Short Torque

Myanmar-made BAIC cars unveiled

China's State-owned carmaker BAIC Group unveiled its first Myanmar-produced SUV in Yangon, Myanmar on Aug 2. The compact Changhe Q35 SUV, which is produced at a factory in Mandalay, is designed with local customers' demands in mind, said a senior BAIC manager. The plant in the country's second-largest city covers 81,000 square meters and has an initial production capacity of 5,000 vehicles a year. The plant was part of a semi-knockdown deal signed in 2017. BAIC said it will introduce another new model soon. Besides Changhe-branded vehicles, the deal also covers vehicles under BAIC's Doda brand.

Orders for Great Wall rise in July

Great Wall Motors, China's largest SUV and pickup truck maker, sold 60,357 vehicles in July. This is up 11.09 percent year-on-year, despite a prolonged slowdown in the country's overall automotive market. The performance has brought its sales in the seven months this year to 553,895, up 5.33 percent from the same period last year. SUVs from its Haval brand remained popular. They totaled 42,888 in July, a 15 percent increase from the same month last year. Its high-end Wey brand saw July sales reach 7,246, bringing total deliveries this year to 54,130. The carmaker's new energy vehicle brand Ora sold 2,071 electric vehicles in July.

Hyundai, Honda recall vehicles

Hyundai's joint venture with BAIC Group is recalling 400,377 Tucson SUVs in China over faulty engines, the State Administration for Market Regulation said in a statement on Thursday. The models involved were manufactured between Aug 17, 2015 and Sept 18, 2018 and 1.6 T engines. Honda's joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group will recall 222,674 Accord sedans in China, after recent complaints on social media about the engine quality. The recall is linked to a problem caused by the intercooler of the car's 1.5T turbocharged engine. In certain situations, the engine lost speed to protect the vehicle, according to the State Administration for Market Regulation.

Safety lessons offered to children

GAC Honda launched a public welfare event to popularize safety knowledge of road travel for children in Beijing on Thursday. Since 2015, GAC Honda has cooperated with Guangzhou police to give lessons for primary school students. They have entered 53 schools and taught 450,000 children. This year, the project has been updated in many aspects, such as the curriculum and innovation in teaching aids. To encourage children to learn road safety, the company created animated characters to teach through stories, making it more interesting to children. Zheng Heng, executive deputy general manager of GAC Honda, said that they plan to provide lessons in 10 provinces in the next five years.

Toyota launches new Corolla in Beijing

Sino-Japanese joint venture FAW Toyota launched the 12th-generation Corolla in Beijing on Friday. Available in eight variants, the sedan is priced between 119,800 yuan ($16,969.59) to 159,800 yuan. Built on the Toyota New Global Architecture, the new Corolla has been elongated by 15 mm to 4,635 mm and widened by 5 mm to 1,780 mm to offer a more comfortable ride. The model is available in two powertrain options: a 1.2T engine or the 1.8L hybrid. It has Toyota's latest safety features, including pre-collision system. It also boasts smart functions like Level 2 autonomous driving. One of the most popular sedans in China, more than 3.5 million Corollas have been sold since its arrival in 2004.

Motoring - Agencies

(China Daily 08/12/2019 page19)