GREAT Wall Motor Group said yesterday it would postpone the launch of its first passenger car, Peri compact car, during its copyright row with Fiat SpA.

Shang Yugui, a spokesman from Great Wall, China's largest sport-utility vehicle maker and exporter, blamed the delay on the car maker's lack of production license for passenger cars from government regulators.

He declined to offer a timetable of the actual launch date.

Italian Fiat earlier started legal proceedings against its Chinese counterpart in both Europe and China because the Peri resembled the design of its Panda.

Fiat has already gained Chinese patent registration for the Panda.

Great Wall said it spent 300 million yuan (US$39.94 million) on the development of Peri compact.