Thai Firm To Market New Cars For 320,000 Baht

[sriracha john]

CP to market 320,000 baht cars

China's Chery models made in Indonesia

While the local auto industry and the government haggle over the development of eco-cars, the CP Group is preparing to import the Chinese brand Chery for sale to budget-conscious drivers in Thailand. The compact cars, assembled by Chery Automobil Company in Indonesia, would be available locally by year-end and would be sold for between 320,000 and 400,000 baht for models with 1,100cc engines, according to CP vice-chairman Thanakorn Seriburi. The state enterprise Chery _ Qi-Rui in Chinese _ is based in Anhui, west of Shanghai, and is the fifth largest carmaker on the mainland. It has set up a plant in Indonesia to produce several models under the Chery brand and take advantage of free trade deals. According to Mr Thanakorn, the cars will qualify for preferential taxes as low as 5% under the Asean Free Trade Agreement (Afta), allowing the company to offer low prices. With fuel consumption around 27 kilometres per litre, the Chery is a perfect city car, he said, adding that target customers would be teenagers, housewives, students in the capital and big cities such as Chiang Mai and Phuket.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/Business/13Jun2007_biz50.php

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Various Chery models of cars and pick-ups:

[CHdiver]

First Car looks like a Porsche 911. Now that would be a hit, a Porsche for 320000 Baht. Ok, 1100 ccm would not get you a lot of power, but the first Porsche Modell had also just around that number in ccm. Fast enough for Bangkok all the time.

[quiksilva]

Im in two minds about this, on one hand I think what a great idea, cars here are far too expensive but then I think about how lots of cheap cars will add to the traffic jams...

[highchol]

Im in two minds about this, on one hand I think what a great idea, cars here are far too expensive but then I think about how lots of cheap cars will add to the traffic jams...

chinese vehicles...reliability!

Edited June 13, 2007 by highchol

[lannarebirth]

When they can learn to make a nail or a screw or a light switch I'd buy; I might then take a look at their cars, but I doubt it.

[kmart]

When they can learn to make a nail or a screw or a light switch I'd buy; I might then take a look at their cars, but I doubt it.

Expected lifetime: 2 days. Although its getting harder to try and find anything that is not "made in China" these days.

[Berty]

2 week warranty.

[Florin]

First Car looks like a Porsche 911. Now that would be a hit, a Porsche for 320000 Baht. Ok, 1100 ccm would not get you a lot of power, but the first Porsche Modell had also just around that number in ccm. Fast enough for Bangkok all the time.

The first one actually must be a Porsche 911...nothing on their site ( http://www.cheryglobal.com/ ) looks anywhere near like that picture

[dave111223]

First Car looks like a Porsche 911. Now that would be a hit, a Porsche for 320000 Baht. Ok, 1100 ccm would not get you a lot of power, but the first Porsche Modell had also just around that number in ccm. Fast enough for Bangkok all the time.

The first one actually must be a Porsche 911...nothing on their site ( http://www.cheryglobal.com/ ) looks anywhere near like that picture

I dont see the truck either.

[richard10365]

For the guys talking bad about China, you don't know much about Chinese products. Everything you can get in the west you can get in China. I'm sure there are businesses with poor quality but you can find businesses like that in the west too.

They have 1.3 billion people. And their laws for fraud are a lot worse than U.S. laws. In the U.S., you go to jail. In China, you are executed.

With that over your head, don't you think that making a safe reliable car is important to the Chinese car manufacture?

[technocracy]

Sure Chinese stuff sure used to be really crappy however these days the fact is that most of the 'major' western companies have some kind of production plant in China - or they use another companies plant to make there products.

Living here in Laos we get far more Chinese stuff than Thai - import duty and tax are less I believe, also two good communist buddies. Anyway yes you can go out and buy expensive Thai stuff OR you can go and get the real bargains there are in the Chinese products.

Take power tools well - Makita power tools specifically - if you didn't know Makita has tools made in China (and Thailand) these tools however are made by a Chinese company on there behalf. So I go to the Chinese market and have purchased an Eletric Makita Chainsaw AND a Electric planer - for the grand total of 2500baht. Try and buy a single Makita tool in Homepro for that amount (I think a 'cheap' angle grinder is about that). They have been used and thoroughly abused and haven't had a single problem as would be expected from a Makita tool.

Also Bathrooms - I have equipped all the 4 bathrooms in my house here with Y'all bathroom products all made in China. As much as the plumber moan that 'Thai stuff is better blah blah blah' they are all plumbed in and working without a glitch. No leaks no nothing - and that is connected to a Grundfos pump with 60psi water into them. On the note of price I purchase all 4 bathroom suites which consisted of:

4 toilets

4 sinks (with taps)

1 bath

1 Spa Bath (Jacuzzi thingy)

The grand total came to 30,000 baht - now try and buy just a spa in Thailand for that price (the cheapest Cotto I believe if 59,000 baht!)

The major thing here is the Chinese motorbikes - now if you go and buy the very cheapest one - i'll die in a week but if you put up the extra and buy the more expensive Chinese make they last as long as any Thai bike.

I am not saying all Chinese stuff is great as this isn't true (as stuff made in any country) - but it sure ain't as bad as you are all making out!