Chinese carmaker Chery Automobile announced on Tuesday in Cairo that the assembling lines of Chery sedan were officially kicked off in Egypt with the cooperation of an Egyptian car company.

The lines were under the cooperation with Chery's Egyptian partner Daewoo Motors Egypt (DME), a former partner of GM Daewoo Auto and Technology Co., Chery's vice-president Zhou Biren said at a press conference.

Chery's two car types, A5 with a 1.6-liter engine and A6 with a 2.0-liter engine, would be produced in Egypt in the forms of CKD, or completely knocked-down, and SKD, or semi-knocked-down, Zhou said.

He said that DME was expected to have an annual capacity of 25, 000 units in the initial stage, which could be further raised to 50,000 units in the future.

Chery signed the agreement of strategic partnership with DME in November 2005, shortly after the latter ended cooperation with the world known automobile manufacturer GM Daewoo.

According to the agreement, DME would pay for the use of Chery's technologies and brand while Chery would provide technological support and car parts for DME.

The assembled Chery cars would be sold in Egypt under a new name of Speranza, which DME said meant hope.

Officials with DME said that Speranza was set to win Egyptian car buyers with high quality and favorable prices.

Chery, which was set up in 1997 in central China's Anhui province, has made great success in both Chinese market and overseas market.

Statistics released by the Chinese embassy in Egypt indicated that Egypt has imported some 1,700 Chery's cars by the end of 2005.

Source: Xinhua