Intro: Najing (Yuejin) Auto Group is Jiangsu Province's leading automaker with a current capacity of 180,000 automobiles to be increased to 300,000 units by 2006.
Yuejin has joint ventures with Iveco and Fiat and its 3rd manufacturing base produces LCVs and SUVs.
Yuejin and the Malaysian Lion Group formed a JV which bought the manufacturing line of the Seat Ibiza. A modified version, called the Eagle was introduced in 1999.
In April, 2004 it was announced that Ningbo Bird, one of the biggest local mobile phone manufacturer jumped on the bandwagon and in place of the Eagle an updated model, called the Soyat will be produced by a new JV, based in Wuxi.
In January, 2005 Bird pulled out from the deal, citing sluggish sales. The plant which has a capacity to produce up to 50,000 units sold only 3000 Soyats in 2004. Therefore it was decided that the SUV and LCV manufacturing plant and the Soyat-producing plant will be joined into a new entity, called Nanqi (Wuxi) Soyat Automobile Co. |
