China October 2017: Focus on the All-new models

Dongfeng Fengxing S560 

After detailing October sales for China, as is the tradition on BSCB we now focus on the new locally-produced launches for the month, so you can stay up-to-the-minute on the latest additions in the world’s largest market. After ten new arrivals in September, the October class has another seven new arrivals, four of them Chinese, three SUVs and two EVs.

Dongfeng Fengxing S560 interior. Picture courtesy autohome.com.cn

1. Dongfeng Fengxing S560 (#142 – 4.637 sales)

Dongfeng sales are down 5% so far in 2017, avoiding a much more dramatic fate thanks to the smashing success of the Fengguang 580, almost hitting 20.000 sales in October. The remedy: more SUVs, and Dongfeng has got the message, launching this surprisingly good-looking Fengxing S560. At 4.515m long and powered by a 138 hp 1.8L engine mated with five-speed, six-speed manuals or a CVT, the S560 is a seven-seat SUV and features a 7 inch touch screen that offers 360 degree camera, rear view camera, Baidu CarLife, Bluetooth, and a Wifi hotspot (!). All this available at the cutthroat price of 69.900 to 96.900 yuan (US$10.500-14.600 or €8.900-12.400). Aimed mainly at buyers in second and third-tier cities, the S560 is priced lower than the very successful Fengguang 580 (72.900-123.000 yuan) and competes with the likes of the Wuling Hongguang S3 (56.800-81.800 yuan), Changan CX70 (59.900-109.900), Baojun 560 (69.800-117.800), Hanteng X5 (79.900-122.900) and Changan CS55 (83.900-132.900). Above 7.000 monthly sales will the S560 be judged a success, but Dongfeng is secretly hoping it will replicate the levels of the 580…

Bar for success: 7.000 sales

2. Buick GL6 (#175 – 3.507 sales)

Only a few months after renewing the hugely successful GL8, Buick launches its little brother the GL6 which appears in the Chinese sales charts ahead of its debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November. A China-exclusive model based on the Opel Zafira Tourer, the GL6 arrives at difficult times for overall MPV sales in China, however the 15.6% year-on-year drop so far this year only affects low-cost Chinese fares and not the new GL8 which beat its all-time volume record in September at 13.899 and is up 166% in October. Good looks and Buick’s decades-long tradition of strong sales in China augurs well for the GL6, a 5 or 6-seat 4.69m-long MPV powered by a 156 hp 1.3 turbo four-cylinder petrol engine.

Buick GL6 interior. Picture courtesy autohome.com.cn 

Priced very competitively from 144.900 to 166.900 yuan (US$21.800-25.200 or €18.500-21.400), the GL6 is unabashedly zeroing in on the VW Touran (145.800-230.800) whose volume record is set at 9.356 last June. This is a good target for the GL6, whose pricing will prevent it from cannibalising the GL8 (229.900-449.900), but the Envision SUV (209.900-349.900) could be more at risk. Buick would also want to try and upgrade existing Baojun 730 owners (60.800-108.800) or even BYD Song MAX prospective buyers (79.900-119.900).

Bar for success: 7.000 monthly sales

3. Buick Excelle GX (#215 – 2.340 sales)

Buick is pumping out the novelties like there is no tomorrow this month. Second off the starting blocks is the Excelle GX, a station wagon variant of the Excelle. This is the third Buick station wagon to be sold in China after the SR-V (2001) and first generation Excelle wagon (2005). The GX is powered by either a 125 hp 1.0 turbo 3 cylinder or a 163 hp 1.3T 3 cylinder, mated to either a 6-speed manual, auto or DCT. The Excelle GX is priced from 119.900 to 146.900 yuan (US$ 18.100-22.100 or €15.300-18.800), and it competes with the Skoda Octavia SW (119.900-179.900), VW C-Trek (125.900-162.900) and VW Gran Lavida (112.900-162.900)

Bar for success: 5.000 monthly sales

4. Roewe RX3 (#259 – 1.546 sales)

Roewe wants to build on the astonishing success of the RX5 with this miniature version, the RX3 based on the same platform as the MG ZS. Since its launch in July 2016, the RX5 has taken Roewe into brand new sales territory, achieving 20.000 sales as early as for its fourth month in market and still gaining ground 18 months after its unveiling: it broke its volume record both last September (25.066) and October (28.203). This is the perfect platform to launch an identical-looking smaller variant: the RX3 comes in at 4.408m long and is powered by a choice of 125 hp 1.6 and 163 hp 1.3 turbo.

Roewe RX3 interior. Picture courtesy pcauto.com.cn

The RX3 starts 10.000 yuan below the RX5 at 89.800-135.800 yuan (US$13.500-20.500 or €11.500-17.400) vs. 99.800-186.800 for the RX5. This way, the RX3 competes with the likes of the Changan CS55 (83.900-132.900), GAC Trumpchi GS3 (73.800-116.800), Haval H2 (86.800-118.800), Haval H6 (88.800-146.800) and its platform sibling, the cheaper MG ZS (73.800-115.800). Although presumptuous to expect the same volumes as the RX5, Roewe is in its own right to expect sales figures north of 10.000 per month for the RX3.

Bar for success: 10.000 monthly sales

5. Dongfeng Fengshan E70 (#404 – 131 sales)

Dongfeng has topped the 1.000 monthly sales twice in the past three months with the Junfeng ER30 and wants to better this with the Fengshan E70. Not much info dribbling through the net about this nameplate so far, except its price set at 212.800-222.800 yuan (US$32.100-33.600 or €27.200-28.500) before government subsidies are applied. With it, Dongfeng is aiming directly at the Geely Emgrand EC7 EV (165.800-215.800 yuan) but also the BYD e5 (195.900-215.900), Chery Arrizo 5e (212.800-232.800) and BAIC EU-Series (205.900-224.900).

Bar for success: 3.000 monthly sales

6. Yu Lu EV2 (#412 – 76 sales)

Yu Lu is a new brand created in 2015 by the Dongfeng-Yulong joint-venture and dedicated to producing EVs. Its first offering is the EV2 priced from 119.800 to 122.800 yuan (US$18.100-18.500 or €15.300-15.700) minus 70.000 yuan of government subsidies. That’s all the info available about this nameplate so far, and Dongfeng-Yulong will be hoping to convince as many car-sharing schemes as possible to ensure the success of the EV2.

Bar for success: 1.500 monthly sales

7. BAIC Huansu S7 (#416 – 65 sales)

Just as its passenger car sales plunge down 27% year-on-year in 2017 and 30% in October, BAIC continues to launch vaguely similar-looking SUVs under all its sub-brands. After the S2 (August 2014, personal best at 6.220 sales), S3 (August 2014, PB 20.868), S6 (November 2015, PB 5.150) and S5 (January 2017, PB 3.013), the Huansu sub-brand receives its 5th SUV in the shape of this rather appealing S7 with a giant Lexus-like grille. The S7 is a seven-seat variant of the S5 five-seater launched last January. At 4.80m long, the S7 is powered by a 150hp 1.5 turbo petrol engine mated with a five-speed manual box.

BAIC Huansu S7 interior. Picture courtesy autohome.com.cn

Interior quality shows the steady progression of BAIC in that domain, especially when you consider that the S7 is priced from 78.800 to 115.800 yuan (US$11.900-17.400 or €10.100-14.900). That’s a lot of SUV for this price, and the S7 enters the sandpit where cheap Chinese fares are already playing, such as the Dongfeng Fengguang 580 (72.900-123.000), Changan CX70 (59.900-109.900), SWM X7 (85.900-113.900), Bisu T5 (72.900-89.900) and BYD S7 (99.900-139.900). It will appeal to buyers in second, third-tier cities and below and won’t make much of an appearance in the bigger mega-cities such as Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou. It looks like the more SUVs Hansu launches, the less successful they are, so we shouldn’t expect too much for the S7.

Bar for success: 5.000 monthly sales

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