Coming Soon: Chinese Cars

There aren't any Chinese cars on American roads yet but if all of the pieces are in place, consumers will begin seeing these vehicles about one year after the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Changfeng is just one of several Chinese carmakers trying to break into the North American market and it is using Detroit to showcase what the company can offer.

"We are investigating how to come to the U.S. market" said Changfeng Chairman Li Jianxin. "We hope we could do it in two years. We participate in this show not only to showcase our model lineups but more importantly to listen to the voice of our new customers in the North America market."

There's skepticism here about whether that's a realistic timetable, but Detroit is taking the Chinese seriously. "People who think this industry isn't global are burying their head in the sand", said Robert Ficano, of the Detroit Wayne County executive, welcoming Chairman Li to the show and foreseeing "mutually beneficial" cooperation opportunities between Detroit and Changfeng.

The two new cars are Liebao CS7, a small SUV, and the Kylin, and small multi-purpose vehicle. The Liebao CS7 promises an economical engine, an interactive entertainment system, and four-wheel-drive system. Precise details were not released.

The Kylin is a five-seater compact with a tall hatchback body shape. It is Changfeng's first vehicle of this type and was developed in-house. It has a Mitsubishi powertrain, Bosch fuel injection, and the chassis was "calibrated" by Lotus.

Would these cars be a serious proposition for Western buyers? The styling and appearance is competent and inoffensive, but a quick inspection shows that the material and build quality is a long way from world class, with flimsy, cheap-feeling plastics and textiles, large and variable panel gaps, and poor interior fit and finish. There would also likely be challenges in meeting safety and emissions standards.

The size and layout of both Liebao CS7 and Kylin suggest they would find more success in Japan and Europe than North America, but with Chairman Li promising two new vehicles every year from his company's new design centers in Beijing and Changsha, other designs are likely to follow.

Changfeng first exhibited at Detroit last year. The "propaganda film," diamond-shaped car, and unintelligible press materials meant it was far from a typical auto show presentation. Things were marginally less bizarre this year (though it's not often you're handed a press release that promises cars that "sketch a fairy... attract so many eyeballs" and have "no splurge nor scrupulousness").

Changfeng's ambitions are no joke, though. "Competition in China is saturated" said Chairman Li. "We must...bravely step into the platform frontier of global competition. We commit ourselves to satisfy the customers with safe, environment[ally friendly vehicles."