World Premiere Qoros 3 Hatch behind the scenes photoshoot

• World premiere of brand’s second production model: Qoros 3 Hatch
• New body style offers greater lifestyle practicality
• Displays subtly evolved signature Qoros design cues for a more compact, dynamic, sporty look
• Features excellent connectivity, generous interior space and equipment
• Based on the same platform that earned Qoros 3 Sedan the title of Euro NCAP’s ‘safest car of 2013’

A year after the debut of new international car brand Qoros and its first production car, the company will stage the world premiere of its second production model, the Qoros 3 Hatch, at the 84th Geneva International Motor Show on 4 March 2014.

The design and engineering of the compact (C-segment) Qoros 3 Hatch draws heavily on the brand’s first model, the Qoros 3 Sedan. While it is similarly inspired by contemporary European automotive styling themes, it displays a subtle, youthful evolution of the distinctive signature Qoros design cues to inject greater sportiness to the car’s appearance.

“The new Qoros 3 Hatch will appeal to the modern metropolitan always-connected customer who needs a little extra versatility provided by the hatchback body style," says Vice Chairman of Qoros, Volker Steinwascher. “It offers those with active outdoor lifestyles or young families extra practicality, combined with added coolness thanks to its more spirited, sporty look.”

As well as rear lamp clusters and tailgate specific to the hatchback, the Qoros 3 Hatch features subtle visual changes at the front that differentiate it from the Sedan – notably to the front grille, front bumper and front fog lights. These create a bolder ‘face’ and a more compact, dynamic, sporty appearance that will appeal to a new, more lifestyle-oriented group of customers.

Inside, key ergonomic features, refinement, understated quality and equipment are shared with its sedan compatriot, although new upholstery colour combinations and materials will provide a fresh, new ambience.

Each Qoros 3 Hatch will be fitted as standard with the brand’s innovative eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system – Qoros MMH™ (multimedia hub) – which is operated via smartphone-type multi-gesture finger swipe inputs for minimal driver distraction. The hardware, software and graphics were designed and developed in-house by Qoros with the support of world-leading systems specialists.

As part of Qoros’ strategic objective to be creative in meeting the lifestyle needs of the modern metropolitan ‘always-connected’ consumer, the majority of the line-up will feature QorosQloud™, which delivers a comprehensive suite of free-for-life services with 3G connectivity, including vehicle monitoring, social networking and enhanced navigation. It brings a new perspective to the way motorists interact with their vehicles, seamlessly integrating with other digital devices through a dedicated website and smartphone apps.

The Qoros 3 Hatch is based on the same innovative modular platform as the Sedan. However, the Hatch features new C-pillars, roof, rear side panels, and tailgate, plus a new rear roof cross-member to maintain the car’s exceptional torsional rigidity. Built using the same high-strength steels and structural design that resulted in the Qoros 3 Sedan being ranked by Euro NCAP as the ‘safest car’ of 2013, the new Hatch has the same wheelbase, width and height, but the rear overhang and overall length are reduced by 177mm.

With a long wheelbase, short overhangs and a coupé-like silhouette, the 4438mm- long new hatchback will deliver unusually generous interior space for a vehicle in the compact segment.

The Hatch also shares with the Sedan its highly-efficient 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated and turbocharged engines and six-speed manual and dual-clutch automatic transmissions.

The Qoros 3 Hatch will be manufactured in the brand’s all-new, highly-efficient and environmentally-sustainable assembly plant in Changshu, China, on the same production line as the Qoros 3 Sedan.

The new range of Qoros models is being designed and engineered by an international team of experienced specialists and new, young automotive talent.

EURO NCAP releases 2013 best in class winners.

Each year, Euro NCAP identifies the models tested that have achieved the highest scores in their respective class. In 2013, a total of 33 cars were tested in 7 different categories. The top achievers gained the highest overall scores, calculated from the results achieved in adult, child, pedestrian protection and safety assist tests.

The 2013 best in class cars are:

• Renault ZOE - Supermini
• Qoros 3 Sedan - Small Family
• Lexus IS 300h - Large Family
• Kia Carens and Ford Tourneo Connect - Small MPV
• Jeep Cherokee - Small off-road 4X4
• Maserati Ghibli - Executive

The Qoros 3 Sedan becomes the best performer of any car subjected to Euro NCAP's crash tests in 2013 and is the first vehicle developed in China to achieve the highest five star rating under the overall rating scheme. The Supermini electric car Renault ZOE and the Large Family car Lexus IS 300h were the all round performers of the electric/hybrid cars tested by Euro NCAP in 2013. This year, the best in class honour in the Small MPV category is shared by the Kia Carens and Ford Tourneo Connect. Finally, the Jeep Cherokee and the Maserati Ghibli also receive the coveted designation from Euro NCAP in the Small Off-Road 4X4 and Executive categories respectively.

In 2013, Euro NCAP updated its assessment of child occupant protection, giving credit to manufacturers that allow for easy installation of most popular types of child seats and which comply with the most recent revised child safety standards. Furthermore, the organization has started to test voluntary-set intelligent speed assistant systems as part of the rating.

Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP Secretary General, says: 'Euro NCAP is continuously evolving in response to industry innovation and consumer expectation. It is very positive that the number of 4 and 5 stars is still significant despite of the ever increasing requirements. In 2014, another big step forward is taken by adding crash avoidance systems such as Autonomous Emergency Braking and Lane Keep Assist/Lane Departure Warning tests to the overall star rating.' Michiel van Ratingen to add: 'The decision to reward collision avoidance technologies on new cars will encourage more widespread fitment and further improve the safety of all road users in Europe. We hope that this, together with very high levels of occupant protection, will allow consumers to choose the very safest vehicles in 2014 and after.'

The Best Euro car but Chinese, Is this the start of the Chinese revolution ?

• Qoros 3 Sedan ranked safest ‘Small Family’ car of 2013 by Euro NCAP
• Highest scorer in 2013 Euro NCAP programme in any class
• One of the best cars tested by Euro NCAP in its history
• First car developed in China to achieve five star rating

After achieving a maximum five-star rating in the Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) crash tests last September, the compact Qoros 3 Sedan has been confirmed by the safety organisation as the best ‘Small Family’ car of 2013.

The Qoros 3 Sedan is the first car developed in China to be awarded five stars by Euro NCAP. The first production car from Qoros, the new international car brand headquartered in China, scored highly in all four areas of the Euro NCAP tests and its overall score (88%) was the highest achieved by any vehicle tested during 2013 – placing it amongst the very safest cars ever tested by Euro NCAP.

Volker Steinwascher, Vice Chairman of Qoros, said: “The Euro NCAP result demonstrates the high level of design, engineering and production quality that we have achieved with the Qoros 3 Sedan. Reaching these very challenging world-class standards – not just in safety, but in every attribute of the car – was an objective from the very beginning and it is very satisfying to gain recognition for our endeavours.”

Michiel van Ratingen, Euro NCAP Secretary General, commented: “The Qoros 3 Sedan has received the official 2013 best-in-class honour and is the best performer of all the Small Family cars subjected to Euro NCAP’s crash tests in 2013. We congratulate Qoros for having achieved the highest safety record with the Qoros 3 Sedan, which becomes the first car developed in China to achieve the highest five stars at Euro NCAP’s tough crash test programme.”

The Qoros 3 Sedan scored the best result for Adult Occupant protection (95%) in Euro NCAP’s 2013 programme. The passenger safety cell proved to be extremely robust in front-end, side impact and pole impact collisions – minimising exposure of passengers to collision forces by diverting impact loads along predefined paths to dissipate their effect.

Equipped in the rear with ISOFIX child seat anchorages with top tether hooks, and a front passenger airbag disconnect switch, the Qoros 3 Sedan also scored maximum points for Child Occupant protection (87%) in the front and side crash tests, while proving compatible with all the Euro NCAP approved child seats.

It also achieved an impressive result in Pedestrian protection (77%) thanks to a development programme that included meticulous work with Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE). Qoros’ expert safety team developed one of the best pedestrian protection systems ever assessed by Euro NCAP.

The comprehensive suite of standard ‘passive’ safety equipment (designed to keep occupants safe during an accident) fitted to the Qoros 3 Sedan includes front and side airbags, full length curtain airbags, three-point automatic seat belts on all seats and dual belt tensioners for front passengers. The front seat head restraints are designed to reduce whiplash injuries in a rear-end collision.

The latest Euro NCAP test criteria includes an assessment of a vehicle’s ‘active’ Safety Assistance Systems (those designed to help prevent accidents) and here, the Qoros 3 Sedan also recorded an excellent result (81%). Standard equipment includes: ABS (Anti-lock Braking System), BA (Brake Assist) and ESC (Electronic Stability Control), plus seat belt reminders for all occupants and a driver-set speed limiting device.

Euro NCAP is an independent consortium with eleven members made up of government representatives, automobile clubs and consumer protection organisations.  The transport ministries of Sweden, France, the UK, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Catalonia and Germany are involved, alongside the FIA, the German Automobile Club (ADAC), International Consumer Research and Testing (ICRT) organisation, and the Thatcham Research Centre run by British motor insurers. It continually adapts its assessment protocols, challenging manufacturers to deliver ever safer vehicles. The 2013 assessment was the most challenging so far, with the Pedestrian protection procedures being even more comprehensive than 2012, along with tougher scoring criteria in the Safety Assistance Systems assessments.

The four Euro NCAP test criteria are given different weighting when calculating the vehicle’s overall score. Adult Occupant protection has a 50 per cent weighting, Child Occupant and Pedestrian protection categories each have a 20 per cent weighting, and Safety Assistance Systems has a 10 per cent weighting.

CHINA - Qoros to launch 2nd new model at 2014 Geneva Show.

• Second production model to go on sale in China in 2014
• Retains elegant design and high specification of the Qoros 3 Sedan

The second production model from new international car brand, Qoros, will be revealed at the 84th Geneva Motor Show in March 2014.

The first view of the new model in the Qoros line-up reveals that it will retain the elegant design introduced on the brand’s debut model, the Qoros 3 Sedan, while also introducing distinctive features such as a subtly evolved treatment of the front grille and unique rear LED lamp clusters.

The debutant echoes the high specification and European quality standards of the Qoros 3 Sedan, and is designed to appeal to the young, modern, ‘always connected’ metropolitan customer, with state-of-the-art features including the innovative QorosQloud infotainment system accessed via an eight-inch touchscreen.

True to Qoros’ commitment to introduce a new model every six-to-twelve months, its second model will go on sale in China in 2014, hot on the heels of the market launch in China last month of the brand’s first production model, the Qoros 3 Sedan. The rapid sequence of model introductions is possible thanks to an innovative modular platform and flexible product development processes, led by experienced European senior engineers and supported by globally renowned engineering and systems partners.

The second member of the Qoros family is based on the same modular platform as the Qoros 3 Sedan, which made its world premiere at the 2013 Geneva and Shanghai Motor Shows to widespread acclaim.  It has been praised for its elegant design, refined driving experience, and European standards of quality. In September, it became the first car developed in China to be awarded five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests, and also earned the highest score so far in the organization’s 2013 assessment program. Qoros plans to expand its line-up steadily over the next few years with the ultimate aim of offering a comprehensive range across of models in all major vehicle segments.

TMW - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all at The Motoring World.

As 2013 draws to a close, we can look back on a number of huge stories in the motoring world, The Jaguar F-Type, Corvette Stingray, Viper, the continued dominance of the VAG group and the unsteady state of Peugeot Citroen and the return of DATSUN.

SAAB has made a return, MG continues to fail in the UK, the Chinese have proved they can build great cars, along with a new brand Qoros, the new MkIII MINI, Golf MkVII, FIAT's continued takeover of Chrysler along with the stunning Alfa 4C.

Just a tiny amount of news and its only just the start, 2014 is looking like a massive year for the automotive world, we should get first looks at at least three brand new cars from Jaguar Land Rover, BMW's hybrid sports car the i8, The Bentley SUV, New Lambo SUV, and a number of exciting developments from Mercedes, AUDI, Lotus, Citroen and Nissan, again, just a tiny hint of what is to come.

So, from The Motoring World, thank you for taking a few minutes of your valuable time to have a read of my blog, and all things motoring, and please where ever you are, who ever you are, and what ever you do, thank you and have a great Christmas Holiday and I wish you all a great 2014.

Jon Mower

MG will run scared of new brand Qoros and its cheaper pricing in China

• The Qoros 3 Sedan will go on sale in China at a starting price of RMB 119,900
• Qoros’ first production model spearheads New Premium concept
• A Style Accessories Concept debuts, signaling the intention to meet the growing trend of personalization

At its first ever appearance at the Guangzhou Motor Show, new international car brand, Qoros, today announced the China specification and pricing for its first series production model, the compact Qoros 3 Sedan.

Delivering international standards of quality, safety, specification, design and technology, the Qoros 3 Sedan represents a New Premium.  The car received very positive response following its global unveiling earlier this year at the Geneva and Shanghai Motor Shows.

The Qoros 3 Sedan will go on sale in China with a line-up of six variants, ranging in price from RMB 119,900 to RMB 167,900.

The full model line-up is as follows:

The Qoros 3 Sedan targets young, modern, metropolitan consumers who are ambitious, aspirational and always connected.  They are proactive, independent-minded and seek quality.

The Qoros 3 Sedan has been designed, developed and engineered by an international team of engineers with expertise gained from world-class western automotive brands.  Thanks to a comprehensive development programme conducted under the leadership of this experienced team in conjunction with a number of globally renowned systems and technology providers, Qoros is about to start sales of the most advanced car ever developed in China.

Along with the launch of the Qoros 3 Sedan, Qoros is developing its dealer and aftersales service networks following the opening of its first dealer in in Nanjing in early November.

Style Accessories Concept

Alongside the production Qoros 3 Sedan, Qoros also unveiled its ‘Style Accessories Concept’ at the Guangzhou Auto Show.  The new concept incorporates a number of exterior design enhancements.  Each has a functional purpose as well as providing a distinct accent to the Qoros 3 Sedan’s elegant styling.

The Style Accessories Concept includes small spoiler extensions to the front and rear bumpers, subtle side skirts and a rear wing on the trunk.  These are conceived not only provide a sportier look but also to optimise airflow under and around and over the car to improve aerodynamics and fuel economy.  Striking, large 18-inch 20-spoke alloy wheels feature an eye-catching matt smoke silver finish and are wrapped in low-profile tyres that neatly fill the more prominent wheel arches that are also part of the styling enhancements.

The Style Accessories Concept is indicative of a comprehensive range of accessories being developed for the Qoros 3 Sedan that will be available to order exclusively from Qoros retailers in China in the second half of next year.

Design

The production Qoros 3 Sedan spearheads the introduction of a simple, timeless, elegant design which will feature across all future Qoros models.  The clean, simple styling – adopting a horizontal theme and inspired by European automotive design – benefits from deliberately striking accents such as the LED daytime running lights and taillights, and the large, bold alloy wheels.

Advanced touchscreen multimedia system

The horizontal theme continues inside.  The passenger cabin is an unusually generous space thanks to the widest body (1,839 mm) and longest wheelbase (2,690mm) in its class.  The focus of the dash is the eight-inch capacitive touchscreen for the Qoros MMHTM (Multi Media Hub), fitted as standard across the range, which eliminates the plethora of buttons and switches that blights the interior of many modern cars.  Designed to minimise driver distraction, this highly intuitive system was developed in-house at Qoros.  It is operated through simple finger swipe gestures, and can be navigated very easily without the complex multi-layer menu structures of rivals’ systems.

Cloud-connected features

Qoros MMHTM is also the portal through which users can access the comprehensive range of QorosQloudTM cloud-based services (standard on Experience models and above, optional on Essence), such as enhanced navigation, vehicle status and social networking features.  This technology, which integrates seamlessly with users’ smartphones and other connected devices, allows the Qoros 3 Sedan to become part of the customer’s digital world like never before.

World-class safety

The Qoros 3 Sedan is the first car developed in China to achieve a maximum five-star Euro NCAP crash safety rating.  It is one of the safest cars ever tested in the programme’s 16-year history, and is the best performer so far in 2013.

Power and refinement

The Qoros 3 Sedan is powered by 1.6-litre VVT gasoline engines in either naturally aspirated or turbocharged form, and both are available with six-speed manual or six-speed dual-clutch transmissions.

The 1.6-litre turbo yields 115 kW (156 ps) power and maximum torque of 210 Nm, and when matched with the six-speed dry dual-clutch transmission, accelerates the Qoros 3 Sedan to 0-100 km/h in 9.7 seconds, and on to a top speed of 217 km/h.  Fuel consumption is rated at just 6.4 l/100 km.

The naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre unit delivers 93 kW (126 ps) and 155 Nm.  With this engine paired to the six-speed manual transmission, the car accelerates to 100 km/h in 11.6 seconds.  Fuel consumption is just 6.1 l/100 km, or an impressive 6.0 l/100 km when married to the dual-clutch gearbox.  Both engines deliver exceptional drivability.

The chassis set up sees MacPherson struts at the front and twist beam axle at the rear, which endows the Qoros 3 Sedan with a compliant and comfortable ride, yet positive handling when a more dynamic response is required.  In conjunction with an exhaustive development programme that results in extremely effective NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) management, occupants can enjoy a quiet and refined driving experience.

• Qoros 3 Sedan scores maximum five stars in Euro NCAP crash tests
• Highest overall score so far in 2013
• Amongst the best ever tested by Euro NCAP
• First car from a brand headquartered in China to achieve  five stars

In a ground-breaking result, Qoros’ first production vehicle, the compact (C-segment) Qoros 3 Sedan, has been awarded the maximum five-star rating in the Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) crash tests.  Qoros is the first international brand headquartered in China to produce a car awarded five stars by Euro NCAP.

The Qoros 3 Sedan scored highly in all four areas of the Euro NCAP tests and has the best overall performance of all vehicles assessed so far in 2013, placing it amongst the very best ever tested by Euro NCAP.

The Euro NCAP test procedure is an accredited benchmark for vehicle accident safety and is recognised by governments, automobile clubs and consumer associations across Europe.  As one of the world’s most comprehensive and authoritative independent crash safety tests, it assesses occupant protection in different impact scenarios, as well as the effectiveness of safety assistance systems and the level of protection for pedestrians.

Volker Steinwascher, Vice Chairman of Qoros, said: “The safety of our vehicles was one of our key development goals from the start.  It’s a crucial demonstration that our customers are the most important consideration and it also says a great deal about the engineering integrity of the car as a whole.  So, while we expected a very good result in the Euro NCAP test, we are naturally very happy with how the car performed.  The Qoros engineering team invested an incredible amount of time and commitment in developing one of the safest vehicles ever assessed by Euro NCAP.”

Roger Malkusson, Executive Director of Vehicle Integration at Qoros, said: “We have been working towards this result for many years.  Our safety team is made up of experts from many different countries and our efforts have been focused on delivering a thoroughly well engineered car that achieved maximum safety scores.  We are very proud to have achieved the top rating of five stars.”

Occupant protection
The Qoros 3 Sedan scored the best result for Adult Occupant Protection in Euro NCAP’s 2013 programme so far.  The safety passenger cell of the Qoros 3 Sedan proved to be extremely robust in front-end, side impact and pole impact collisions.  

The body and structure of the car are designed to minimise the exposure of passengers to risks in the event of collisions, with the forces on the vehicle diverted along predefined load paths and absorbed by generously-sized deformation zones.  As the potentially huge impact energy generated in a collision is largely dissipated, the integrity of the passenger cell is maintained.

The comprehensive suite of standard passive safety equipment (designed to keep occupants safe in the event of an accident) provides the driver and passengers, irrespective of their size and seating position, with maximum protection against injury.  These include front and side airbags, side head curtain airbags for the front and rear seats, three-point automatic seat belts on all seats and dual belt tensioners for front passengers.  In the event of a rear-end collision, the front seat headrests are designed to reduce the risk of whiplash injuries.

Child safety is also a major consideration, with ISOFIX child seat anchorages in the rear, with top tether hooks, and a passenger airbag disconnect switch for the front passenger seat position.

The Qoros 3 Sedan also scored maximum points for child restraint in the front and side crash tests.   A new addition to this year’s Euro NCAP procedure assesses the vehicle’s compatibility with a wide range of child seats.  The Qoros 3 Sedan excelled, proving to be compatible with the full range of the Euro NCAP top pick child seats.

Pedestrian Protection
Qoros’ first production car also achieved an impressive result in the Pedestrian protection test thanks to a development programme that included meticulous work with Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE).

Andy Piper, Chief Engineer of Vehicle Safety and Homologation explains: “The 2013 Euro NCAP protocol demands very accurate computer simulations when calculating the Pedestrian protection performance.  As industry standard pedestrian models were not sophisticated enough for this purpose, Qoros’ expert safety team developed its own models.  The outcome is that we are proud to have developed one of the best Pedestrian protection systems ever assessed by Euro NCAP without any compromise to our distinctive styling or our class leading aerodynamics performance.”

Safety Assistance Systems
The newly revised Euro NCAP test criteria includes an assessment of a vehicle’s active Safety Assistance Systems (those designed to help prevent accidents) and here, too, the Qoros 3 Sedan recorded an excellent result.  The saloon is equipped as standard with ABS (Antilock Braking System), ESP (Dynamic Stability Control / Electronic Stability Program), EBA (Electronic Brake Assist), Braking Control System , seat belt reminders for all occupants and a driver-set speed limiting device to help motorists observe speed limits.

A detailed review of the Euro NCAP test results:

Adult Occupant: 95%
Child Occupant: 87%
Pedestrian: 77%
Safety Assistance Systems: 81%
Overall result: 88% = Five stars

The four test criteria have different weighting when calculating the overall score. Adult Occupant protection has a 50 per cent weighting, Child Occupant and Pedestrian protection categories each have a 20 per cent weighting, and Safety Assistance Systems has a 10 per cent weighting.

The overall result is not published by Euro NCAP but is used at the end of each calendar year to determine the Best in Class award.

The Euro NCAP crash test procedure
The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is an independent consortium with eleven members made up of government representatives, automobile clubs and consumer protection organisations.  The transport ministries of Sweden, France, the UK, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Catalonia and Germany are involved, alongside the FIA, the German Automobile Club (ADAC), International Consumer Research and Testing (ICRT) organisation, and the Thatcham Research Centre run by British motor insurers.

Euro NCAP are continually adapting its assessment protocols, challenging manufacturers to deliver even safer vehicles.  The 2013 assessment is the most challenging so far, with the Pedestrian protection procedure being even more comprehensive than 2012 along with tougher scoring criteria in the Safety Assistance Systems assessments.

Qoros’ international team of safety experts
As part of its objective to produce vehicles that either meet or exceed the stringent European requirements for quality and safety, Qoros recruited leading automobile experts from all over the world dedicated at ensuring a high level of safety for all Qoros vehicles, their efforts are directed towards developing features that are intended to prevent accidents (active safety systems) as well as minimise the consequences of accidents (passive safety systems).

The design of the Qoros 3 Sedan’s architecture has taken account of the very latest developments in accident safety and occupant protection.  Advanced computer simulations played a major role in the development process, reducing the number of crash tests needed but also allowing the engineers to explore the robustness of the Qoros 3 Sedan in many different scenarios.