Chery Cars Re-Badged And Sold In Europe

Shanghai, November 19, 2008: (Gasgoo.com) China's biggest homegrown automaker, Chery Automobile, has cars on sale in Germany for the first time, though in re-badged form, Chinese newspaper Beijing Youth Daily reported today.

The Munich-based car importer China Automobile Deutschland (CAD) has begun selling Chery A1, Easter CROSS and Tiggo across Germany under an unfamiliar Dragon brand, with the name of each of the imported models being changed.

Among them, the Chery's A1 mini-car has been renamed as City and priced at €8,999 (77,534 yuan) and the name of Easter Cross minivan has been changed to Liner, priced at €24,900 (214,534 yuan). Also CAD gives Tiggo another name, called Grand UFO, prices starting at €19,990 (172,231 yuan).

The prices of these cars are 30 to 80 percent higher than China's prices, according to the report. Moreover, the Chery A1 and Easter CROSS MPV are reported to be directly imported from China, though the managing director of the importer, Karl Schlössl, claimed that the cars' interior styling and safety devices have been greatly upgraded.

Besides the Chery models, CAD also sells three SUVs produced by some other Chinese automakers, including the Shuanghuan CEO, Jonway's UFO, and the GX6 from Zhejiang Gonow Auto.

Karl added that his company already has had partners importing Chinese-brand cars into France, Poland, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Luxembourg and Serbia. He said he is negotiating with importers from Italy.

Chery spokesman Jin Yibo denied knowledge of any relationship with CAD. Another representative of Chery responsible for EU markets said that he is unaware that CAD is selling Chery cars in Germany, an Automotive News report said.

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