Short torque

GAC Honda model hits the market

GAC Honda launched a small-size hatchback on the Chinese market with an upgraded exterior and interior. The suggested price ranges from 73,800 yuan to 102,800 yuan ($11,350 to $15,815). Among its newly launched latest models, GAC Honda also offers two special editions, Sport and Sport+, with an exclusive cerulean body color option. The orange front spoiler, side skirts, 15-inch wheels and the chrome exhaust tips give the Sport editions their identity. Their interiors feature orange stitching on the sides of the seats.

Calls to boost battery quality

A survey by Shanghai's quality watchdog on the satisfaction levels of electric car owners last year, found drivers complained of low battery performance, despite being satisfied about the quality of services. Ouyang Minggao, automotive academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said e-car power batteries still faced challenges at low temperatures due to low power output and high consumption of heating systems. Another senior auto expert, Chen Qingtai, said he expected electric vehicles would resolve a price-to-quality ratio issue.

PSA aims to offer US car sharing

French auto giant PSA hopes to launch a car-sharing service in 2018 in the US, its latest baby step back after Peugeot exited the market in 1991. In October PSA launched Free2Move in Seattle, a smartphone application that aggregates car-sharing programs for users. Car-sharing apps allow users to rent vehicles for short periods of time, in contrast to traditional rental companies.

GM to mass-produce autonomous car

General Motors says it is making the first mass-produced autonomous car without a steering wheel or pedals. The US automaker says it has filed a petition with the federal government seeking permission to put the vehicles on the road sometime next year with no human backup drivers. GM's Cruise Automation unit has announced plans to carry passengers in self-driving cars that won't have a backup driver in 2019. Where the services will take place has not been revealed. GM spokesman Kevin Kelly says that currently the first of the autonomous Chevrolet Bolts is being tested.

New auto test center unveiled

China Automotive Consumer Research and Testing Center was unveiled last week. As the first of its kind in the country, the institution aims to build a car assessment system based on customer reviews and testing results in an effort to offer objective and scientific information for consumers. It said there are around 760 car models available in the market but what buyers primarily rely on are relatively simple reviews by some car websites. The center said it mainly assesses cars that are launched within a year and have monthly sales of 3,000 units or more.

Motoring - Agencies

(China Daily 01/15/2018 page19)