The recently concluded Beijing Auto show, held at the China International Exhibition Center, a spanking new venue situated in Jinganzhuang, drew a host of automobile manufacturers from the world over, from the frail “once upon giants” from Detroit to the more happening “vision for the future” car manufacturers like Volvo.
The catch word was the “L” cars. The L word here simply mean lengthened. The Chinese car market is growing by leaps and bounds and a tremendous demand from consumers for the lengthened version of cars is now being catered to by Volvo. Volvo has decided to manufacture its S60L in the Chengdu province in China and if reports are to be believed then Volvo could end up manufacturing nearly 200,000 units annually, besides other models like Volvo XC60.
By introducing these two models, Volvo is poised to meet the appetite of the Chinese consumers in the “L” and SUV segments. Presently Volvo imports these models from the Netherlands and manufacturing them in China would mean reducing the on-road cost.
According to sources, the “L” models would find its way into the Indian market soon as these cars are ideal for Indian road conditions.
Presently Chinese consumers have no choice but to buy the Citroen Elysee which was permitted to lengthen the vehicle by 10cms. This was done to increase leg room for rear passengers. Audi and BMW have followed suit to also introduce the “L” version of their respective models. While Audi has come up with its A6L model, Mercedes Benz raised the bar with E class “L” model.
If one were to go buy the sheer population of China coupled with a controlled open economy, the demand could quickly outweigh the supply. Automobile manufacturers from all around the world are sure to quickly to cash in on the rapidly emerging demand for “L” category vehicles in China.