Dongfeng Launches Its First Own-Brand Hatchback "Joyear"

SHANGHAI - October 16, 2007:

Dongfeng Motor Group, China's third-largest automaker, released its first own-brand passenger car--"Joyear" today, which is scheduled to hit the market later this month.

By design, this new hatchback is 4320 cm in length, 1804 cm in width and 1644 cm in height, leaving bigger in-vehicle room for the passengers. Apart from its outlook, the automaker is very confident with its safety performance, saying that Joyear has achieved four-star rating from Euro NCAP crash test.

Joyear is manufactured in Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Co., one of Dongfeng's subsidiaries. "DFLZ is planning to launch more own-brand models in sedan and SUV segments," said Cheng Daoran, general manager of DFLZ. "We have constructed a new platform for B-segment sedans alongside the existing Fengxing 7-11 platform," Cheng added.

Joyear is set to compete with such models as Ford Focus, VW Bora, and Nissan Tiida. Though details of prices have not come out, analysts forecast it'll be at around 130,000 yuan ($17,253).

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