Skip to main content

ads1

Great Wall Cowry

BAODING, China — Great Wall Auto, which has yet to display its vehicles in North America, is in the process of gradually expanding its product portfolio. China's largest maker of pickup trucks and SUVs last fall displayed three small-car concepts at the Beijing Motor Show, and later this month it will unveil two additional vehicles at the Shanghai show.

In keeping with its colorfully named predecessors (Florid, Cool Bear), the latest Great Wall concepts are dubbed Cowry and i7, although China insiders also know them by their more prosaic development code names of V80 and CH031, respectively.

Great Wall Cowry
The Cowry (V80) is a compact four-door MPV that would look right on home on the streets of Tokyo, if not Santa Monica. Fitted with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, it will be priced from $15,500 to $19,400.

Great Wall i7 The i7 (CH031) is a jaunty five-door hatchback with an exaggerated, oversize grille. It will be offered with a range of four-cylinder gas and diesel engines from 1.2 to 1.5 liters and will be priced from under $15,000.

Both models are scheduled to go on sale in China later this year. They are among five new models that Great Wall plans to exhibit at Shanghai, including a 4x4 edition of the GW Peri minicar.

Great Wall executives say they hope to sell 120,000 vehicles this year, including 80,000 in China and 40,000 overseas. Last year, the company built around 100,000 vehicles, virtually all of them pickups and SUVs.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

First Drive: 2007 Honda Civic GX

Previews Greenie spendthrifts wanted: A heavier, slower Civic with a smaller trunk. Oh, yeah, and it costs 50 percent more. Never mind that we in Michigan are just emerging from our igloos after a long cold winter. The world is heating up, the ice caps are melting, and when that melt is complete, we’ll all be living high in the mountains in houses on stilts to stay dry. Forty days and 40 nights the waters will rage, and when the ice caps refreeze, we’ll all be fighting over who called first dibs on those last two pigs for our celebratory barbecues, since the unicorns were already eaten by sharks. There are people who would argue that that sinister little creation, the automobile, is responsible for it all. We blame Al Gore, China, sweatshops, and greenie celebrities who flit about in private jets. Those who want to make a difference drive hybrids, while those who researched their decision drive diesels. Those who are truly enlightened and want to make a difference, however, seek someth...

NAIAS Detroit 2007: Volkswagen continues BLUETEC offensive

Volkswagen is presenting the Concept Tiguan SUV study at the North American International Auto Show. In the first half of next year the series version of the “Touareg’s little brother” will be debuting in the US. The Tiguan is being advanced as a significant component in Volkswagen’s model range in order to expand the market position in the US. Moreover, Volkswagen expects additional US growth starting in 2008 from the market launch of the cleanest TDI of all times. The introduction of the Turbodiesel direct injection engine equipped with a NOx secondary treatment system is taking place as part of the BLUETEC offensive in the latest Jetta– the most successful car in America from a German manufacturer. European injection technologies are increasingly convincing US customers: In 2006 Volkswagen of America had sales 4.9 percent above the previous year. This corresponds to 235,140 vehicles sold in the US. The positive signs for 2007 include the Eos being offered for the first time over an ...

Kia Motors America Introduces 2007 Kia Borrego SUV at 2008 NAIAS

Newest Addition to Kia Line-up Makes its Debut at North American International Auto Show DETROIT, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- On the heels of record 2007 sales, Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced the world debut of the all-new 2009 Kia Borrego midsize SUV at the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, further bolstering its product offerings in the United States. 2009 Kia Borrego Inspired by Kia's "less is more" design philosophy, Borrego was intended to convey a pure and functional look. It joins Kia's versatile and stylish line of cars and SUVs for those who enjoy active and energetic lifestyles. Set to go on sale this summer as a 2009 model, Kia Borrego houses Kia's first-ever V8 engine, making it the most powerful vehicle to date. "Kia is proud to deliver a stylish and amenity-filled SUV to consumers who are passionate about what they drive," said Len Hunt, president and CEO of KMA. "We strive to make quality vehicl...