The Chinese car company Zotye just confirmed the T600 compact crossover will be the first vehicle it sells in the U.S. A report from Automotive News initially broke the news.
"This T600 is a perfect vehicle for the U.S. market and I'm very excited to announce it will be the first Zotye product to go on sale here," Duke Hale, CEO of Zotye USA, said.
Not many details about the T600 were divulged, but it is expected to be powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder mated up to a six-speed automatic transmission. Zotye says it's still making its way through the certification process, so no power specs are available at this time. Previously, Zotye said its first car would arrive by the end of 2020. That prediction has been adjusted slightly, with the new estimate being either the end of 2020 or first quarter 2021. No explanation was initially provided for the possible delay.
We expect the T600 released in the U.S. to be a new, redesigned model specifically engineered for America, as the current T600 has been produced since 2013. Zotye is likely entering with the right type of car, pursuing the compact crossover market that generates an abundant amount of sales for so many manufacturers. The question here is whether or not folks will consider a Chinese crossover more worthy to buy than the proven options already on the market. Zotye has already revealed it plans to undercut the competition in pricing by as much as 20%, but we'll have to wait and see final pricing for judgement.
Zotye and parent company HAAH Automotive Holdings have a distributorship agreement and have already signed with dealers for 19 stores — it says there are over 80 more currently in the works. The company's goal is to eventually reach about 325 stores nationwide. We're to expect a midsize crossover and sedan to follow the T600 sometime down the line, but there is no set timeline for these vehicles like the T600.
"This T600 is a perfect vehicle for the U.S. market and I'm very excited to announce it will be the first Zotye product to go on sale here," Duke Hale, CEO of Zotye USA, said.
Not many details about the T600 were divulged, but it is expected to be powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder mated up to a six-speed automatic transmission. Zotye says it's still making its way through the certification process, so no power specs are available at this time. Previously, Zotye said its first car would arrive by the end of 2020. That prediction has been adjusted slightly, with the new estimate being either the end of 2020 or first quarter 2021. No explanation was initially provided for the possible delay.
We expect the T600 released in the U.S. to be a new, redesigned model specifically engineered for America, as the current T600 has been produced since 2013. Zotye is likely entering with the right type of car, pursuing the compact crossover market that generates an abundant amount of sales for so many manufacturers. The question here is whether or not folks will consider a Chinese crossover more worthy to buy than the proven options already on the market. Zotye has already revealed it plans to undercut the competition in pricing by as much as 20%, but we'll have to wait and see final pricing for judgement.
Zotye and parent company HAAH Automotive Holdings have a distributorship agreement and have already signed with dealers for 19 stores — it says there are over 80 more currently in the works. The company's goal is to eventually reach about 325 stores nationwide. We're to expect a midsize crossover and sedan to follow the T600 sometime down the line, but there is no set timeline for these vehicles like the T600.
Sign in to post
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Continue