Several years ago the prospect of seeing Chery cars on our shores appeared imminent, thanks to a deal signed between the Chinese automaker and entrepreneur Malcolm Bricklin.

However the deal fell apart and further plans to market cars in the US, including fledgling deals with Chrysler during its dark Cerberus period have come to nought.

Now, Chery is eying the European market, attempting to market a compact sedan called the Qoros that’s the result of a joint venture with Israel Corp (the Middle Eastern nation’s largest holding company). The Qoros is said to be more upmarket than anything Chery currently produces at home  and both companies have ambitious plans, setting initial production targets of 150,000 units a year, with a new factory being constructed near Shanghai to produce the car.

In order to be sold in Europe, the Qoros will have to meet, among other things, NCAP safety standards; a goal has been set of achieving five-star crash status and former Mini design direct Gert Hildebrand has signed up to work on the project, while Austrian company Magna-Steyr is reported to be actively involved.

Whether  such ambitions plans will come to fruition remains to be seen, especially in lieu of Chery’s previous  failed attempts to infiltrate Western markets and past legal issues, ranging from trademark infringements to shady contract dealings. Nonetheless, if the Qoros does succeed, it just  might mark the start of a new era in the automotive business and renewed low price competition in the European marketplace.

[Source: Left Lane News]

The automotive market in China right now is an interesting one, with obviously a huge consumer base to pick and choose from. It’s common knowledge that Chinese manufacturers still aren’t up to par with American, Japanese or European counterparts, and some of the major players continue to look at forming partnerships with established brands.

Chinese automaker Chery, has one of the best-selling economy cars in China, the Chery QQ, has been trying to form a joint venture with Subaru for quite some time now. But China’s National Development and Reform Commission opposed the joint venture due to the fact that Subaru is owned by Toyota and Toyota already has two joint ventures in China (the maximum allowed). It’s worth arguing though that Toyota only holds 16.5-percent of Subaru’s parent group, Fuji Heavy Industries, shares.

So in order for the joint venture to go through, Subaru would have to let Chery take the reins in China, meaning that every Subaru would be sold with a Chery badge and through a Chery-run dealer. Whether or not Subaru will agree to this has remains to be seen.

This isn’t the first time Chery has tried to team up with a foreign automaker, having inked failed deals in the past with Chrysler and Fiat.

As most women can tell you, driving in high heels is not an easy feat. And where do you put your over-sized purse or laptop bag where it’s still easy to access, even when there’s someone in the passenger seat? These are the concerns that have been raised by those designing cars in an attempt to market to the female demographic while remaining gender-neutral.

In the male-dominated world of cars, manufacturers are slowly and quietly trying to attract women without blatantly calling to attention the female-friendly features. Considering that women make up 52% of all new cars sales in the U.S. and influence more than 85 percent of all car purchases, car designers have slowly stepped up to the. One such vehicle that has made the leap is the 2010 Chevy Equinox, which comes equipped with a center console that’s big enough to carry a laptop or a purse.

Some aspects being considered for change in order to appeal to women without dissuading men include an adjustable tailgate, and colors and material that appeal to both genders. But there are some that are just for the ladies, like a simple tilt of the accelerator and brake pedals that make it easier to drive in high heels.

Another way to bring women into the dealerships was to staff dealerships with more women in sales and technical advice personnel roles. The idea here is to make dealerships more female friendly and develop sales promotions that capture women’s attention.

There have been early – not to mention sexist – attempts at making a women-centric automobile. Back in the mid-1950s, Dodge decided to sell La Femme, the female version of the 1955 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer. Everything about it was pink, and it even came with a matching purse, umbrella and raincoat. And no surprise, fewer than 1,000 were sold.

[Source: The Star]

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