Brilliant…BMW’s China Partner Brilliance Working on X1-Lookalike A3 SUV

There is no question that when it comes to automotive clones from China, history repeats itself. Following in the footsteps of Mercedes-Benz’s China partner BAIC, which came out with a five-door hatchback closely resembling the Stuttgart firm’s B-Class, Brilliance Automotive, BMW’s associate in China, is working on a compact SUV model that looks very much alike X1 crossover.

According to Chinese news site Auto Sohu that broke these scoop photos, the new Brilliance model with the Audi name and BMW looks will be officially revealed at the upcoming Shanghai Auto Show in mid-April. It is reported that the Brilliance A3 SUV will be offered with a 1.6-liter gasoline engine sourced from Mitsubishi’s local division.

Other notable doppelgangers from China include: BYD S6DM / Lexus RX, Landwind X8 / Mitsubishi Outlander, Great Wall Florid / Scion xA, Lifan 320 / MINI Cooper, Yema SQJ6451 / Subaru Forester and the Geely GE / Rolls Royce Phantom.

Source: Auto Sohu

BRILLIANCE AUTOMOTIVE A3 SUV

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BMW X1 CROSSOVER

Shanghai Auto Show on This Weekend

Auto Shanghai is a biennial international automobile show that alternates with the Beijing Auto Show and dates to its inception in 1985. Auto Shanghai became the first UFI approved Chinese auto show in June 2004.

Held every two years in the neighborhood of Pudong in Shanghai, China, since the 9th show in 2001, the exhibition has taken place at the Shanghai New International Expo Center.

According to the sponsor some 283,000 people visited the auto show this weekend.

Cool Pictures

Taiwan’s Luxgen Shows Off Neora EV Concept Sedan in Shanghai

Among the many world premieres hosted at the Auto Shanghai 2011 (April 21-28) is a new concept model for an all-electric sedan from Taiwanese automaker Luxgen. Called the Neora, the study is meant to demonstrate the firm’s technological prowess as well as to preview a future design language.

The plug-in four-door sedan concept is propelled by an electric motor with 180kW or 241-horsepower that drives the front wheels. According to Luxgen, the Neora tips the scales at 1,600 kg or 3,527 pounds and is capable of completing the 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint in just 6.5 seconds en route to a top speed of 250 km/h (155mph). The electric motor is fed through a 48 kWh lithium-ion battery set, which is said to offer a driving range of around 400 kilometers or 248 miles on a single charge.

“[The] Neora perfectly represents LUXGEN’s brand spirit of Think Ahead, and the new form of appearance will be the design cues for LUXGEN’s upcoming models in the future,” said the company’s Vice President, James Shyr. “Its streamline flow, and the innovation of lightweight, as well as fuel economy, represent the novelty of LUXGEN’s energy saving future technologies,” he added.

The Taiwanese automaker’s automobile range currently includes two models, the Luxgen7 SUV and the Luxgen7 MPV.

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