Fledgling Chinese-Israeli Automaker Qoros Makes World Debut in Geneva [w/Video]

Qoros, the new Chinese-Israeli-funded automaker, made its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show, where it unveiled the production version of its first car, the 3 (formerly known as GQ3) sedan.

The compact saloon shares the show floor with two more models, which are displayed in concept form, but look very close to being production-ready: the 3 Cross Hybrid and the Qoros 3 Estate.

The 3 sedan will be the first of Qoros’ cars to go on sale, and it will be available for purchase in China during the second half of the year, and in Europe, towards the end of 2013. The other two models will follow later on with Qoros stating that it plans to launch a new model every six months.

Powering the firm’s icebreaker will be a 1.6-liter petrol engine, which will be available with or without a turbocharger. In naturally-aspirated guise, it will make 125hp (126PS), while the turbo version ups the power figure to 154hp (156PS). Power will reach the wheels via either a manual or dual-clutch automatic gearbox, both of which have six gears. Qoros said it is also developing a new direct-injection force-fed 1.6, as well as a smaller three-cylinder 1.2-liter turbo unit.

All Qoros models will be manufactured in Changshu, China, with the help and under the supervision of established automotive-related companies, such as Magna Steyr, Continental, Bosch and Microsoft.

The aforementioned 1.2-liter turbo engine is the basis for the hybrid system found in the Qoros 3 Cross Hybrid Concept. It is a hatchback/crossover version of the 3 sedan and it features a clever four-wheel drive system driven by “intelligent software.”

The Estate Concept is self-explanatory, and will most likely share all of its engines with the sedan variant.

All cars will have modern-looking interiors, with an emphasis on perceived quality, as well as a standard-fit 8-inch capacitive touchscreen control unit mounted on the center console. If safety is your main concern, Qoros claims that all of their offerings will achieve top marks in both Chinese and European crash tests – though, saying it is one thing, doing it is another…

By Andrei Nedelea

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