Autoblog

BMW planning Zhi Nuo Chinese sub-brand, may export models

Chris Paukert — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China, Crossover, BMW, Shanghai Motor Show

Automakers continue to pour big money into the developing market that is China, and new sub-brands born of joint ventures with domestic partners crop up on what seems like a weekly basis. The latest? According to reports, BMW and its Chinese ally Brilliance are forming a new sub-brand called Zhi Nuo ("The Promise") that will likely rely on existing or older BMW products as a basis for new models.

Previous reports had indicated that the sub-brand could build its offerings based on an older 3 Series model (presumably the E90 series), but newer rumors have the X1 crossover (shown) factoring in. The Zhi Nuo brand could receive its official unveiling as soon as later this month at the Shanghai Motor Show.

Perhaps most interestingly, Automotive News Europe reports that the automaker's ambitions for Zhi Nuo may extend beyond China's borders. It's not clear what markets BMW may be eying, but executives admit the company hasn't ruled out Europe.

BMW planning Zhi Nuo Chinese sub-brand, may export models originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 06 Apr 2013 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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China still 10 years away from globally competitive car company

Zach Bowman — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: China, Chery, Geely

It may be a spell before Chinese automakers are capable of turning out a globally competitive vehicle. That's the findings of a sprawling 200 page report by Bernstein Research. The group went through the trouble of purchasing two Chinese-made cars, importing them to Europe and disassembling them down to every last nut and bolt. The study also included in-depth interviews with CEOs at each of the major manufacturers, including Great Wall, Chery, Brilliance and SAIC among others. Researchers found that by and large, global partners aren't holding up their end of joint venture deals, with the vast majority of foreign automakers seemingly not taking the Chinese market seriously.

The one exception to that rule, according to Bernstein, is General Motors and SAIC. GM has pumped a staggering amount of cash into China, and as a result, SAIC seems leagues ahead of its peers on the design and engineering front. Speaking of engineering, the study found most Chinese cars to simply be reverse-engineered examples of foreign models, with the Toyota Corolla being the most popular. That's due in part to the fact that Chinese automakers spend $100 million a year on research and development on average. For comparison's sake, a company like Volkswagen or Toyota spends closer to $1 billion. The Truth About Cars has a closer look at the report's contents. You can find that writeup here.

China still 10 years away from globally competitive car company originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW Brilliance Automotive previews 5 Series plug-in hybrid prototype

Aaron Richardson — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:21:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, China, BMW, Shanghai Motor Show, Luxury

2013 BMW 5 Series plug-in hybrid - Click above for high-res version

In the lead-in to the Shanghai Motor Show, BMW has teased an upcoming plug-in hybrid 5 Series that will be exclusive to the Chinese market. The prototype of this greener version of BMW's midsize sedan is based on the China-only long-wheelbase 5 Series platform.

The car is part of a joint venture between BMW and Chinese automaker Brilliance. The car is the tip of an eco-friendly iceberg BMW has aimed squarely at China, a country with an increasing appetite for premium-segment cars and a serious need for green-focused, energy-efficient vehicles.

Despite its size, BMW says the plug-in 5 Series will manage nearly 250 miles on a single charge and tank of gas, with up to 47 miles of those on electric power only, provided you don't creep past 37 miles per hour. Those numbers certainly aren't what you'd call impressive, but they're a step in the right direction and they'd likely be a major help in the thick traffic snarls that China's major cities are famous for. As for the U.S. market, a full plug-in 5 Series is unlikely, but BMW is understood to be planning to bring a traditional mild hybrid version of the car to our shores. For now, check out the prototype in our gallery below and via the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 2013 BMW 5 Series Plug-In Hybrid

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading BMW Brilliance Automotive previews 5 Series plug-in hybrid prototype

BMW Brilliance Automotive previews 5 Series plug-in hybrid prototype originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: BMW to develop 5 Series-based electric sedan for Chinese market

Autoblog Staff — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:27:00 EST

2011 BMW 550i - Click above for high-res image gallery

The China's Beijing Youth Daily reports that BMW, along with joint venture partner Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd., will develop a 5 Series-based electric sedan targeted specifically at the Chinese market. The report claims that a battery-powered 5 Series concept will make its debut in China sometime in 2011, likely at the Shanghai Motor Show in April.

BMW Brilliance Automotive Co., the joint venture between BMW and Brilliance, currently manufacturers both the 3 Series and 5 Series sedans in the Chinese city of Shenyang. In 2010, the BMW Group sold 169,000 vehicles in China, a surge of 87 percent over the sales it tallied in in 2009.

Gallery: Review: 2011 BMW 550i

Photos copyright (C)2010 Michael Harley / AOL

[Source: Beijing Youth Daily via Automotive News - sub. req.]

Report: BMW to develop 5 Series-based electric sedan for Chinese market originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: China's BAIC gunning to buy Pininfarina

Jeff Glucker — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 09:45:00 EST

Filed under: China, Rumormill

BAIC C71EV - Click above for high-res image gallery

Beijing Automotive Industry Corp, or BAIC, is looking to buy Italian design firm Pininfarina. The Chinese automaker is already working with Pininfarina in collaboration on its upcoming models based on older Saabs.

Since mid-2009, Pininfarina's family ownership has been looking to unload its majority stake in the company. Interest from several Chinese automakers has been piqued and BAIC is not alone in bidding for the right to purchase the design house. Brilliance and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile have put in bids, as have Indian automakers Mahindra and Bajaj Auto and Canadian parts supplier Magna International.

Regardless of BAIC submitting a winning bid, work with Pininfarina is proceeding and we expect to see the fruits of both companies' efforts at a car show sometime in the very near future.

Gallery: Beijing 2010: BAIC Saabs

[Source: Gasgoo]

Report: China's BAIC gunning to buy Pininfarina originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 02 Jan 2011 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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China's Brilliance reportedly retreats from Europe after 'cool reception'

Zach Bowman — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Wagon, China, Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, Earnings/Financials

Brilliance BS4 Wagon - Click above for high-res image gallery

Chinese automaker Brilliance is pulling out of Europe with no plans to return, according to Autoweek. The company began selling both its BS4 and BS6 sedans in the old country back in 2007, though sales have been beyond dismal. As of the end of 2009, dealers only managed to move a paltry 502 units - a figure that fell well south of the 158,000 cars the company had planned to sell over a five year period. Throw in the fact that Brilliance refuses to price its products any lower to get its foot in the European door, and you've got a recipe for disaster.

The company fought an uphill battle with consumers after both models had trouble getting past crash test standards in 2007, and things didn't improve from there. For the time being, production has completely stopped, and the company has no timetable for bringing the business back on line.

If Brilliance does decide to jump back into the European market, it will be looking at some pretty hefty engineering costs. The current BS4 and BS6 are only designed to meet Euro 4 standards, and with Euro 5 coming down the pike, the platforms would need to undergo significant updates. Naturally, the news also means that Europeans won't be seeing the lovely BS4 Wagon anytime soon, either.

Gallery: Brilliance BS4 Wagon

[Source: Autoweek]

China's Brilliance reportedly retreats from Europe after 'cool reception' originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brilliance importer for Europe goes belly up

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:02:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China, Europe

When Chinese automaker Brilliance wanted to invade The Continent, it chose Germany-based importer HSO Motors to introduce models like its BS4. Brilliance kept up its end of the agreement, shipping cars to HSO; HSO, however, couldn't get the cars sold, and a little more than a year into the partnership HSO has gone bankrupt.

Three reasons are blamed for the flame-out: the crash test videos for the BS4 and BS6, along with pricing. If you'll remember, when the German ADAC tested the Brilliance BS6, the result was a horror film that would have frightened Freddy Krueger with an official rating of zero stars. After a great deal of improvements and added equipment were put on the BS4, tested two years later, the results were much more palatable -- yet the car still received just three stars. The ADAC's had raised its testing standards, so what would have earned the BS4 a three-star rating under the old methods was only good for zero this time around. That didn't make German buyers comfortable.

The ADAC's testing methods have been labeled unfair, and it's been noted that the ADAC is not a regulatory body. Yet other cars tested under the new methods, like the Skoda Yeti and Honda Jazz, earned five stars. Beyond that, the BS4 is priced at about €16,000 ($24,000 U.S.). Even though it's larger, it's priced against cars like the Focus and Golf, and well above a Skoda Octavia. As a maker trying to earn its way into the field of German car offerings, Brilliance will need to go well beyond the norm to to make its case. For now, Brilliance has taken over HSO Motors' role as importer.

[Source: Euro Car Blog]

Brilliance importer for Europe goes belly up originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Private Chinese investors sought to fund $6 billion auto plant in Mississippi

Chris Tutor — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, China, Plants/Manufacturing, Technology, Electric

Hybrid Kinetic Automotive Corp. rendering - click above to enlarge

The headline is attention-grabbing. A former Chinese auto executive is proposing a $6 billion plant in economically-distressed north Mississippi that will employ 25,000 people and produce one million cars a year.

Automotive News' story is both intriguing and complicated - and not just because three players are named Wang, one is named Yang - so buckle up for the short-and-sweet Autoblog version.

Yang Rong was once China's third-richest man as the CEO of Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. But after some disagreements with a Chinese government official in 2002, Yang fled the country and settled in Los Angeles.

Cars are only one of the reasons Yang wants to build $6.5 billion plant in Mississippi (that's six times the cost of Toyota's Mississippi plant, by the way). Another is green cards. When Yang left China, he also left his fortune and has apparently been unable to recoup any of it. It's a scary scenario that many wealthy Chinese fear: upset the government, lose your money. But the U.S. government makes it easy for Chinese residents to both invest their cash in America, as well as move here. Invest a minimum of $500,000 in an economically distressed region of the U.S., creating at least 10 jobs, and you get permanent resident status.

Vincent Wang, an associate of Yang's, says Italdesign Giugiaro is designing the new venture's cars, and documents show Porsche AG providing "our car's engineering design." Giugiaro confirms it has talked with the group, Porsche essentially says it has no comment. Such a controversial car must be powered by something just as unusual, right? Oh, yeah. The CEO of the project, C.T. Wang, tells Automotive News, the cars will be "powered by a combination of gasoline, electric, hybrid and compressed-natural-gas powertrains."

Yang calls his project, Hybrid Kinetic Automotive Holdings, Ltd. One of Yang's former associates has split from the group and also plans to build an automotive plant. That company is now called GreenTree Automotive, after being forced to change its name from Hybrid Kinetic Automotive Corp. Yeah. 'Cause that would have just been too confusing.

And where in Mississippi would someone go to gamble $6.5 billion on an automotive plant? Tunica County, of course. Home to nine of the Hospitality State's approximately 30 casinos.

[Source: Automotive News - subs. req.]

REPORT: Private Chinese investors sought to fund $6 billion auto plant in Mississippi originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shanghai 2009: Brilliance rolls out EV Concept with funky power clamshell doors

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Budget, Hybrid, Minivan/Van, Wagon, China, Green, Shanghai Motor Show

Brilliance EV Concept - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Chinese automaker Brilliance is showing off a new concept electric car that's currently on display at the Shanghai Motor Show. A large battery pack using lithium ion technology is reportedly capable of providing a range of around 93 miles (150 kilometers). The Chinese automaker claims that this battery can be hooked to a 220V charger that can use a "Quick Charge" feature to replenish the pack to about 80 percent in just 30 minutes.

Driving the rear wheels is a 47kW permanent magnet electric motor that puts out about 90 lb-ft of torque (120 NM) and is capable of revving to 10,000 RPM. But wait, there's more! A second electric motor powers the front wheels at speeds of around 25 miles per hour for city use. Top speed with both motors engaged is around 80 mph.

On the exterior front, this new EV concept may be vaguely inspired by the VW Space Up! concept from a few years back, but we don't think it's particularly egregious. Dual power-operated clamshell-ish doors allow access into an interior cabin that rather well done in clean-looking white materials. In typical showcar fashion, a fully electronic dash sits behind a yoke-style steering wheel. Have a look for yourself in our full gallery below.

Gallery: Shanghai 2009: Brilliance EV concept

Photos copyright (C) 2009 IceBin / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Autoblog Chinese]

Shanghai 2009: Brilliance rolls out EV Concept with funky power clamshell doors originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Brilliance BS4 scores zero points in Euro crash test

John Neff — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:49:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China, Europe, Safety

Brilliance BS4 ADAC crash test - Click above to watch video after the jump

Back in 2007, Chinese automaker Brilliance made international news when its BS6 sedan failed crash tests performed by the ADAC (Germany's version of our AAA) in fantastic (and frightening) fashion. The crash tests were performed according to Euro NCAP guidelines at the time, and the mangled heap of metal that remained was truly horrific.

Brilliance is back with the BS4 sedan, and again the ADAC has performed its full battery of crash tests, though this time using newer Euro NCAP guidelines that take into account the availability of electronic stability control as standard equipment and potential damage to pedestrians. How'd it do? Just like the Brilliance before it, the BS4 scored zero stars.

It's not all bad news, though. Under the old Euro NCAP guidelines, the BS4 would have achieved three stars, a score that the BS6 needed two tries and a structural redesign to match. Even watching video of the BS6 crash test compared to video of the BS4, it's apparent that Brilliance has learned a thing or two about how to keep car from folding up like an accordion during a frontal impact. Still, it wasn't enough to score a single point in the new tests, which means Brilliance once again needs to go back, makes some changes and try again.

Follow the jump for video of the Brilliance BS4 crash tests, as well as video of the original BS6 crash tests.

Gallery: Brilliance BS4 ADAC Crash Test

[Source: Autoblog Spanish]

Continue reading VIDEO: Brilliance BS4 scores zero points in Euro crash test

VIDEO: Brilliance BS4 scores zero points in Euro crash test originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Moving on up! Chinese automakers move out of Cobo basement thanks to Detroit no-shows

John Neff — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:28:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, China

With the pull out of Porsche, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Ferrari, Land Rover and Rolls-Royce, Nissan and Infiniti from this year's Detroit Auto Show in January, there's a lot of empty space on the show floor of Cobo Hall that needs to be filled. Chinese automakers will be the direct beneficiary of everyone's lack of interest in Detroit, as both BYD Auto and Brilliance will be moved out of the basement, otherwise known as Michigan Hall, and onto the main floor of Cobo for the first time. They'll be occupying the space formerly reserved for Mitsubishi and be positioned elbow-to-elbow with mainstream manufacturers that actually do sell cars in the U.S. While Chinese automakers have displayed at the Detroit Auto Show for the past few years, the closest they ever got to the main floor was the lobby when Geely was the first Chinese automaker to exhibit there back in 2006. At this rate, we expect Cobo Hall to be fully owned by the Chinese by the end of next year.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]

Moving on up! Chinese automakers move out of Cobo basement thanks to Detroit no-shows originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Beijing 2008: Brilliance BS4 wagon is good looking... no BS!

Alex Nunez — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Wagon, China, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above for high-res gallery of the Brilliance BS4 Wagon

The Brilliance BS4 sedan is a pretty good-looking car, so it stands to reason that its wagon variant would be easy on the eyes as well. Unveiled in Beijing, the BS4 wagon is indeed a snazzy-looking, ostensibly practical machine. Power comes from a 1.8L Mitsubishi G93 four-cylinder making 134 hp (100 kW) at 6500 rpm. The BS4 wagon also comes equipped with an alphabet soup of safety feature acronyms like "ABS + EBD + EDS" but word association games involving "Brilliance" and "safety" only call to mind the BS6 Euro NCAP debacle (since corrected, allegedly... but still). The bad news continues, as a recent Inside Line review of the BS4 sedan concluded that the car was generally lackluster at best. Based on that, we can probably assume that the same shortcomings afflict the wagon. It does look nice, at least.

Gallery: Brilliance BS4 Wagon

All photos Copyright (C)2008 Bin Chen / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Autoblog Chinese]

Beijing 2008: Brilliance BS4 wagon is good looking... no BS! originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pininfarina tapped to style 3 concepts debuting in Beijing

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:59:00 EST

Filed under: China, Europe

Pininfarina is making its ~~voice heard~~ designs seen in China, with 30-percent of the company's business now being done with the Asian nation. At this month's Beijing Motor Show, two Chinese automakers will reveal three models designed and, in some cases, engineered by the Italian firm. What's more, all of the cars are meant to be sold in the European market, as well.

Anhui Jianghuai will have two Pininfarina designed cars, a sedan code named A108 (pictured) and a five-door hatch code named A107. They are meant to hit European markets in late 2009. Brilliance, which is BMW's Chinese partner, will be showing off the BS4 station wagon. It will head to Europe with the re-engineered BS6 sedan.

Though they won't be unveiling new cars, Pininfarina's other Chinese clients include Chery, Changfeng, and Hafei, who together have at least seven cars penned by Ferrari's favorite design house.

[Source: Auto News]

Pininfarina tapped to style 3 concepts debuting in Beijing originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Chinese are coming! Well, eventually...

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:05:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, China

We've been hearing a lot lately about Chinese cars' impending arrival on our shores. According to what could be cooler heads -- or decoys! (insert maniacal laugh, here) -- that simply isn't the case. At a recent event in Detroit, China's ambassador to the U.S., Zhou Wenzhong, said Chinese carmakers can't even make enough cars for the Chinese, much less fulfill America's production needs.

He was seconded by Zhang Lin, a Chery executive, who said that the company first wished to solidify its operations in emerging markets before ~~attacking~~ exporting to the United States. The Milky Way-sized trade deficit between the U.S. and China was also mentioned as a reason for taking a long term approach to entering the US market.

Of note, though, is that Chery is not one of the five Chinese makers attending the 2008 Detroit Show. One of those companies, China Automotive Group/ZXNA, is headed by Steve Saleen, and we wonder if he got the memo about not being in a rush to begin Stateside operation.

[Source: Detroit News]

The Chinese are coming! Well, eventually... originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: The Brilliance BS6's 3-star crash test

Alex Nunez — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 13:36:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China, Europe, Safety

As we reported yesterday, Chinese automaker Brilliance appears to have addressed a number of the shortcomings in its BS6 sedan that caused it to spectacularly fail a Euro NCAP crash test conducted earlier this year by Germany's ADAC. The car has been re-tested, this time in Spain (again, according to Euro NCAP standards), and has now received a 3-star crash rating.

We now have video of the new test regimen, and it's embedded after the jump along with the original German one for comparison. As you can see, the BS6 fares much better this time around, with the car holding up a lot better from the A-pillar and back. In the photo above from China Car Times, the doors all opened properly following the crash. Whether other Chinese automakers will look at the Brilliance saga and learn from it is unknown. For its part, Brilliance appears to have learned a hard lesson. If you want to sell cars in lucrative Western markets, they need to perform better than papier mâché sculptures in crash tests.

Follow the jump for videos of the crash tests, old and new.

[Sources: YouTube, Autoblog Spanish, China Car Times]

Continue reading VIDEO: The Brilliance BS6's 3-star crash test

VIDEO: The Brilliance BS6's 3-star crash test originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Sep 2007 13:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brilliant recovery? Brilliance BS6 garners 3 stars in Spain crash test

Alex Nunez — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 12:33:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China, Europe, Safety

Following its utterly calamitous performance in crash tests conducted by Germany's ADAC, Chinese automaker Brilliance said that it would work with the German body to improve the car's safety. To be honest, we don't know if any such changes have been designed or implemented yet, but apparently, Brilliance has done something.

According to a wire report carried by Forbes.com, the Brilliance BS6 has been tested by Spain's Idiada Automotive Technologies SA. Unlike the test in Germany earlier this summer, the Brilliance garnered a 3-star rating as it passed the test performed in accordance with Euro NCAP guidelines. According to Brilliance, that's the best rating ever for a Chinese car tested under the European standards. According to the report, Brilliance plans on using this test success to drum up business in Europe and the US. Unfortunately, we haven't come across any photos or video of the Spanish test yet. If and when we do, we'll post them so you can compare them to the ADAC test the car failed earlier in the summer.

[Source: AFX News via Forbes.com]

Brilliant recovery? Brilliance BS6 garners 3 stars in Spain crash test originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Sep 2007 12:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The inside of a Brilliance coupe, pre NCAP crash-test

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 10:10:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, China

If you want to know what the inside of a Brilliance coupe looks like before it disintegrates in an NCAP test, pictures are finally available. As was said of the sedan, it's actually ... all right. There's a plethora of plastic, it's a bit on the dark side, and forget about sitting in the back seats -- but you can say the same things about plenty of non-Chinese coupes. In time, we're sure that the Chinese will get the minor issue of crash survivability sorted out; the question is how much time will it take. Until then, the best bet is look, don't touch.

[Source: China Car Times]

The inside of a Brilliance coupe, pre NCAP crash-test originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Jul 2007 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brilliance delisting from NYSE

Alex Nunez — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China

Brilliance China Automotive Holdings, Inc., front-and-center in the news of late thanks to a disastrous performance by its BS6 sedan in German crash tests last month, has announced that it's delisting its American Depositary Shares from the New York Stock Exchange. Brilliance is making its exit due to a decline in trading volume and an uptick in related administrative costs.

The shares will me made available over-the-counter once the delisting is complete, and regular shares in the company will continue to be traded via the Hong Kong Stock market. brilliance is BMW's partner in the Chinese market, where it manufactures cars for the German automaker. As previously noted, it also builds its own branded vehicles such as the aforementioned BS6 (a.k.a. the Zhonghua in China), the Jinjue, shown above, and others.

[Sources: AP, The Auto Channel]

Brilliance delisting from NYSE originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Jul 2007 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Belgian dealer axes Brilliance BS6

Alex Nunez — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 12:04:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, China, Europe, Safety

The first reported dumping of the Brilliance BS6 has taken place in Belgium, where dealer Karel Cardoen has halted sales of the car in the wake of its horrifying crash test conducted by Germany's ADAC. In perhaps the understatement of the year, Automotive News Europe quotes Cardonen as saying, "We don't think this car is good to sell in Europe."

The BS6, for those of you new to the story, is a Chinese luxury sedan and recent arrival into the European automobile market. It recently flunked the ADAC crash tests in spectacular fashion, and In the wake of that fiasco, the automaker said that it didn't feel the poor crash results would have a negative impact on sales.

So much for that. Cardoen's dealership was one of just three that were offering the car to European customers. The remaining two are both in Germany. Cardoen said he'll reconsider his position if the safety of the car improves.

[Source: Automotive News Europe (sub req'd)]

Continue reading Belgian dealer axes Brilliance BS6

Belgian dealer axes Brilliance BS6 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Jul 2007 12:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BS Artists: Brilliance says BS6 crash test won't hurt European sales

Alex Nunez — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:04:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China, Europe, Safety, Videos

Chinese automaker Brilliance has stated that its European distributor is confident it'll be able to sell the BS6 sedan on the continent despite its pathetic showing in Germany's ADAC crash tests. In case you missed it the first time around, the BS6 garnered a 1-star rating after collapsing in on itself during the frontal offset test and experiencing similarly poor results in the side-impact test as well. The car rapidly became the object of well-deserved ridicule as the story spread through the Internet. According to Reuters, Brilliance has accused the German media of "viciously playing up" the crash results, noting that it passed the basic safety test required for entry into the European market, as well as a voluntary NCAP test after that. How the BS6 passed any safety test at all is remarkable to us after seeing the ADAC videos. (Seriously, what does the basic safety test Brilliance mentions consist of? Throwing Nerf balls at the car? Subjecting it to a pillow fight?)

Follow the jump for more info, opinion and to view the crash test videos that supposedly won't hurt the car's saleability in the European market.

[Source: Reuters via Automotive News (sub req'd)]

Gallery: Brilliance BS6 ADAC Crash test

Continue reading BS Artists: Brilliance says BS6 crash test won't hurt European sales

BS Artists: Brilliance says BS6 crash test won't hurt European sales originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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