Chinese Brand Qoros Unveils First Models in Geneva

Get ready for this mouthful: Qoros is a joint venture between Idan Ofer, Israel’s wealthiest man, and Chinese auto brand Chery Automobile, but its design is done in Germany while production is in Changshu, and it aims at courting young Chinese and European consumers with its latest vehicles.

Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show just yesterday, the Qoros 3 Sedan is the first production vehicle by the marque and the only Chinese-labeled car at the show. Two other concept models – 3 Hybrid and 3 Estate - also made their debut. According to Ofer, the brand’s ultimate target audience is the booming Chinese market, where its consumers admire and trust European aesthetics. The 3 Sedan is said to hit China in the second half of 2013, while the first European sales is expected to begin by the end of the year.

Designed by Gert Hildebrand, who also created BMW's Mini, the 3 Sedan comes with a four-cylinder 1.6-litre petrol engine, and bears a similarity to the Volkswagen Passat.

And although priced at below US$26,000, the Qoros 3 Sedan “is not a low-cost car”, but “a car of content, and quality with a competitive price”, according to Cristiano Carlutti, sales manager of Qoros for Europe and the Middle East.

We’re told that the Lamborghini LP560-4 is in its last incarnation, so we fasten our seatbelt and find out whether the 2013 version can finish on a high note.