DaimlerChrysler, whose American unit was the first foreign automaker to set up manufacturing in China, announced plans to select a new partner in China by the end of the year to help it make subcompact cars.
DaimlerChrysler is in talks with Chery Automobile and another unidentified European automaker, Tom LaSorda, chief executive of Chrysler.
China is the world's fastest-growing car market, and DaimlerChrysler's production in the country is focused on luxury Mercedes-Benz sedans and Jeeps. DaimlerChrysler, based in Stuttgart, wants to sell small cars to attract more first-time car buyers.
"We need a Chinese partner who can help us boost revenue and keep costs under control," LaSorda said. "We have a gap in the B-segment," he said, referring to subcompact cars.
In September, DaimlerChrysler opened a plant in Beijing with an annual capacity of 105,000 vehicles, including as many as 25,000 Mercedes-Benz E-Class and C-Class sedans.
China is on course to exceed Japan as the world's second-largest vehicle market this year after the United States. The Chinese auto market may expand to 10 million units by 2010. Sales in China rose to 5.77 million vehicles in the first 10 months of this year, compared with 4.88 million vehicles in Japan.
DaimlerChrysler is trying to cut costs at its Chrysler unit, which had a third-quarter operating loss of €1.16 billion, or $1.49 billion, compared with a year-earlier profit of €310 million, after it built more cars than it could sell.
DaimlerChrysler does not plan to work with its current partner in China, Beijing Automotive Industry Holding, on small cars because Beijing Automotive does not have the engineering capability to design a small car, LaSorda said. DaimlerChrysler has held talks with Chery to sell a Chinese-built subcompact in the United States, a person familiar with the negotiations said in September. DaimlerChrysler said last year that it might export Chinese-made cars to cut its labor costs.
Toyota Motor has said that it expects sales in China to surge 33 percent next year as it introduces a new Corolla model. Toyota's sales in China are predicted to reach 400,000 vehicles a year from 300,000 this year, said Yoshimi Inaba, executive vice president at Toyota. The company plans to start selling the new Corolla in the middle of next year.
Toyota and other Japanese automakers are trying to win customers in China from General Motors and Volkswagen. Toyota and other Japanese automakers need to introduce more new models and raise local production," said Ichiro Takamatsu at Alphex Investments in Tokyo. "China is the market that no one can ignore."
Source:佚名