Pininfarina at the Beijing Motor Show with DX3 concept

Thanks to Pininfarina design, boom of sales and awards for the DX7 of South East Motor

Pininfarina Automotive Engineering Shanghai still growing

Torino, April 26, 2016 - After the great success of the DX7, first fruit of the collaboration between Pininfarina and South East Motor-SEM, the two brands will unveil at the Beijing Auto Show the new DX3 concept, a compact SUV that anticipates the upcoming production car, also developed by Pininfarina in Italy.

DX Concept, combining a sporty look with flowing and elegant lines typical of Pininfarina, will form the basis for the future style language of the DX series. In the next 5 years, SEM will develop together with Pininfarina different types of SUVs with the goal of forming an entire family of products for China. 

DX 3 Concept is the continuation of the design activities on the DX7, the first Chinese SUV with an Italian touch, presented at Auto Shanghai 2015. Thanks to Pininfarina design, the DX7 boomed winning over 30 awards assigned by the Chinese press, among which the SUV of the Year Award in 2015 as part of the "China Automotive Billboard Awards". Since it went into production in July 2015, moreover, the DX7 exceeded for different consecutive months the target of 10,000 monthly orders, rapidly conquering the Chinese SUV market. The DX7 had already won, in his first appearance at the Guangzhou Motor Show in 2014, the prize "The most awaited local SUV brand" awarded by more than 100 media and more than 50,000 visitors.

“DX3 concept and DX7 - says Silvio Pietro Angori, CEO Pininfarina - set a new benchmark for the SUV segment. The DX7 is so successful because it expresses all Pininfarina know-how and skills that are perfect for the Chinese market: stylistic research and development aimed at defining a timeless beauty in the best of Italian style tradition. The Italian touch combined with the SEM technological innovation makes the DX3 and DX7 elegant, solid projects, aimed at the future”. 

To actively contribute to the success of the partnership with South East Motor is the Pininfarina Automotive Engineering Shanghai team (PAES), established in 2010 with the aim of locating a satellite design development in Shanghai, automotive strategic site for the Asian region. Today PAES is an established outpost of commercial development and design creation that, under the guidance of Federico Viganò (General Manager) and Orazio Daldosso (Design Director) and supervision from Italy of the Chief Creative Officer Fabio Filippini, can count on a multicultural team of 20 people that give the Chinese headquarters of Pininfarina a strong international character and global vision in the daily challenge to an increasingly demanding market.

The 2015 data are clear: growth of the customer portfolio, 3 million euros of revenues (more than tripled compared to 2014), over 20 projects developed, 7 of which in collaboration with the Italian headquarters and 14 independently, 20 clay models and 13 models CAS made. A development which also required the expansion of the offices and the transfer to the technological hub Auto City, also in Shanghai. The 2016 plans call for the consolidation of revenues and further growth, which will lead the staff to approximately 30 resources.

Pininfarina was the first Italian design house to provide styling and engineering services to Chinese carmakers since 1996. Since then, Pininfarina has expanded its range of activities by developing partnerships with manufacturers like AviChina (Hafei), Chery, Changfeng, Brilliance, BAIC, JAC and others, for which commercially successful vehicles have been designed.

Cooperation between Pininfarina and SEM began in 2012. Following the commercial success of the DX7, South East Motor will deepen the collaboration with Pininfarina developing new quality products for Chinese consumers. At present, Pininfarina and South East Motor are already working on the next generation of new models.