BMW goes to war against Chinese carmaker - part 1/2

Description

While authorities in Beijing promise to crack down on counterfeiting, Germany's premium carmaker BMW is suing China's Shuanghuan for cloning one of its models and selling it at a lower price. Toyota, BMW, Mercedes, Jeep: All the major brands were on display at this year's convertible and SUV (sport utility vehicle) fair in Paris. But the biggest attraction was Shuanghuan. The Chinese carmaker was already the talk of the town at last year's Frankfurt salon, when BMW accused it of having copied its X5 model. Imposing yet comfortable, the Shuanghuan CEO has all the characteristics of a top-of-the-line SUV, except the price. The basic model is listed at just 26000 euros, about 25% to 30% cheaper than the competition, according to Benoit Chambon, marketing director for China Automobiles France. Shuanghuan is aiming for sales of 30000 vehicles in Europe this year, 10% of those in France. Shuanghuan, which aims to gain market share in Europe in the coming years, has to face BMW's charges. The Chinese CEO and the BMW X5 appear to have the same basic design, but the CEO has a Mitsubishi engine while the BMW one of its own. Inside, both brands offer a comfortable five-seat cabin. BMW did not hesitate to sue Shuanghuan. "We think they have plagiarised the design of the X5," said Nicolas Wertans, chief executive of BMW France. The French distributor of the CEO, China Automobile, believes there is nothing to worry about. It's hard to predict whether BMW has any chance of winning its <b>...</b>

Keywords

china, carmaker, SUV, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes, Jeep, Shuanghuan, Automobiles, France, chinese, auto, 双环汽车speak

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