Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., China's largest domestic passenger vehicle maker, plans to start selling its first seven-seat SUV at the Beijing auto show in April.
Last week, the state-owned automaker's assembly plant launched production of the Changan CX70 in the southwest China city of Chongqing.
It is 4,680 mm long, 1,800 mm wide and 1,775 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,780 mm. The vehicle will be powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine with a five-speed manual transmission.
The SUV is expected to give Changan's softening sales a much-needed boost. In the first two months, Changan's car sales dipped 1.9 percent year on year to 201,875 vehicles.
Over the same period, China's overall light vehicle sales rose 5.1 percent to 3.61 million vehicles.
Changan, headquartered in Chongqing, also has joint ventures with Ford, Mazda, Suzuki and Citroen.
Source:Automotive News China