Brilliance Auto focuses on growth in China, Europe

Brilliance Auto's general manager said Monday the Chinese automaker still has a lot of work to do before it will be ready to sell in the U.S.
Long Shan told The Associated Press in an interview Monday at the North American International Auto Show that Brilliance Auto plans to expand, but for now is focused on growth in its home market and Europe.
"America is a very huge automobile market," he said through a translator. "It's hard for us to position our products properly, to find out which part of the market will open up to us. That's a little difficult."
He expects the global economic downturn to pressure sales in China this year, leaving them flat or slightly down compared with 2008.
Overall, he says Shenyang-based Brilliance Auto's sales should grow nearly 19 percent to 338,000 in 2009 from 285,000 last year.
Brilliance Auto brought four vehicles, including a luxury sedan, to display for its first show in Detroit. Shan said Brilliance Auto has been preparing for about a year to showcase its cars this week.
Brilliance Auto sells its Zhonghua brand of vehicles and builds, among other lines, the 3 Series and 5 Series for Germany's BMW AG to sell in China.