Autoblog

Hyundai puts on an Accent with 2012 Verna hatch at Guangzhou

Noah Joseph — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 08:57:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, China, Hatchback, Hyundai, Misc. Auto Shows

2012 Hyundai Verna/Accent five-door - Click above to enlarge

China is no less important a market for Korean automakers than it is for their Japanese competition. So after unveiling the new Verna sedan in Beijing this past April, Hyundai is back in the People's Republic with its new Verna hatchback. The vehicle was unveiled at the Guangzhou auto show, where Nissan also debuted its new Sunny global sedan.

Of what interest is this to North American buyers, you ask? What you're looking at is essentially the new Accent five-door that will be sold on these shores. Only in China, the model carries a different name and will be produced locally by joint venture with the Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company.

There it will be offered with two four-cylinder engines from Hyundai's Gamma family: a 1.4 with 78.7kW (105 horsepower) and 135.4Nm (100 pound-feet) of torque, and a 1.6 with 90.4kW (121 hp) and 155Nm (114 lb-ft). So fa,r all we have is the solitary image you see above, along with the press release after the jump, but you can bet there will be more before Hyundai puts its accent on the Verna for Western consumption.

[Source: Hyundai]

Continue reading Hyundai puts on an Accent with 2012 Verna hatch at Guangzhou

Hyundai puts on an Accent with 2012 Verna hatch at Guangzhou originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan unveils all-new 2012 Sunny global sedan in China

Noah Joseph — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 13:59:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China, Nissan, Misc. Auto Shows

2012 Nissan Sunny - Click above for high-res image gallery

It's always sunny in Philadelphia. The sun never sets on the British Empire. Japan is the Land of the Rising Sun. We've heard it all before, but the latest unveiling shows it's sunniest in Guangzhou, China. That's where Nissan has taken the wraps off its latest global compact family sedan.

Called the Sunny in the Chinese market and manufactured there by joint-venture with the Dongfeng Motor Company, the global model will be sold around the world under a variety of different nameplates. (Past iterations have carried names as varied as Almera, Sentra, Laurel, Pulsar and Tsuru and have even worn Datsun, Renault and Samsung badges.)

Whatever it's called, the Sunny is projected to be a class leader in fuel economy, carrying a 1.5-liter engine mated to a continuously variable transmission with MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam rear suspension. If you're a family man in your mid-30s, as Nissan figures its target market is in China, check out the details in the press release after the jump and the photos in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2012 Nissan Sunny

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Nissan unveils all-new 2012 Sunny global sedan in China

Nissan unveils all-new 2012 Sunny global sedan in China originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fiat taking Chrysler production back to China within four years

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 25 May 2010 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: China, Chrysler, Fiat

As recently as two years ago Chrysler and Chery were more than cozy and working on Chinese-market products that would eventually make their way this way. Nothing ultimately came of it, but Chrysler hasn't given up on the Chinese dream. Or more accurately, Fiat hasn't given up on the Chinese dream on behalf of Chrysler.

Fiat, which has had its own setbacks in trying to find the right joint venture required to do business in China, is now working with Guangzhou Auto. It isn't clear how or even if Chrysler would immediately try again, since The Pentastar's "models were as popular as Chen Shui Bian towards the end of their tenure."

Another route would be for the Chrysler Group to let Jeep lead the charge, since the Jeep brand and small SUVs are a more welcome option for Chinese buyers. It is inevitable that Chrysler will keep trying to crack the world's largest auto market, and if we were presumptuous enough to suggest a way to do it, we'd only need two words: Dodge Hornet.

[Source: China Car Times]

Fiat taking Chrysler production back to China within four years originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 May 2010 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: New Chinese-market Cadillac SLS and Buick Excelle XT to debut in Guangzhou

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China, Buick, Cadillac, GM, Misc. Auto Shows, Luxury

General Motors' China's sales are up 60 percent year-on-year, and The General wants to keep the momentum going at its Chinese outpost. Automotive News China reports that the Guangzhou Auto Show will play host to the unveiling of the market-specific Cadillac SLS and Buick Excelle XT, the latter described as a four-door "coupé-like sedan."

The Excelle XT will take a place between the Excelle and the new Regal. The Cadillac gets 3.0-liter and 3.6-liter engines with GM's SIDI technology that also grace Australia's new Holden Commodores. The luxury sedan, a lengthened version of our STS with a superior interior, will also be China's introduction to OnStar.

[Source: Automotive News China - Sub. Req.]

REPORT: New Chinese-market Cadillac SLS and Buick Excelle XT to debut in Guangzhou originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SAIC-owned MG launches MG 6, first all-new car in 14 years

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: China, Hatchback, Misc. Auto Shows

2010 MG 6 - Click above for high-res image gallery

The last new MG was the MGF sportscar way back in 1995, and oh, what a difference 14 years makes. The MG6 is the first new MG by the company's new owner, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC), and they've chosen a four-door liftback for their coming out party. About the size of a VW Golk/Skoda Octavia, the MG6 will be powered by either a naturally aspirated 1.8-litre four-cylinder with 133 brake horsepower and 135 pound-feet of torque, or a turbocharged 1.8-liter with 160 bhp and 158 lb-ft. Shifting is said to be via five-speed automatic.

The MG 6 will go on sale in China first, but it has reportedly been engineered to meet global safety standards and is expected to be exported. SAIC hasn't given any numbers or even locations for export yet, but the company president said they plan to produce it in the UK by the end of next year.

Gallery: 2010 MG6

[Source: Autoblog China (translated)]

SAIC-owned MG launches MG 6, first all-new car in 14 years originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lexus GX460 to debut in China at Auto Guangzhou 2009

Alex Nunez — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:59:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Lexus, Toyota, Misc. Auto Shows, Luxury

2009 Lexus GX470: Its days are numbered

The arrival of the 2010 Toyota 4Runner meant that a luxury-badged cousin would soon follow. Sure enough, Toyota has announced that the new 2010 Lexus GX460 will be among the array of vehicles to be shown next week at China's Auto Guangzhou 2009 show. As the nomenclature would suggest, the next-gen GX will be powered by a 4.6-liter V8, which is rumored to make 300 horsepower in the GX460, a 37-hp bump over the 4.7-liter V8's output in the current vehicle (shown above).

According to scuttlebutt posted to ClubLexus.com following last year's New York City dealer meeting, we should look for the new GX to arrive in January 2010 with styling that borrows heavily from the full-sized LX570 SUV and electrically-folding third row seating. We'll keep our eyes peeled for photos and additional info, but in the meantime you can check out Toyota's brief PR after the jump.

Continue reading Lexus GX460 to debut in China at Auto Guangzhou 2009

Lexus GX460 to debut in China at Auto Guangzhou 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After divorcing Daimler, going steady with Fiat and cutting off Nissan, Chrysler looking for Chinese partner?

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: China, Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler, Fiat

2006 Dodge Hornet concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Over the past couple of years, Chrysler has been in discussion with seemingly every carmaker in the world about some sort of tie-up to achieve some particular end. Before it was battling for its very survival, it was in serious talks with Chinese automaker Chery about building a car or two, including a vehicle based on the 2006 Hornet concept car (pictured) and the A1. Fast forward to today, when everything has fallen away - including its collaboration with Nissan - and now news agency Reuters says that Chrysler and Fiat are headed back to the People's Republic.

Neither company has any noteworthy presence in China, a situation that both companies are desperate to change. According to Reuters, they want to find a Chinese maker to build something on Chrysler's C Platform, which underpins the Jeep Compass and Patriot, and Dodge Caliber.

Chrysler currently exports ten of its models to to China. Fiat has a partnership with Chinese car company Guangzhou - which, in turn, is also allied with Honda and Toyota - to build a factory where Guangzhou will build cars on Fiat platforms. Guangzhou is a company that Chrysler has already approached, and the easiest route appears to be to simply expand the partnership via Fiat. No matter how it gets done, just give us a Hornet that looks like a Hornet... and not an A1.

Gallery: Dodge Hornet Concept

[Source: Reuters]

After divorcing Daimler, going steady with Fiat and cutting off Nissan, Chrysler looking for Chinese partner? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shanghai 2009: Guangzhou Honda Linian roadster concept is messing with our S2000-loving heads

Chris Paukert — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Performance, Honda, Shanghai Motor Show

Guangzhou Honda Linian roadster concept - Click on the image above for a gallery

Guangzhou Honda surprised everyone at the Shanghai show with this tidy little roadster, its second Linian concept in as many years. While the 2008 Beijing show concept was a more pedestrian five-door, this two-seat droptop has us wishing for a proper S2000 successor.

Oh, one can quibble over some of the design details (oversized grille element, the showcar-only airplane yoke-style steering wheel, etc.), but fundamentally this is an interesting package.

Sadly, according to our compatriots at Autoblog Simplified Chinese, Honda's domestic partner was mum on specifics, including driveline configuration, powerplant, and so on. That said, the shape does look quite production friendly. Add in a stronger windshield header, some larger mirrors, and do away with that Knight Rider steering wheel, and the rest seems plausible enough.

Rest assured, we are angling for more information on this car as we speak, but for now, enjoy the possibilities... and the gallery below.

Gallery: guangben linian coupe

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

Shanghai 2009: Guangzhou Honda Linian roadster concept is messing with our S2000-loving heads originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guangzhou 2007: Live shots of Mazda2 and Ford Verve sedans

John Neff — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, China, Ford, Mazda, Misc. Auto Shows

click either image to view high-res galleries

The ever increasing importance of the Chinese auto market is on full display this week at the 2007 Guangzhou Motor Show, and fortunately we have the Autoblog Chinese crew pounding the show floor as we speak. You can check out their coverage here (translated courtesy of Google), although for those not fluent in Chinese (like us) you'll have settle for looking at all the pretty pictures. Yesterday we told you about the debut of both the Mazda2 sedan and Ford Verve Sedan Concept at the Guangzhou show, and today we have live shots from the show floor courtesy of Autoblog Chinese. Technically these two cars are very much related, as the Verve concept is expected to inspire a production car of the same name that will be sold in the U.S. and markets abroad. That new small car will be based on the same platform as the Mazda2, and after the strong showing of four-doors in China this week, we bet a sedan version of the production Verve is certainly being planned alongside a three-door hatch. Click any image below to view either gallery of high-res shots taken from the floor of the 2007 Guangzhou Motor Show.

Gallery: Mazda2 Sedan

Gallery: Ford Verve Sedan Concept

Guangzhou 2007: Live shots of Mazda2 and Ford Verve sedans originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda's Chinese joint-venture to develop own brand

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:03:00 EST

Filed under: China, Plants/Manufacturing, Honda

Foreign car makers have formed partnerships with Chinese auto firms in order to make vehicles sold as one of the existing brands. One of Honda's partnerships builds Honda Fits for the Euro market. Another of Honda's joint ventures is with Guangzhou Automobile, a state-run enterprise, that created Guangzhou Honda. That tie-in is about to do something new, in creating a third brand for the Chinese market. The first step will be establishing an R&D subsidiary to oversee the project. The size of the investment hasn't been disclosed, however, it was asserted by unnamed sources that it would exceed the funding normally allotted to these kinds of ventures by standalone Chinese companies.

[Source: Just-Auto, sub req'd]

Honda's Chinese joint-venture to develop own brand originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan opens new joint-venture R&D facility in China

Erin Mays — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: China, Japan, Nissan

In an effort to keep its finger on the pulse of a quickly-expanding automotive market in China, Nissan's joint Chinese venture, Dongfeng Motor Co., has opened up a $41 million technical center in Guangzhou, China. The new center will develop vehicles for the Chinese market in cooperation with other Nissan technical centers around the globe. The facility, which replaces a smaller research operation, will also help develop less expensive components for Nissan cars around the world through the center's ties with China-based suppliers.

[Source: Automotive News]

Nissan opens new joint-venture R&D facility in China originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Mar 2006 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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