June 21: Quoros - here they come?

It's just a matter of time. China is a huge car market, I think it is either #1 or #2 in the world, passing or about to pass the USA. A lot of the cars sold in the Middle Kingdom are made by the Chinese branch of international car companies, such as VW or GM, but there are many that are local. The local cars may have a price advantage, but no so much in the way of prestige. This is quite important in China, as presentation and appearance are a top priority.

How much longer before a Chinese car appears on our shores? This is a big market and a big opportunity, so it can't be that far in the future. So now to the topic of today's blog. In the last few years a new joint venture was started in China, the Quoros Automotive Company, to market new cars in its home country and also in Europe. The name "Quoros" stands for "quality" (rolls off the tongue?). Its first showing was at Geneva this past Spring. Their debutante, the Quoros3.

Quite nice looking, but similar to many other small cars, like the Mazda3, which it resembles in more that just name. I don't know its market position, but it appears very well appointed and is sized like a 3 series BMW.

Also shown was a future production wagon concept, which like many of the wagons showing up in Europe is great looking. If you are selling there, this is a must have model in your range. Another must have model is the "eye candy" concept.......

It might never make the sales floor, but it will generate tons of interest and hopefully the accompanying press. As you will probably notice, this is a scale model, not even a life size mock up. But it is quite stunning and I'd buy it, even if it didn't come with the egg roll option.

So who is in on this joint venture? A large investment company and Chery Automotive Company. Surely you've heard of Chery? They have been threatening to start selling cars in North America for sometime now and even were linked to a joint venture with Chrysler to build this entry level car........

It didn't work out and the idea was quietly shelved. Chery has had its share of unusual cars, but this recent offering, the QQme is quite distinctive.......

In its first year it sold like rabid puppies. To continue the analogy, I think it is puppy dog cute, but was a real sales disaster. I probably picked their worst effort, but they have had their share of dogs (ok, enough with the canine comments).

Wonder why they don't just proceed with the Chery name? Does the world really need a new car brand and surely they'll also be marketing their own cars around the world in the near future? Questions, questions, but answers, answers not so much. As always time will tell.

Until next time.......