What is it?
The first Chinese car company to exhibit at a North American auto show came to Detroit to introduce itself and announce plans to enter the US market by 2008. The Geely Automobile Company brought along a 7151 CK sedan to show, but said the car is not indicative of what American consumers should expect. Described as the mainstay of the Geely line, the 7151 CK shown is two generations away from the car that will be brought to market here. While Geely sells more than 100,000 cars per year, officials admit they're not yet ready to meet Federal emissions and safety standards, or the quality expectations of American consumers. Engineers are working on fixing that, and Geely hopes to sell 25,000 cars here in its first year. Plans are to start with a fully equipped, small family sedan priced at less than $10,000.
What's new or notable?
Geely (pronounced Gee-Lee) began exporting cars in 2003. Coming to the North American market is part of an ambitious international expansion plan that calls for 100,000 annual US sales within five years.
