Chinese cars snatch spotlight at Frankfurt auto show
(USA TODAY)
Updated: 2005-09-19 09:06

Among the buzz at the Frankfurt Auto Show, which runs through Sunday, is the appearance for the first time here of Chinese cars.

The HQ, made by Chinese automaker Geely, is a small car with five gears and a 1.2 liter engine. [AP]

Landwind showed its first SUV, which is made by a unit of Jiangling Motors Group. It is expected to go on sale in Europe in July for about $21,130, about half the price of its nearest rival.

Also on display here are a midsize sedan and sports car made by Geely Automotive, and the Zhonghua sedan made by Brilliance China Automotive Holdings, which has a joint-venture partnership with BMW.

"They're pretty rough right now. You can see that visually," Eric Ridenour, chief operating officer of DaimlerChrysler's Chrysler Group, said of the Chinese vehicles.

In fact, these cars may remind potential customers of the first cars off the assembly lines of South Korean automakers Hyundai and Daewoo.

Jiangling's Landwind SUV, about to go on sale in Germany, has been slammed in safety tests. [AFP]

But all of the major automakers are wary of the potential force the Chinese automakers may one day be.

"I think we would ignore them as a threat at our peril," said John Fleming, president and chief executive of Ford of Europe. "It isn't going to make life any easier."

Other vehicles unveiled at the Frankfurt show:

Mini concept:

You could see the admiration — OK, envy — in the eyes of rival auto executives as they gazed at the new Mini concept car.

The stretched version of the Mini coupe, built by BMW, hearkens back to the Mini Traveller launched 45 years ago, and is "basically an idea of where the brand might be headed," the company said.

The front end is completely new, with swept-back headlights and a three-bar grille. The concept also recalls the Traveller with its symmetrically split double rear door and sliding side windows. The interior also is new with a circular instrument display in the center of the car.

"I was in the middle of staring at the new Mini. The way the two doors open in the back, have you seen that? It's really cute," said Richard Parry-Jones, vice president of global product development for Ford Motor.

Toyota RAV4:

This is the third generation of the RAV4 small SUV, which first hit the road 11 years ago.

Toyota redesigned the Rav4 and made it longer by almost 6 inches and wider by about 3 inches. [Wieck]

The last version came out six years ago, and the latest edition is longer by almost 6 inches, which gives rear passengers a bit more legroom, and it's wider by about 3 inches.

The 2006 model will arrive at dealers at the end of December and will feature Toyota's "Easy Flat" seating system, which allows the rear seats to be folded flat using one lever and without removing seat cushions or headrests.

Toyota Yaris:

The Yaris will come to America late next spring, replacing the Toyota Echo.

Launched here in 1999, the Yaris has become Toyota's best-selling car in Europe.

To start, U.S. dealers are expected to get only the two-door hatchback, which will compete against Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent.

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