08 Jan 07
Better enrol in night classes now. Chinese cars will soon be everywhere and they've all got names that are either weird or dull or confusing or just plain hard to pronounce. Changfeng specialises in all of them, and is extremely ambitious: its target now is America, and the rest of the world will be next.
In a surreal presentation at the Detroit Motor Show, a corporate video soundtracked by the synthesised strains of Jerusalem explained that Changfeng is China's biggest SUV manufacturer. It already exports to Europe, South America, the Middle East, South East Asia and Africa, and is recruiting dealers in North America.
The company has had a technical partnership with Mitsubishi for 10 years, and is developing various passenger cars and MPVs. The more immediate plan is to roll out four pick-ups and SUVs this year. The most appealing of them is the UU CT3, a neat little two-seat pick-up powered by a 1.4-litre petrol engine, with hints of Smart Fortwo, Nissan Micra and Skoda Pick Up about its styling. The big seller is likely to be the big, sturdy looking Liebao CS6 and CS7 SUVs, and the full-size Feibao CT5 pick-up.
Changfeng's show stand also housed the Rhombus concept, an orange car with its wheels in a diamond formation, and a towelling and corduroy interior. It looked pure 1974, but was in fact brand new project developed with Hunan University.
Oh, and the company's name is pronounced 'Chung-fhoong'.
