Chinese Show New SUV and Odd-Looking Concept

[liberal N proud]

How long before we see this ugly thing rolling down America's Highways?




Changfeng Motor Company, China’s largest maker of SUVs, in 2007 becomes the country's first automaker to exhibit throughout the entire auto show. (Compatriot firm Geely showed its car only during the Press Preview last year.)



To mark this milestone, journalists were invited to what turned out to the auto show’s most unusual press event.



Auto show Joint Chairman Robert Thibodeau and local dignitaries exchanged gifts with Changfeng Chairman Li Jianxin in the type ceremony more usually seen at diplomatic events. Chairman Li then made a speech explaining Changfeng’s 5-year plan: Expand production to 300,000 units, seek out foreign partners whose “advanced technology we can absorb” and, thanks to China’s admission to the WTO, “face up to global competition."
http://autoshow.autos.msn.com/autoshow/detroit2007/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=1696136

[Megahurtz]

1. Oh Joy.

Another one.:eyes:

When are these Stupid Ugly Vehicles going to go out of "style"???

[Double T]

5. Not fast enough!!

[AndyA]

2. That is not an attractive car at all.

I guess some people might call it "cute". The strange black grille is what stands out the most. I'll bet it's plastic, too. Even better.

It also seems very small. I wonder what the rollover danger is. It sits pretty high, that always concerns me about small cars, they don't have enough of a footprint to keep them well balanced under all conditions.

[Ediacara]

3. Compared to a Hummer it IS cute

But ya... just what we need is another Rav4 clone...

[nebenaube]

4. out of style, well...

We used to justify our Isusu Rodeo by the fact it was not a V8 or V10, was made in Indiana and we ususally had snow on the ground from Oct to June... Now, the weather doesn't apply any more and we relocated closer to 'everything' so we now only use it for groceries. Is it ok that I still own it to use one day a week?

[valerief]

6. It's no uglier than the average SUV. Most cars are aesthetically lacking.

I want a Jetsonmobile or nothing.

[eppur_se_muova]

9. The Homer!

[valerief]

17. That is ultimato fabulosity! nt

[roamer65]

7. Just wait till they buy Ford or GM...

...we'll see who'll be laughing at that point.:yoiks:

[hogwyld]

25. The Chinese will buy both. The sad thing is that

They'll move all production to China, close down all of the factories here, lay off millions, and not all, but some DUers will cheer that the CEO got the golden shaft...

[OregonBlue]

8. This is attactive compared to many of the cars you see in China and

Korea. They have these itty bitty vans that are just wonderful. Look like a big covered baby buggy but get great mileage. For those of us who live in the Northwest, they would be great because they carry quite a lot, are completely covered and get good mileage.

U.S. automakers have got to get their shit together!!

[Atman]

10. That is one CHUGLY car!

Chinese...and ugly. Wicked ugly. Just what we need, more cheap Chinese crap...and a cheap crappy Chinese SUV, to boot.

.

[ContraBass Black]

11. A long time. They will have to build a national quality reputation

The way the Japanese did and the Koreans are doing. That takes decades.

[Book Lover]

12. To steal Daniel Howes' phrase, the length of one short production cycle

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070109/AUTO02/701090364/1148/AUTO01

"It's going to take them years to be competitive in this market," said Bill Pochiluk, president of Automotive Compass LLC, a consulting firm. "Give them five years, and they're going to be here."

Give them savvy designers more attuned to the tastes of western Europe and North America, said Fisker Coachbuild CEO Henrik Fisker, and the Chinese could theoretically cut their arrival time even shorter.

"What we do know is they are approaching design houses all over the world," said Fisker, designer of the BMW Z8 and Aston Martin DB9. "If they came to us, we could develop a car for them in three or four years."

[soothsayer]

13. Actually, it's sort of cute like the goofy Element. Prolly grow on ya.

[gatorboy]

14. No Uglier than the Scions. Bleagh! n/t

[liberal N proud]

16. That is why I think that morons will flock to these ugly things

They will think it is a cute little thing or something like that

[high density]

15. Headlights looked ripped off from a BMW 5 Series.

Don't know what to say about that grille...

[jmowreader]

18. Put a $14,000 price tag on it and it'll sell like hotcakes

Because nothin' sells in this country like Cheap Chinese Crap (tm)!

Charge fourteen bills for the thing, build it good enough to get five years out of it before the engine falls through the bottom, and people will buy all they can possibly make. You know they will.

[TahitiNut]

22. For $17K, we can get this.

And for $13K, we can have this.




I wouldn't buy THAT for $14K. No way.

[jmowreader]

26. You wouldn't, but a lot of people WOULD

I sell many things. People will buy the cheapest thing about three-quarters of the time.

Trust me: at $14,000 that truck will sell so fast it'll make your head spin.

[snooper2]

29. I bought this 2006 model w-20K miles......for $13,000

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

19. after you drive it

15 minutes later, you want to drive it again.

[sakabatou]

20. Who the HELL designed that?!

[slackmaster]

24. Throwback to '70s AMC Pacer?

The "water balloon on wheels" look.

[sakabatou]

27. My eyes! They bleed!

[Jim Warren]

21. Interesting

Nothing in the snip or subsequent replies about what kind of mpg this thing gets, plenty about styling though.

[jakefrep]

23. That thing's probably a death trap....

crappy Chinese quality + small SUV = trouble

[donsu]

28. It doesn't look ugly to me

nt