Yulon Introduces Self-developed SUV

To accelerate the development of its LUXGEN own-brand car business, the Yulon Group, Taiwan's largest automobile conglomerate and assembler of Nissan and Mitsubishi models on the island, recently unveiled its 100% self-developed Luxgen7 sport utility vehicle (SUV).

Yulon introduced its first Luxgen model, the Luxgen7 multi-purpose van (MPV), in August, kicking off the group's second attempt to develop its own auto brand; the first was in the 1980s, when Yulon unsuccessfully promoted the Feeling sedan, which it claimed was 100% developed in Taiwan. In the new Luxgen models, industry experts say, people can feel the group's greatly upgraded manufacturing capability as well as the striking development of automotive-electronics systems on the island. This, the experts say, gives "Made-in-Taiwan" automobiles global competitiveness.

In addition to the Lxugen7 SUV, Yulon also plans to introduce several other products under the LUXGEN logo, including the Luxgen7 CEO, an MPV featuring the most luxurious and sophisticated equipment ever seen on a locally made car model--such equipment as an electric partition shield (with electronic transparence/opaque control), night-vision system, and lane departure warning system (LDWS). This is a compact car with an engine displacement of 1,500cc.

At the presentation of the new model, Yulon president Chen Kuo-rong reported that Luxgen car models will be displayed at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show in April in the hope of penetrating the booming auto market across the Taiwan Strait.

Yulon is very optimistic about the sales of its Luxgen models. In Taiwan, more than 2,200 Luxgen7 MPVs were ordered in the three months following its introduction, which is not bad for a brand-new model in the limited Taiwan market (where less than 200,000 new cars were sold in 2008) under the current economic conditions.

Yulon chairman Kenneth Yen said that he feels very proud and confident about his Luxgen products. He announced that a battery electric vehicle (BEV) version of the Luxgen7 SUV, dubbed the Luxgen SUV EV+, along with the Luxgen7 MPV (Luxgen EV+) and Luxgen CEO (CEO EV+), will also be introduced in 2010. In addition to the Luxgen BEV lineup, Yulon has also helped its Chinese partner, Geely Automobile, to develop a BEV model, the tobe M'car EV, which will be promoted in the Taiwanese and Chinese markets.

Yen said that the Luxgen SUV, CEO, and MPV will be present at the 2009 Dubai International Motor Show in December. This move, industry sources believe, implies that Yulon intends to tap into the international market as soon as possbile.

Power and Performance

The Luxgen7 SUV is powered by an advanced, high-efficiency 2.2L multi electronic fuel-injection (MEFI), double overhead camshaft (DOHC), 16-valve turbocharged and intercooled inline four-cylinder engine developed and made by Taiwan's Advance Power Investment Co. (CECTEK, formerly the China Engine Corp.). Equipped with a responsive Garrett turbocharger, this compact, light-weight engine produces up to 175hp at 5,200 revolutions per minute (rpm) and has a torque of 28kg-m at 2,500-4,000 rpm for eye-catching performance.

The new model also incorporates an Asine five-speed adaptive automatic transmission. On the top-end four-wheel-drive (4WD) model, three driving-mode options can be chosen according to road conditions.

Advanced automotive electronics equipment is a strong attraction for the car, on which high-technology safety-related systems work together to provide the highest standard of safety for drivers and passengers. This equipment includes an Eagle View+ 360-degree image system that uses four video cameras to provide a real-time visual display of the surrounding environment within two meters. When the driver turns the steering wheel, the advanced Side View+ side-safety system automatically displays a video image of the vehicle's blind spots to reduce the chance of an accident. The advanced Night Vision+ high-sensitivity camera system helps illuminate the road and surrounding traffic conditions at night, beyond the range of the headlamps. A lane departure warning system (LDWS)+ constantly reads the road surface for lane markers and dividers, and gives audio and visual warnings when the vehicle goes too close to the side of the lane.

Other luxury equipment segment includes intelligent anti- theft electronic-control front seats, which go forward to the front extreme and lock when the driver gets out and presses a touch-control button.

Moreover, an advanced Think+ telematics and infotainment system co-developed with High Tech Computer Corp. (HTC), the world's largest maker of Windows-based smartphones, is built-in with HSPDA 3.5G communication, GPS navigation, and a 10.2-inch liquid crystal display (LCD) screen to provide entertainment, communication, satellite navigation, road safety, and owner's service and system configuration options.

Most industry observers feel that Yulon is targeting the booming auto market in China, and that the company wants to push car models with more low-cost electronic equipment that up to now has been seen only on luxury car models. This strategy, they believe, will likely enjoy initial success; they caution, however, that brand image will be the deciding factor in success or failure.