Citroen Wild Rubis morphs into DS 6WR SUV for Beijing auto show

Citroen has revealed its new Chinese market DS 6WR SUV in a set of official photographs prior to its debut at the Beijing motor show later this week.

Previewed in concept car form at last year's Shanghai motor show as the DS Wild Rubis, the  4553mm long, 1858mm wide and 1610mm hight SUV will be produced in a joint venture betwee Citroen parent company PSA and Changan.

The new front-wheel drive only Citroen SUV is based on the same platform as the Citroen DS5 LS - a long wheelbase version of the DS5 offered exclusively in China.

The DS 6WR is planned to be sold with three four-cylinder gasoline engine options: a turbocharged 1.6-litre with 163bhp and 200bhp and a naturally aspirated 1.8 with 139bhp - all mated to a standard six-speed automatic.


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SAIC's Roewe previews heavily reworked W5 SUV

The Roewe division of Chinese automotive heavyweight SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) has dopped a series of pictures/stetches revealing its heavily reworked W5 SUV ahead of its public unveiling at the Beijing auto show later this week.

The new five seater continues to be based on the old Ssangyong Kyron but recieves sharper styling that gives it a more upmarket appearance, along with a more contemporary interior with imporoved materials touch screen controls and the latest in connectivity options.

Roewe confirms the W5 will get a new range of engines. Gone are the old 1.8 turbo and 3.2 liter six-in-line gasoline engines - the latter of which is based around an old Mercedes-Benz design with origins in the 1970s. In their place is a new turbocharged 2.0-litre four cylinder developed by parent company SAIC as part of units that go under the name "Cube Tech".

JAC Motors to reveal new six-seat crossover/SUV concept at Beijing motor show

It is not going to win any beauty contests, but there's no denying that JAC's new EC-9 concept car has presence - and plenty of it.

The new six-seat crossover/SUV concept is set to underpin JAC's stand at the upcoming 2014 Beijing motor show. Early rumours out of China suggest a less flamboyant version of the five metre long concept could go in to production in 2017.

As well as previewing JAC's ideas for a new range topping model, the EC-9 also reveals the company's new corporate logo.

We'll keep you updated when further info becomes available.

JAC Motors (official name Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co Ltd) is a state-owned Chinese car maker. The company is based in Hefei, Anhui Provence, China.

Latest data reveals JAC produced 445,000 cars in 2012.

To learn more go the JAC website at: jac.com.cn

Mercedes-Benz Sport Cruiser ... no, make that new R-class

Details have emerged on a new luxury crossover under development at Mercedes-Benz.

German media are calling it the Sport Cruiser - a name Mercedes-Benz originally applied to a bicycle back in 1998.

My contacts suggest the new crossover model ws been conceived to follow in the wheeltacks of the R-class, and thus will likely be badged as such.

Here's what you need to know about the Mercedes-Benz Sport Cruiser/R-class.

• Planned launch date: 2017.
• Five metre long one-box body with four conventional front hinged doors.
• Two wheelbase lengths.
• Billed by insiders as modern-day estate/wagon. Mercedes-Benz's answer to the BMW 5-series GT.
• It's been described as a grown up (Ueber) B-class in appearance.
• Standard five and optional seven seat interior layout.
• Luxurious interior. Lots of kit.Based on Mercedes-Benz's MRA platform, as used beneath the new C-, E, S-class. Conceived to share driveline, chassis, suspension components as well as electrical system and connectivity functions with next E-class, the W213 as it is codenamed.
• Among the new engines will be a new in-line six-cylinder. It is part of a modular range of new three-, four- and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.
• Combination of gasoline, diesel and hybrid powerplants. An AMG Version with 500bhp plus twin-turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 also among the envisaged models.
• Production: USA, China . . .

www.theautoinsider.blogspot.com.

 

China auto sales hit 1.57 million in May 2012

A total of 1.57 million automobiles were manufactured in China last month, China Business News reported today. The figure, which comes from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, is 4.66 percent lower than April and 16.9 percent higher than last May.

Automobile sales, meanwhile, totaled 1.61 million units, decreasing 1.06 percent from April and growing 15.97 percent from last May.
May production and sales numbers for passenger automobiles were 1.27 million units and 1.28 million units, respectively.

The amount manufactured was 2.76 percent lower than the previous month, while the amount sold was 0.46 percent higher. Both figures represented positive year-on-year growth of slightly over 21 percent. 6.33 million passenger automobiles have been sold in the five month period from January to May.

Domestic own brand manufacturers sold 516,400 passenger automobiles in May. Their cumulative market share fell another 0.47 percent in April to 40.28 percent, a whole 3.28 percent less than last May. By comparison, German, Japanese, US, South Korean and French manufacturers sold 245,100, 238,800, 146,000, 100,400 and 35,200 vehicles. Their respective market shares were 19.12 percent, 18.63 percent, 11.39 percent, 7.83 percent and 2.75 percent.

US manufacturers' performance last month was particularly noteworthy, with their market share increasing a full 0.87 percent.
Furthermore, Chinese automobile exports broke the 100,000 unit barrier for the first time in May.

According to CAAM statistics, China exported a total of 103,400 vehicles last month, 18.2 percent more than the previous month and 43.4 percent more than last May. A total of 382,500 vehicles have been exported from January to May, with Algeria, Russia, Chile, Iraq and Iran being top buyers.

this report from gasgoo.com

Lotus acquisition by SAIC and Youngman denied

British sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars has been through a tumultuous time as of late. Only last week, CEO Dany Bahar was relieved of his position by new parent company DRB-Hicom, which appointed one of its executives, Aslam Farikullah, to take his place. At the same time, rumors began circulating of Chinese enterprises SAIC and Youngman Lotus preparing to purchase the manufacturer. However, in a report appearing on International Finance News today, Lotus officially denied such rumors.

"We have not received any such information," Lotus China's public relations office responded when asked about the rumors. The office added that the speculations are baseless. SAIC Group, Youngman Automobile and DRB-Hicom all have yet to officially comment on the matter.

Lotus has been in dire financial straits as of late. All sorts of rumors, including reports that the manufacturer is preparing to abandon its Formula One program, have been spreading throughout the media. Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton sold its 42.7 percent stake in Lotus to DBR-Hicom earlier this year. However, due to the manufacturer's poor sales, DRB-Hicom saw its stock price on Bursa Malaysia drop heavily.

This report from gasgoo.com

New Seat Toledo leaks on to web

The guys over at seatfansclub.com have leaked these pictures of the new 2012 model year Seat Toledo on to the internet.

New Briliance concept car caught before unveiling

Brilliance, the Chinese car maker with close links to BMW (the two operate a joint venture that produces 3- and 5-series models for the domestic Chinese market), is working on a new concept car.

Caught here for the first time the new five door hatchback/crossover has reportedly been styled by ex-Pininfarina designer Dimitri Vicedomin who now heads up design operations at Brilliance. Hands up those who see cues from the Lancia Delta, Alfa Romeo Giulietta,Alfa Romeo Brera and Alfa Romeo Kamal concept in the new Chinese car's lines . . .

We figure the new Brilliance concept is a planned replacement for the Splendor/FRV/FSV line. But with a firm tongue in cheek we're already calling it the Alfa Romeo Delta here at TheAutoInsider.com 

Facelifted 2013 model year Kia Sorento without disguise

As the saying goes, you can run but you can't hide. Here's Kia's facelifted Sorento lurking in China. Seen here for the first time without diguise is the big Korean SUV's reworked front and rear end styling, including its new head- and tail lamp treatment.  

Hongqi 77X gets an internet airing

Hongqi, an upmarket brand of China's First Automobile Works, is set to launch a third model - the 77X. Revealed here for the first time, it is planned to slot into the Hongqi line-up between the 77H and 77L. Details remain scarce but whispers out of FAW suggest the 77X is based on underpinnings provided by the Volkswagen Group; most likely those of the superceded Audi A6.

Volvo XC40 hits the internet

This long range picture of Volvo's upcoming XC40 has made its way onto various internet sites over the weekend. Expect to see the toughened up V40, complete with raised ride height and four wheel drive, in all its production glory at the Paris auto show in September.

Rumour mill: Lancia Fulvia on the way back?

News that Alfa Romeo parent company Fiat has done a deal with Mazda that will finally see a return of the iconic Spider based on the same rear wheel drive underpinnings as the fourth-generation MX-5 (or Miata as it is known in certain parts of the world) has led to whispers of a possible return of sister company Lancia's equally legendary Fulvia as well. 

Fiat won't officially be drawn on the rumours out of its Turin headquarters over the weekend, but insiders close to the Italian car maker's boss Sergio Marchionne say there is a lot of enthusiasm surrounding the Fiat/Mazda co-operation, with one suggesting that the MX-5 platform would provide the perfect basis for a production version of the well received Lancia Fulvia concept first shown at the Frankfurt motor show back in 2003.

"The Fiat deal with Mazda opens up all sort of possibilities, and not only for the return of the Alfa Romeo Spider. We are looking at other aspects that may provide increased economies of scale, not only on a component sharing level but also in the area of production. Whether Lancia and a possible resurrection of the Fulvia is included in that is something I can not comment on at this time," a long time Fiat employee told TheAutoInsider.

Our take: Lancia's at a low ebb, but this is just what it needs to set it back on track. Imgaine: a 300bhp turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder Multi Air engined powered Lancia Fulvia HF, complete with the superb retro design touches of the 2003 concept car, the sort of rear wheel drive handling traits that makes the Mazda MX-5 such a delight to drive and a six-speed double clutch gearbox to boot.

     

What if? Mini Zero Concept

They're not officially sanctioned sketches, but this is what former BMW Design Works designer, Sonny Lin, reckons a future entry level Mini model could look like.

Updating the retro look of today's hardtop with a more contemporary design that retains all the traditional elements that made the original such a hit for over 40 years, the Mini Zero, as Lin has christianed his creation, is described as being longer than the official Rocketman concept but shorter than today's Cooper hardtop.

Our take: Just what Mini needs to fend off advances from cheap European hatchbacks like the Citroen C1, Toyota Aygo and 108. Go with it Munich . . . 

Like this: Mercedes-Benz 220 SE touring car

Who said the Germans don't understand fun? The guys and gals from Mercedes-Benz's Classic division clearly do, as evidenced by this: a 220 SE from 1964 that has been constructed to contest classic car events. Looks like it'd be a handful, but we'd be willing to give it a go. Look for the 220 SE racer at this year's Goodwood Festival Of Speed beginning 28 June and running thu 1 July.

BMW Z4 Zagato Coupe

BMW's design team has co-operated with famed Italian design house Zagato on a new aluminium bodied coupe version of the second-generation Z4. Revealed at the Concourse Villa d'Este held on the shores of Lake Como in Italy, the new car is described as a one-off but behind the scenes Zagato is pushing to pursuade BMW to allow it to place the so-called Z4 Zagato coupe into low volume assembly. As it is based on standard Z4sDrive35iS underpinnings, it would be a relatively straightforward exercise. Even so, our sources suggest the new car would likely cost up to double that of its roadster sibling. BMW is apparently talking with Zagato about lending help with body construction, with insiders suggesting it could end up being clothed in carbon fibre panels rather than the aluminium panels of the car seen here. Power comes from a reworked version of BMW's turbocharged 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder N55 engine with a claimed 400bhp - up by 60bhp on the standard Z4sDriveiS roadster.