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First Drive: 2007 Brilliance BS6

Previews Chinese cars are now on sale in Europe, so we go for broke and try one at top speed on a German autobahn. Yes, Chinese cars are coming to the U.S. The catch is that no one, not even the Chinese car manufacturers themselves, can provide a clear answer as to when and how. But we wanted to see how a Chinese car fares on real roads—and we wanted to know right now. The opportunity came courtesy of Brilliance Auto, a car manufacturer based in the northeastern Chinese town of Shenyang. If the name Brilliance rings a bell, it’s probably because the company has been licensed by BMW to build and sell 3- and 5-series sedans for the Chinese market since late 2003. Our test drive would not be in some Brilliance-built Bimmer, but in the company’s very own BS6 sedan (known as the “Zhonghua” in China). To put the car through its paces, we hit a hectic mix of city streets, country roads, and arrow-straight autobahns in Berlin, Germany. Why Berlin? Because Brilliance is the first Chinese manufa...

Brilliance BC3

GENEVA — Brilliance China, which is partnered with BMW and Toyota in several China auto ventures, is displaying a range of three models at the auto show here, in partnership with its European importer, HSO Motors Europe. The Brilliance portfolio for Europe includes a new sport coupe, the BC3 , based on the M3 coupe concept it displayed last fall at the Beijing show. The concept featured a 170-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. Brilliance also is showing two sedans, the BS6 and the BS4 . The BS6 is based on the original Zhonghua sedan, designed by Giugiaro and sold in China as the Zunchi M1. The smaller BS4 is based on the home-market Junjie M2. The BS6 already is on sale. The BS4 will arrive in European dealers in late spring, while the BC3 is slated to appear in late fall. HSO late last year signed a deal with Brilliance to import up to 158,000 cars from China over the next five years. The BS6 will be priced in Europe from around $30,000. Brilliance has said it also plans...