China might be going on a deadly brand binge as Bertel prognosticated. Here is a new brand that at least is worth a look: Qoros. It is a joint venture between Chery Automotive and Quantum LLC from Israel. The joint venture had been approved way back in 2007, but things slowed down soon after that – in 2008. Now they are back, with a very first concept car that looks – well, it looks like a cow.
Qoros wants to make high-quality cars to compete with the likes of Acura, Luxus, Infiniti, Volvo, and ultimately the German Three. Cars will be made for China and for export to Europe. No clear plans yet for export to the US or other markets.
The factory is based in the great city of Changshu in Jiangsu province. The R&D Center is in Shanghai, perhaps not a single well-paid designer would ever go to a place called Changshu. Quantum and Chery have to far invested 3.40 billion yuan, or 534 million US dollar. Engines will be newly designed by the Austrian company AVL and made in China by Chery.
An ambitious plan it is. But we like ambitious plans. Furthermore, Qoros managed to hire some hot shots.
1. as vice president: Volker Steinwascher, former Executive Vice President for Volkswagen North America (center on pic).
2. as chief designer: Gert Hildebrand, designer of the original new-Mini. Left.
3. as President and CEO: Guo Qian from Chery. You guessed it.
The cars: the weird looking cow car previews a compact sedan that has to hit the market in 2013. Next up is a compact hatchback, followed by an SUV, and followed again by some ‘EV products’. We will shall wait and see.
Dutchman Tycho de Feyter runs Carnewschina, a blog about cars in China, from Beijing, China. He also collects die-cast models of Chinese cars.
Holy?
I propose a model name: Qoros Gateway…remember those Gateway computer ads from the 90′s…? -crickets chirping-
Cue the “cheap” car jokes in 3…2…1…
let me guess their battle plan:
the rolling chassis will be all china
the drivetrain will be Israeli designed EV or PHEV which suits the small Israeli road system
not much relevance outside of Israel
and thats it!
They’re clearly having some fun mocking the modern giant wraparound headlights styling.
So that’s not just camouflage? that really is the prototype? Even for Chery, maker of the QQ, I’d call this a new low. Is it going to be called the MooMoo car?
Looks like the world most inconvenient, impractical take on the Chevy Cobalt.
They could open a dealership in Vermont and call it Ben and Cherys.
With a color scheme like that the car should be called the Qoros Holstein. A sure fire hit with dairy farmers the world over.
It will the Quantum leap in automotive engineering, no kidding. Poor Germans as if Cadillac/Infinity/Lexus was not enough, now Israeli company is challenging them. I am sorry guys but I do not see bright future for German cars.
On the other hand it is a discrimination, here in California we cannot accept it. Obama must put pressure on Chinese Government to establish new brand with Palestinian authority too. He actually irritated our largest creditor already why not to add more?
It sounds like “culo” (Spanish).
Anybody heard from Better Place on this? Sounds like something they would want to get in on – developing an Israeli car from the ground up.
I would call it the “Schlep.”
They can keep their crap to themselves.