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E-vehicle funding to accelerate industry

LeEco's supercar project LeSEE received its first round of funding, totaling $1.08 billion, from a slew of investors, including Yingda Capital Management, Legend Holdings and China Minsheng Trust, according to Jia Yueting, founder and CEO of LeEco Holdings Co Ltd.

Jia said on Monday that the completion of the fund raising is a milestone for LeSEE, and that LeSEE is accelerating toward the globalized, intelligent and connected electric-vehicle sharing ecosystem. The intelligent electric-vehicle concept LeSEE, with automated driving functionality, was unveiled in Beijing in April.

British Motorsport comes to Beijing

The second British Motorsport Festival is set to roll out on Oct 1 in Beijing, featuring track racing and a Hot Lap experience, to showcase the best of British cars, culture and competition.

A total of 11 carmakers, including Jaguar Land Rover, Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls Royce and Mini, will be involved in the festival events in the Golden Port circuit. The all-new Jaguar XFL and F-Pace SUV are among the luxury models provided for participants' excitement.

The organizer, Invicta Holdings, joined hands with The Federation of Automobile and Motorcycle Sports of China to promote motorsport, family culture and road safety.

Charity auction helps poor students

Luxury automaker Bentley Motors held a charity auction on Friday in Beijing, with the proceeds going to its educational cause. The event is part of a seven-year program the automaker initiated in 2015 with the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation to help poor senior middle school students in the country. The program is now benefiting 500 students from 10 schools in the provinces of Yunnan, Anhui, Hebei and Sichuan.

Toyota cars recalled on safety fears

Toyota will recall 142,592 imported vehicles across the Chinese mainland due to defective airbags, the country's quality watchdog said on Tuesday.

The recall affects 26,468 Lexus IS models made between Jan 26, 2006 and Dec 27, 2011; 112,825 Lexus ES sedans produced between Dec 12, 2005 and Dec 28, 2011; and 3,299 Lexus GX460 SUVs manufactured between Dec 1, 2010 and Dec 28, 2011, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

A defect has been found with the gas-generating agent of the affected vehicles. When the passenger airbags inflate, the gas generators inside may get damaged, said the statement.

Toyota has promised to replace the defective parts free of charge.

Chery Tiggo 7 aims at younger customers

Chery launched its mid-size sport utility vehicle, the Tiggo 7, in Beijing on Sept 20. The new model appeals to the younger generation, born in the 1980s, with its ambitious exterior and high-tech configurations.

Built on the Chinese carmaker's latest T1X platform, Tiggo 7 has three powertrains and a total of nine variations available. The turbocharged 1.5-liter engine comes with either a dual-clutch transmission or a manual gearbox. The naturally aspirated 2-liter engine is available with continuously variable transmission.

The interior seats were developed by Australian Futuris Group. Benchmarking the Chery Jaguar Land Rover's Evoque, the seats' design emphasizes ergonomics, including lumbar and upper-body support.

The SUV also features a panoramic 1-square-meter moonroof, Cloudrive2.0 connectivity with in-car WiFi function and an optional 9-inch touch screen.

Motoring-Agencies

(China Daily 09/26/2016 page19)