The hybrid Toyota Camry HEV will be launched on the China car market on May 21. Price is expected to start around 320.000 yuan. It is the first time Toyota is selling the hybrid Camry in China, which is still a very difficult market for hybrids and even more so for electric cars.

The Toyota Camry HEV, pictured here under a very clean blue sky, is powered by a 156hp2.5 liter patrol engine and a 140hp electric motor, mated to an ‘e-CVT’. Toyota claims a combined power output of 200hp. The Camry is made in China by the Guangzhou-Toyota joint venture. Toyota will soon launch the  Prius in China as well, the Prius is made by the FAW-Toyota joint venture.

Via: 163.com.

The new Xiali N3 has been launched on the Chinese car market. It didn’t happen at the Beijing Auto Show last month but rather sneakingly at the very local Qingdao Auto Show in Shandong Province. Strangely Xiali only showed the sedan but announced pricing for both the sedan and hatchback. The Xiali N3 is made by Tianjin-FAW Automobile, a subsidiary of First Auto Works (FAW).

The Xiali is one of the longest running cars in China. It all started in1995 as the Tianjin Auto Xiali, which was basically a rebadged Daihatsu Charade. Tianjin Auto had a license for the Charade which by that time was already considered very old by the Japanse. Daihatsu was happy it could still earn a few yen by licensing it to the Chinese. Well, the Charade is still around and Daihatsu is nowhere in China.

Price for the yet invisible hatchback starts at 31.990 yuan and ends at 33.990 yuan, price for the sedan starts at 33.990 yuan and ends at 37.990 yuan. The N3 is one of the very cheapest cars on the Chinese market. In big rich cities such as Beijing and Shanghai sales are minimal these days, but the N3 continues to be very poplar in the rest of the country where hundreds of millions of people are still saving money for their first car.

Only engine is a 1.0 four-cylinder with 65hp and 89nm, mated to a 5-speed manual. The previous N3 was also available with a slightly stronger 1.4 but that engine seems gone, at least for now. I guess Xiali will launch it a bit later, to get some media attention yet again…

Via: Autohome.

The summer is coming up steam, at least here in Beijing, so Volkswagen is perfectly in time launching the new Volkswagen Golf Cabrio on the Chinese car market. The market for convertibles is still small, thanks to air-pollution, noise and traffic jams, but it is growing among the young ‘n cool who don’t want the same boring sedan as their parents have.

The Golf Cabrio is imported and therefore expensive but in this segment that doesn’t really matter. The few foreign competitors who also sell convertibles all import them from abroad. The local Chinese auto makers make, all together, just one convertible which isn’t very dangerous for the Golf.

Volkswagen keeps things easy when it comes to price: 349.800 yuan for the Cabrio Comfort and 379.800 yuan for the Cabrio Luxe. Lone engine is the 1.4 TSI with 160hp and 240nm, mated to a 7-speed DSG. Main competition: the BMW 1-series convertible which starts at 320.000 yuan and the Mini Cooper cabrio which starts at a completely ridiculous 355.000 yuan.

Via: Autohome.

The new Chery Eastar sedan has been launched on the Chinese car market. The Eastar is a very important car for Chery. The old one was on the market for some eight years and very popular among budget buyers and taxi drivers who wanted a no-frills big car for little money. Chery made the new one much better, much better looking and it is still incredible cheap. Price starts at only 95.800 yuan and ends at 135.800 yuan.

Big car! Size: 4866/1840/1500, wheelbase is 2768. Engines: 1.8 with 132hp and 170nm or a 2.0 with 139hp and 182nm. Transmission: 5-speed manual or CVT. It comes standard with ABS+EDB, dual front airbags, electric windows and mirrors, USB-ports and a six-speaker sound system, and much more… The platform however is rather old and basically the same, but improved, as under the old Eastar. This saved Chery a lot of money and so they still earn a few bucks on each car they sell. It won’t be that much however so Chery needs to sell high volumes, but looking at this car and its price it seems they will do just that.

Via: Autohome.

Citroen has launched the C5 20th Anniversary Edition on the Chinese car market. The special C5 celebrates the 20th birthday of the  Dongfeng-PSA joint venture. Congrats there! The joint venture was established in 1992 and started production of their first car, the ZX-based Fukang, in 1994.

The Citroen C5 is also made at Dongfeng-PSA, the C5 20th Anniversary Edition comes with 20-anniversary badges, special alloys, a special red-black interior and a small wing on the back. Engine is a 2.3 with 171hp and 230nm, mated to a 6-speed tiptronic.

Price for all this pretty: 229.900 yuan, and that is only 3000 yuan more expensive than the tops-spec standard C5. It won’t however become a collectors item, this special edition is unlimited and production will continue until the end of this year.

Via: Autohome.

BMW’s ugly duckling has been launched on the Chinese car market. The old but pretty 1-series was not very successful in China, BMW so tries again with an ugly 1. The smallest BMW is not only ugly, it is also imported and therefore very expensive, price starts at 242.000 yuan and ends at 375.000 yuan.  Models: 115i, 118i and 325i. BMW has no plans for local production of the 1-series yet. Via: Autohome.

The new Zotye Z300 sedan has been launched at the Chinese car market. Zotye, being a funny brand, has been funny with the price: starts at 58.999 yuan and ends at 69.999 yuan. No, what do you get for all those nines?

A shameless copy of the Toyota Allion, but much cheaper. Engine is a Mitsubishi-sourced 1.5 that poops out ith 120hp and 143nm, mated to a 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic. Size: 4565x1766x1493, wheelbase is 2700. The Z300 is Zotye’s biggest car so far, and ironically also the first car that Zotye ‘designed’ by themselves, earlier cars are legal Fiat-based vehicles and a semi-legal Daihatsu clone. Great company this Zotye is indeed, an look what’s here!

Via: Auto21.

The Hawtai B21 is one of those cars that seems old before it hits the market. The B21 sedan debuted as a concept at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show and has been on every auto show in China ever since, but never made it to the market. That however will change! Hawtai says the good old B21 will finally be launched this year, with a brand-new engine.

The B21 concept was always ‘powered’ by a 1.8 turbo from SAIC or a 2.0 turbo-diesel. Hawtai is the only Chinese automaker that thinks diesels are cool. The 1.8 turbo is used in the slightly bigger Hawtai B11 that was launched in December 2010. The B21 however will get a ‘new’ engine, a 2.0 sourced from Mitsubishi that poops out 136hp, mated to a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed automatic. The 1.8 turbo has 160hp but the 2.0 will likely be considerably cheaper.

Size: 4777/1794/1498, wheelbase is 2680. Price will range from 80.000 until 130.000 yuan. The B11 costs between 119.700 yuan and 143.700 yuan.

Via: Autohome.

The new Fiat Viaggio sedan debuted last month at the Beijing Auto Show, it will be launched at the Chinese car market in September, price is expected to start around 120.000 yuan. The Viaggio will be made in China by the Guangzhou-Fiat joint venture, it is based on the Dodge Dart that is based on Fiat’s C-EVO platform that also underpins the Alfa Romeo Giulietta.

Power will come from Fiat’s 1.4 Fire T-jet turbocharged engine with two different tunes: 88kw and 210nm and 110kw and 230nm, mated to a 6-speed ‘DDCT-C635′ dual clutch transmission. Some rumors say Fiat is also considering a less high-tech 1.6 for a cheaper entry-level Viaggio. At this moment however we can’t confirm this, yet. The Viaggio is the first car for the new Guangzhou-Fiat joint venture, next up is likely a hatchback version of the Viaggio, then later on a small SUV. Fiat hopes to sell at least 100.000 Viaggio’s in 2013.

Via: Sohu.com.

The new Nissan Sylphy debuted at the Beijing Auto Show last month, it will be launched on the Chinese car market in June. Price is expected to range from 130.000 to 180.000 yuan. The Sylphy is made in China by the Dongfeng-Nissan joint venture. The old Nissan Sylphy will continue as the ‘Sylphy Classic’.

Engines: 1.6, 1.8, and possibly a new 1.6 turbo. Earlier reports in the Chinese press said the 2.0 from the old Sylphy would continue in the new Sylphy as well, but new reports indicate this might not be so. The 1.6 turbo would in that case actually replace the 2.0. Size of the new Sylphy: 4610/1760/1495, wheelbase is 2700.

Via: Sohu.com.