Chinese auto manufacturer Qoros plans to enter the European market in 2013. Drivers in the UK will have to wait, because Qoros is holding back until at least 2016, while they work on developing left hand drive models.

Qoros Auto is an emerging, young company that is co-owned by the Israeli Israel Corporation and Chinese Chery Automobile. Although you may not have heard of them, you might be surprised to learn that the AG Executive is Volker Steinwascher, former Vice Chairman of Volkswagen, and Gert Hildebrand, former Mini Design Director, is Qoros’ Chief Designer. The company plans to create a fusion of Japanese functionality and German design and craftsmanship.

This all sounds very promising, and we can expect to see Qoros positioning itself towards the premium end of the market. Essentially, the company wants to be recognised as a high tech brand. The pricing should be comparable to Volkswagen, but Qoros have an ace up their sleeve in terms of low production costs in China. This means that they could also undercut some of the mid-market brands like Hyundai and Toyota.

Although the company will initially be focussing on China, Qoros has a global launch planned for next year in Geneva, Switzerland, and this will be followed up by the Shanghai Autoshow, and a huge marketing campaign.

The company’s first sedan, also known as the C11, has already been taken for testing sessions in South Europe. The vehicle will be powered by a 1.6 litre turbo engine with a 6-speed or manual DCT. Three more models will follow – an SUV, a crossover and a hatchback, and these should make their European debut in 2013.

Qoros don’t have any left-hand drive models yet, so they are working on these for the UK market. The UK launch has been held back and the company aren’t expecting to launch these models until 2016 at the earliest.