Changan Motors
Changan plans to produce Ford-based mid-sized sedan in China
News has it that China’s Chongqing Changan Automobile is in negotiations with Ford to produce a mid-sized sedan using technologies from the latter. This vehicle will carry the Changan brand and is likely to be based on the Ford Mondeo’s platform, a vehicle which belongs to the mid-sized sedan segment.
“Ford CEO Alan Mulally met Changan Chairman Xu Liuping during his trip to China in March. They had in-depth talks on ways to bring their cooperation to the next level,” one source with direct knowledge of the matter told news agency Reuters.
Changan may manufacture the vehicle in Nanjing, China and it is expected to price the vehicle lower than the comparable Ford. The lower price tag should be accompanied with a more basic specification’s list.
A third party analyst from CSM Worldwide, Huang Zherui said, “The Changan deal may not add much value to Ford’s only brand in the short term, but it could be the first step toward a wider and deeper relationship like GM and SAIC.”
In return Ford will be receiving a sizable share of the proceeds from the sales. For the record Changan has been manufacturing the Focus, Mondeo, Fiesta and other models in a three-way tie-up with Ford and Mazda. This would make producing a car based on an existing Ford model easier for Changan.
China’s Changan Motors to preview the e301 Crossover Concept in Shanghai
Chinese-based auto maker, Changan has revealed that it will unveil the e301 Crossover Concept at the upcoming motor event in Shanghai, China. Unfortunately, nothing else has been revealed regarding the crossover concept, other than some images. From these images, we know that the concept features “gullwing” styled doors and an extremely futuristic looking rear. Continue reading to view more images. Read the rest of this entry.
