Chery to launch A5 hybrid production in October

Upstart Chinese automaker Chery is getting ready launch production of its first hybrid in October. The A5 hybrid sedan is targeted at the low end of the market. As such, it uses a less expensive mild hybrid system rather than a strong hybrid like the Prius. The A5's mild hybrid, which was developed with powertrain consultant Ricardo, provides a 15 percent improvement in fuel efficiency. Earlier this year, Chery built a 50-vehicle test fleet of A5 hybrids that was loaned to Olympic officials during the Beijing games. Chery has not revealed technical details of its system, or how much it plans to charge for the hybrid, but it's expected to run somewhere around $600-1,200 more than the conventional version.

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