What's the news?
It has not escaped the notice of Chinese manufacturers that cars launched in Europe carry a certain amount of credence on the home market. This is why Chinese manufacturer Chang'an chose the Frankfurt Motor Show to unveil its latest line of SUVs - rather than the Beijing event.
A similar tactic was employed two years ago when the Eado saloon was unveiled in Frankfurt before being sold under the 'Launched in Germany' banner at home; seemingly it does not matter to Chinese buyers that the cars are, as yet, not actually sold in Germany.
There were some saloons on Chang'an's 2013 stand with the CS35, 75 and XL-sized 95 concept being the stars of the display. The CS35 follows the Chinese ideal of taking a European design and changing it enough to avoid copyright issues with the 'inspiration' seemingly being Hyundai's ix35. It is a similar story with the larger 75, which, if you squint, looks like the Land Rover Freelander's long lost cousin.
The 95 is less 'cheap knock-off' however and shows what the Chinese are capable of when not slavishly copying rivals. At 5,380mm in length it is larger than the Range Rover but does not pretend to be an off-road vehicle with a much lower ride height.
Some concept frippery exists, such as the rear-hinged suicide doors at the back, massive 24-inch rims and an interior that features more screen than an Apple store - and a steering wheel straight out of Knight Rider. Strip these aside though and the CS95 looks like it could actually work in Europe - no real surprise considering it was styled in Turin by Chang'an's European design arm.
The concept uses a hybrid drivetrain consisting of a 245hp 3.5-litre petrol V6 and 170hp electric motor with power channelled through an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Anything else?
Chang'an may be unknown in Europe but the state-owned manufacturer is a big player in China. It has alliances with Ford, PSA, Suzuki and Mazda and has partnered with the likes of Bosch for stop-start technology, BorgWarner for turbochargers and Aisin for transmissions.
Paul Healy - 12 Sep 2013