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ReprintsBelgian dealer stops sales of Chinese car
Douglas A. Bolduc
Automotive News Europe
June 29, 2007 14:59 CET
Dealer Karel Cardoen has stopped sales of the Brilliance B6 sedan in his showrooms in Belgium because of the car's poor result in a recent crash test. "We decided this car is not good to sell in Europe," Cardoen told He said he made his decision after seeing Internet footage of how the car performed in tests conducted by 11 national auto clubs, including Germany's ADAC. Brilliance is the latest Chinese automaker to have trouble establishing itself in Europe because of poor safety. In late 2005, Chinese carmaker Jiangling's Landwind medium SUV was withdrawn from Europe after it failed an ADAC-run crash test. A spokeswoman for the brand's distributor, Luxembourg-based HSO Motors Europe, had no comment on Cardoen's decision. She said the car remains on sale at two dealerships in Germany and added that the company continues to look for sales partners for the brand. Stopping sales of the BS6 does not mean that Cardoen no longer believes in Brilliance. "The brand is good, design is good, quality is good, emission levels are good," Cardoen said. "When the safety is good, we will reconsider importing the car." The BS6 is made by Brilliance Jinbei Automotive at the carmaker's factory in Shenyang, near China's border with North Korea. Brilliance also has a joint venture with BMW to build the German carmaker's 3- and 5-series models for China. You may e-mail Douglas A. Bolduc at dbolduc@craincom.de |
You can reach Douglas A. Bolduc at dbolduc@crain.com.
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