Chery Ripens

Among Chinese indigenous brands at the Shanghai auto show, Great Wall and Chery run neck and neck in the number of new-model debuts. We think Chery had the edge, though, with such memorable products as the A6CC sport coupe, the Shooting Sport wagon and the Tiggo6 SUV, among others.

Chery's almost limitless ambition to become a major exporter to the Western world led to hot anticipation of its Shanghai show lineup. And the reality lived up to expectations as Chery proved again that it is increasingly a force to be reckoned with.

There were many highlights, notably the neat Bertone-designed A6 and its companion, the A6CC sport coupe, which brought to mind the elegant Pininfarina-designed M14 roadster. One can only hope that at least one sporty model will make it into production. There seems at least to be a fighting chance that the A6CC will make that leap, since Chery described two power options for it: a V6 3.0-liter with variable valve timing and a four-cylinder, turbocharged 2.0-liter variant.

In addition, there was much interest in the Shooting Sport, Chery's take on a sporty wagon in the same style as the Audi A3 Sportback. Another concept was a bigger brother to the Toyota RAV4-like Tiggo SUV. Called the Tiggo6, it paired rugged looks and permanent all-wheel drive. Chery highlighted the fact that among possible powertrain options, its self-developed 1.9-liter diesel has already passed Euro V emission-control regulations.

But that, substantial as it appears, was not all. Chery also unveiled two hybrids, the A3 compact and the A1 minicar, which featured the same combination: a 1.3-liter diesel engine mated with a 30 kW electric motor and a CVT transmission. Company officials remained tight lipped on production possibilities.

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Fiat Looks for Opportunities in China

Fiat had a small but impressive lineup at the Auto Shanghai. The Italian company is trying to revive its local operation and find new partners to cash in on the China automotive boom.

Currently, Fiat has just one small production plant in China: a joint venture with Nanjing Auto, where a small number of Palio and Siena cars are being produced each year. Now that Nanjing Auto is focusing on reviving MG, Fiat is looking for a new angle to make its way in the China market.

At the Shanghai show, many visitors were attracted to the stylish new Bravo hatchback. As Fred Duan, commercial director of Nanjing-Fiat, put it: "When you buy an import car in China, you want something special." Bringing in the Bravo would provide a halo effect for the brand, but it wouldn't be a mainstream product. The midsize Linea — which was the centerpiece of Fiat's stand here — could do that job, but the business case has not yet been made for its local production.

Fiat is also trying to find new partners. Sergio Marchionne, Fiat's energetic CEO, said in a recent interview that his company is "in the position of choosing with whom it wants to develop cars in China." One potential candidate is Chery. The two companies have signed a deal that will see the Italian company using Chery's self-developed ACTECO engines in its China-market models. Chery recently ruled out the possibility of buying Nanjing's stake in the Nanjing-Fiat venture — but there are other options, one of which is for Chery to assemble Alfa Romeos.

Another potential candidate is the largely unknown Zotye Holding. Zotye, which produces a Daihatsu Terios look-alike, recently bought the ailing Jiangnan Automobile plant in Hunan province. According to Zotye officials, the company is in talks with Fiat to assemble up to 100,000 Lancia cars a year at the Jiangnan plant.

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