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JLR and Volvo recall 46,000 faulty cars

Jaguar Land Rover and its joint venture Chery Jaguar Land Rover filed a recall of 34,162 SUVs for a faulty gearbox bearing safety hazard, 20 months after the media report of massive cases.

The majority of the involved vehicles are 33,346 units of imported Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, for a frequently reported power loss due to the 9-speed automatic transmission wrongfully shifting into neutral gear under certain circumstances. The locally made Evoque shares the same problem, together with the imported Discovery Sport.

A transmission software upgrade is promised, free of charge.

Volvo will recall a total of 11,690 units of imported S60 and V40, for possible crack in cylinder head.

Renault launches new compact SUV Koleos

The second-generation Renault Koleos compact sport utility vehicle was launched in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on Thursday.

Considering all versions come standard with continuously variable transmission, the new Koleos looks more upscale with more value. Many upgrades went into the carmaker's new flagship model, including strong connectivity and safety, chic cabin design, and more rear seat space.

The new Koleos sits on the same proven architecture as the Nissan X-Trail, with two engine options including 2-liter front-wheel drive and 2.5-liter four-wheel drive. It measures 4,672 mm in length, with a wheelbase of 2,705 mm and ground clearance over 207 mm.

Electric buses from China serve at COP22

Electric buses from China are being used as means of transportation by participants at the 22nd Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or COP22.

Marrakech, Morocco, received some 50 buses from Chinese bus manufacturer Yangtse to serve as shuttle buses for COP22, adding that Marrakech is the first African city to use this environmentally-friendly means of transportation.

Great Wall to launch new high-end brand

Great Wall Motor Co Ltd will launch a new high-end brand under the name WEY on Nov 16 in accordance with its development strategy, according a statement issued by the Hong Kong-listed automaker on November 10.

"Further information about the models and their launching schedule under the WEY brand will be disclosed by way of announcement when such information is finalized," said the statement, following another statement three days earlier that denied that the company would launch the so-called Lanling high-end brand at the upcoming Auto Guangzhou 2016.

Renault-Nissan looks to produce e-cars

The Renault-Nissan Alliance aims to launch a new electric car at just $8,000 within two years in the China market, CEO Carlos Ghosn said. "What we are seeing in China is that what is really selling are the very low-cost electric cars."

The electric auto market as a whole is reaching takeoff thanks to cheaper batteries, government incentives to consumers and better infrastructure for charging vehicles on the go, he said at the Web Summit in Lisbon on Nov 8.

Motoring - Agencies

(China Daily 11/14/2016 page19)