Executives and management of Qoros pose for a picture at the ongoing Shanghai auto show. [Photo / China Daily] 

 

What made the iPhone so successful could also work in the auto industry , says Volker Steinwascher, vice-chairman of Qoros, the latest contender in the crowded market.

The new brand will distinguish itself with appealing designs and convenient infotainment systems, Steinwascher told China Daily in an interview at the ongoing Shanghai auto show .

"What makes the iPhone so successful? Two reasons: It looks nice and is easy to use," he said, adding that Qoros has similar ideas.

Established in 2007, Qoros Auto Co Ltd is a joint venture between China's leading domestic carmaker Chery Automobile Co and the Israel Group. The company had loaded up on talent from industry leaders like Volkswagen, BMW, General Motors and Ferrari as it aims to do something different.

Its first production car - the Qoros 3 sedan - just made its debut at the Geneva auto show before arriving at the Shanghai exhibition.

Despite its birthplace in China, many industry watchers find it features an international design inferior to none of the products from Western brands.

The Qoros 3 will have a price range of between 130,000 and 180,000 yuan, which is a "great value for money" considering the quality and equipment it offers to customers, Steinwascher said.

One of the car's biggest attractions is its infotainment system, he said.

Qoros is among the few car manufacturers in the world to have touch screens for in-car infotainment systems. It has created a clean, user-friendly way to use the system.

"Simple gestures - you don't need to know anything. You can start and you'll know what you do," Steinwascher said, sliding his fingers in the air. "You swipe this way you have car information, this way for navigation , this way for entertainment and this way for connections.

"This is something absolutely unique in the market. No body has it," he said, noting that the car's target customers are the "young, metropolitan, modern after-80s" in China.

The majority of them use smartphones and will like what the Qoros has, he said.

The car is set to hit the Chinese market at the end of this year followed by those in Eastern Europe , Steinwascher said.

It now has about 80 dealerships in China, mainly in central and eastern cities. The number will increase to about 100 by the time the first production car rolls off the line, he said.

The showrooms will also be different from other car brands, with new sales and service processe s, he said. "It will be kind of an Apple shop where you can experience yourself."

According to the company's plan, new models will be introduced every 6 to 12 months. Following the Qoros 3 Sedan, there will also be a hatchback, a crossover, an SUV and a station wagon, all developed on the same platform. The SUV will also come with a hybrid version.

Qoros' plant in Changshu, Jiangsu province has a designed production capacity of 150,000 vehicles a year, which can be increased to 250,000 with more working shifts, Steinwascher said, adding that it will take some time to ramp up capacity.