China to march on Europe

British car buyers are set to have the chance to buy Chinese-made cars as early as 2009, as Changfeng Motor has confirmed it will sell cars in Europe. Changfeng unveiled its plans at the North American International Auto Show as it took the wraps off two new models that will spearhead the company's push into Europe and North America.

Both the mid-sized SUV Liebao CS7 and compact SUV Kylin will come with budget prices, though Changfeng's chairman Li Jianxian would not be drawn on exact costs. However, Changfeng has made major steps forward in the quality of its cars and is also looking at European-style advertising and marketing to distance itself from earlier efforts that were regarded as 'propaganda'.

Li said: "Changfeng must step out of its comfort zone into global competition." This plan could also see the Chinese maker set up a partnership with a European car manufacturer to build cars in Europe.

Alisdair Suttie