Four of Five cars have estimated MSRP of $19,000 USDWhile the past few months have been bubbling with activity from
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| Chery's Sedan, styled by Bertone, mimics styling by Mitsubishi and Opel. (Photo: Visionary Vehicles) |
the Chinese front, the latest news being that the region has become the world's number two vehicle producer, from 1.8 million units in 1999 to 3.2 million units in 2002 and 4 million in 2003 to 5.8 million last year, any news about Visionary Vehicles and its car-building partner Chery, the first automaker from China to announce its intentions towards the North American market, have been rather quiet; but for good reason. While Geely, a home-market competitor that has been basking in the glory as the first Chinese automaker to make itself present on North American soil at this year's NAIAS in Detroit, Chery has been working hard to create a product that actually stands a chance to sell come the brand's arrival in 2007.
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| Sedan to be powered by a V6 motor, 6-spd auto, and feature all-wheel drive. (Photo: Visionary Vehicles) |
the few official documents that have been released, Chery has shown photographs of its current range, which consists of a few, rather unimpressive vehicles, the vast majority of which are derived off of old technology, like the A11, a 'compact luxury sedan' based off of the old Seat Toledo (Mk.II VW Polo), or mechanical copies, such as the Chery QQ (Chevrolet Spark/Matiz). While the domestic Chinese market is comprised of mainly these sorts of vehicles, they simply won't cut it in the West, which is why, for its debut in 2007, under the guiding hand of major partner and U.S. distributor Malcolm Bricklin and Visionary Vehicles, Chery is set to launch an entirely new product lineup, designed and created from scratch.
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| Expect a stylish SUV like this to arrive for just under $22,000 CAD. (Photo: Visionary Vehicles) |
order to get a strong foothold in the United States, and to achieve its lofty first year goal of 250,000 units, a quarter million vehicles, and a full one million units a mere five years later, Chery's tactics are to build visually appealing vehicles that undercut the competition, not by thousands, but by $15,000 USD ($17,000 CAD) and more. According to initial information, almost every vehicle in the entire five-model lineup can be bought for $19,000 USD ($21,700 CAD), which is a bargain when compared to the rivals Chery is gunning for. Eventually, Chery will increase its range to a total of twenty different vehicles.
Chery's
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| Big wheels, flared fenders and a bold, square grille give the SUV big road presence. (Photo: Visionary Vehicles) |
first two models are a two-door coupe and a four-door sedan, which are pitched at the junior-executive market, rather than the traditional midsize segment. Instead of targeting the Hyundai Sonata or Toyota Camry, Chery is rushing headlong into battle with the Volvo S60, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, at least on a feature-for-feature basis, while the Coupe will compete with the BMW 3-Series Coupe and Benz CLK. Both the Coupe and Sedan will be powered by a V6 engine coupled to a six-speed gearbox and all-wheel drive, all for $19,000 USD ($21,700 CAD) for the sedan, and an estimated $25,000 USD ($28,500 CAD) for the Coupe.
But Chery isn't only targeting buyers of premium automobiles;
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| For the rest of us: a six or seven-seater crossover, similar to this B14 Concept Vehicle. (Photo: Visionary Vehicles) |
they're going after the mainstream vehicles which North Americans simply can't get enough of - SUVs and crossovers. Chery hopes to have new vehicles in each of these key segments. Both the SUV and crossover will be powered by a V6 engine, will feature all-wheel drive and six-speed automatic gearboxes, and have an expected MSRP of $19,000 ($21,700 CAD). Benchmark competitors for the SUV include Lexus' RX 330, BMW's X3 and the Mercedes-Benz ML-Class, while the Crossover targets Chrysler's Pacifica, the Ford Edge/Lincoln MKX, as well as the Freestyle. It's been speculated that the Crossover will feature styling similar to the B14 Concept vehicle which was also shown at 2004 Shanghai Motor Show.
