Spy Shots: Chery A6 Coupe spotted near Lotus Headquarters
Chery, the Chinese automaker with a sweet-sounding name, is serious about entering the European market as quickly as possible.Proof of such can be seen in the A6 Coupe (we're sure Audi's lawyers are keeping tabs on this one too), which has recently been spotted testing near Lotus' corporate headquarters in Norfolk, England. Might the Chinese upstart be getting some much needed know-how from the British brand that's known for its excellent chassis tuning? Seems likely.
Chery also received help on the A6's styling from none other than classic Italian styling house Bertone, and it's a pretty good looker in its two-door hatchback configuration. Future versions are said to include a sedan, a two-door shooting brake-style wagon and possibly a hardtop convertible. Power will come from either a 2.0-liter turbocharged four cylinder or a naturally aspirated 3.0-liter V6, both of which have reportedly been certified for sale in the U.K.
[Source: AutoCar]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Torrent 6:35PM (1/30/2009)
I saw A6 and looked down and almost cried because I thought it was Audi. lol
But if Chery is making a car based on the Lotus platform, it could be pretty sharp in handling. Looks? eh not so much. looks photoshoppy, though.
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Peter 6:36PM (1/30/2009)
more projector headlights =/= better quality
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TyWright 6:40PM (1/30/2009)
Great name. Can't wait to see the pile of lawsuits waiting for yet another Chinese wannabe.
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Randy915 7:01PM (1/30/2009)
I think Chery will be the first serious world player coming out of China. All their recent cars look reasonably unique and they're investing heavily into R&D.
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Chris 7:38PM (1/30/2009)
I agree, they seem to be the only serious one coming from China that doesn't make that countries auto industry to like a total fail.
Frank 7:33PM (1/30/2009)
A couple of years more R&D, hopefully an upturn in the economy and they will be well placed for some people to consider buying.
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William 9:17PM (1/30/2009)
Remember, design wasn't Hyundai's weakness when it first launched in North America. Looks can be deceiving, and I believe Chery's offerings will exemplify that.
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CarbonBlack 10:48PM (1/30/2009)
I hate it when different cars have the same name!
-Audi/Chery A5
-Nissan/VW R32
-Ferrari/Pontiac/Mitsubishi GTO
(I am sure there are other examples)
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ToniCipriani 12:24AM (1/31/2009)
Nissan never officially called that generation of Skyline an R32. R32 is the internal model name.
Just like you would never see in a 3-series brochure an E46 or E90.
gearhead18 10:49PM (1/31/2009)
You make a good point about the names, why is GTO so popular as a name?
PS, is that badge any different from the Infiniti badge?
CarbonBlack 7:50PM (2/01/2009)
gearhead,
here is my assumption: "GTO stands for "Gran Turismo Omologato", Italian for "Grand Touring Homologated."" (Wikipedia)
It is a cool term, but overused!
Silly Pickle 10:58PM (1/30/2009)
Why, oh why on earth would anyone care one iota how it looks or who set up the handling...Lotus-shmotus! It's still a Chinese car! Unless those crash tests on YouTube are rigged, there aint no way in hell I'd ever buy a Chinese car! If their food (and poison toys etc etc.) don't kill ya, their cars certainly will! You could drive a bicycle through one of those things and survive!! Are they suddenly planning on making them stronger than a sheet of Reynolds Aluminum foil?
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Swede 6:01AM (1/31/2009)
As you commented this you obviously have a monitor. Turn it around and look at the label. Where was it made? Do you have a mobile phone? Notebook? Digital camera?
The reason we dont buy chinese cars (yet) is because they are crap, not because they are chinese.
Dazza 12:14PM (1/31/2009)
I don't suppose "there ain't no way in hell" you'll ever leave your trailer park, either.
RockStoneSteel 11:07PM (1/30/2009)
That's really a cute car. Better looking than anything put out by Honda or Toyota. Better yet is they didn't put the stupid seam across the front of the hood like on all of Toyota's stupid ugly cars or the new Accord coupe.
Now if the Chinese could actually start manufacturing and selling cars here in the US, we could start taking them seriously. They will also need to stop making copycat designs. I'm a bit dumbfounded how they so consistently and directly copy the competition. It becomes impossible to respect these Chinese manufacturers and makes them suspect of having any design talent at all. This A6, however, seems to be a fairly nice and original design. If they do it right, the Chinese could definitely be an up and coming power house of auto manufacturing just like Hyundai is currently doing.
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Dazza 12:39PM (1/31/2009)
Chery, Geely, BYD (for their techical expertise, not the lookalikes) and Roewe and all Chinese nameplates most likely to hit the international scene with the most credibility in the near future.
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the vegas style guy 5:50AM (2/01/2009)
Why exactly would any American buy a Chinese rip off car? Why do we buy anything from a Communist country that imprisons and kills it's citizens for thinking differently than the government sees fit?
It pains me to see so many of my household items made in that awful country. Now, we have to put up with their cars?
Was globalization really about helping a country to repress it's people even more? How many Americans died in Korea and throughout the world fighting the Chinese and their puppets? And for what?
Why is China such a major trading "partner" and tiny Cuba is the anti christ?
When they finally arrive, like pervies at The AVN's, please, consider everyone, what forces you are helping to support if you buy a Chinese car.
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Rick 9:55AM (2/02/2009)
Valid argument. But at the end of the day, some people simply try and get as much as they can for their money and unfortunately, China is able to come in cheap (because your listed reasons). Sadly, people see a price tag, not a truth campaign or communist factoids.
It's not a stretch to say that a lot of Chinese products are of poor quality. They will have to buck the trend and gain respect if they ever hope to break this market. Look how long it took Hyundai to do that.