Pininfarina develops a fantasy car for Hafei - International Trends - Brief Article

China's Hafei Motors is using a different strategy than most Chinese automakers for its expansion. Instead of entering a joint venture with a foreign automaker it is working with Italy's Pininfarina SpA to develop concept and production vehicles for the Chinese consumer.

The latest are the Lobo city car and HF Fantasy concept, which were both shown at this year's Beijing Auto Show.

The Lobo is set to enter production in November with a capacity of 100,000 units per year. The compact 5-door car has a 1L engine and a Pininfarina-engineered platform.

The HF Fantasy is a 4-seat sedan with the look of a coupe. Pininfarina says the vehicle's lines are sleek and dynamic, while the vehicle is styled to be simple and elegant.

The Italian design house also is under contract to develop a third vehicle for Hafei. It will be sold in China and may be exported to Europe. Pininfarina also designed, styled and engineered the Songhuajiang Zhongyi minivan, which entered production at Hafei in 1999.

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