driver will never tell you what I am saying either, along with many other publications! My new Corvette gets 22 to 24 mpg around town, and 28 to 30 mpg on the highway, and I do NOT drive slow either! Although I am speeding, I am still just keeping up with traffic on our New England Highways, which seems to be the norm, 80 to 85 mph normally will NOT get you a Ticket in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island & Conneticut. Why this is, I have no idea, but I know for a fact that I can do these speeds and still not get a ticket, and I am assuming that it is like this in most other states either! The Corvette is at home at these speeds, and gets it's best mileage there, it handles extremely well, stops extremely fast, and can take evasive turns to avoid an accident with no chance of tipping over, or losing control! It has built in safe guards to prevent this from ever happening, but it is NOT for the people that can't drive under these conditions in any car, they are doomed for an accident no matter what they are driving or what speed they are diving, and need to be sitting in something that is made of bubble wrap, and I'm not sure that would help these people in any case! Not too many VERY expensive foreign cars have these safe guards built into them, unless you want to spend 10 years of your salary to purchase one! Yet the American Icon is affordable, economical, safe, comfortable, and extremely Fun to drive! One example of the handling features in the Corvette; I was feeling ill one evening coming home from a friends house, and had my wife drive my car for me. Not being used to the quick handling (we JUST purchased this particular vehicle) my wife attemtped to take a left turn at 70 mph, not realizing she was going that fast, and the cars rearend started to come around to greet us, the Active Handling kicked in, the car applied a rear break, and cut the fuel to the engine just enough to slow it down and keep it under control, therefore keeping us out of the woods, and an accident. She had no idea what had happened, but I was watching the Driver's Information Center, which tells you what is going on with the car at the moment, and seen "Active Handling "ACTIVE"! I felt the car start to slide, then come back under her control! This would NOT have happened in most any other car, especially your very High Priced Foreign cars, they just do not look at thingss like this, just how many Cup Holders would this vehicle hold, and where to put them, also how much wood can we put into the Dash to make it pretty for the woman of the house to like, and force her husband to purchase this good looking car! It's BS to think that a Foreign car is as good as our AMERICAN one, and we would also be keeping our Jobs here in america, and not paying foreign car manufacturer's to come here and assemble their cars here, and tell everyopne they are BUILT here, paying $9. 0r $10. dollars an hour, instead of what the UAW pays it's employees to build fine American Mobile Power, with QUALITY!!!!!! Well, guess I'll get off my soapbox for now, but please people THINK of what your doing to US, you and I when you purchase a Foreign car!? Who are you going to put out of work next time you purchase your Toyota or Lexus? BTW, most people don't even realize that the Lexus SUV is NOT a 4 wheel drive vehicle, it's a Front wheel drive station wagon!!! NOT an SUV!!!
Reply
Tom Design 11:03AM (3/05/2006)
Not a bad attempt overall in design, but I see the old Neon, big wide eyed, almost froggy faced, front end and mouth. The design was made carnivalesque instead of cute, though, and this looks like a miniature circus car. The Chinese have joined the Japanese in not being able to design attractive cars.
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Joshi 3:42PM (3/05/2006)
Wow, Roland (#10...and #11).
I was trying to decide if you were being sarcastic, or if you were really that...insane.
The "Vietnam" comment almost convinced me you were joking, but I eventually concluded that anyone trying to be sarcastic wouldn't bother typing such a long rant.
So, er...congratulations?
Maybe you should ask yourself why people buy "Jap Crap" rather than the your "QUALITY!!!!!" American cars. But maybe that would be too rational?
I'm by no means a "Rice Rocket and Europian (sp)" fanboy, but it's not hard to see that you're a bit...off the edge.
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ash 2:31AM (3/10/2006)
THey actually have much much nicer designs, and plus there are many other chinese autos better like zhonghua and hafei and they will come to US before chery
http://www.chinacarforums.com
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ash 9:43PM (4/04/2006)
Chery is big in china and just made their 500 000 th car..we can expect chery in US..soon i hope :)
http://www.chinacarforums.com
Reply