The first model will compete with the subcompact VW Polo, the source said.
European sales likely will be overseen from Germany. Augsburg-based AVAG Holding has been mentioned as a possible partner for the Chinese automaker.
AVAG's import agent, Juergen Voss, said: "We do generally deal with Chinese automobiles, but nothing has been decided."
Brilliance is BMW's joint venture partner in China and sells the BS6, a BMW 3-Series look-alike, in Europe.
To survive in the competitive German market, a Chinese subcompact would need to be priced at EUR 7,000 or less. The poor performance by Chinese vehicles in crash tests have made Europe a tough market for Chinese companies.
Industry executives see Geely, Chery and Great Wall Motors as the most promising candidates for successful European debuts. That is because those three automakers plan to start with a newly developed generation of models for Europe. |
