On sale, a new mid-size crossover Haima 8S, similar to the latest generation Hyundai Santa Fe, appeared at the end of last month.

Current statistics from the China Association of Automakers (aka CAAM) showed that the new Haima is on sale much better than the original Hyundai Santa Fe. Only in the first month of sales, the budget Haima 8S sold out in excess of one and a half thousand copies. But sales of the Korean crossover in the same period were much more modest - just over 800 cars.   

 Two new turbo engines were included in the engine range: a 1.2-liter 148-horsepower and a 1.6-liter with a return of 194 hp. In conjunction with them are offered a 6MKPP or a seven-speed “robot”. But there is no all-wheel drive even for a surcharge. The interior of the Chinese crossover, which was designed with leather, flaunts modern multimedia with a “soaring” touch screen, a truncated steering wheel, an original front panel and an electronic gearbox selector. The manufacturer also equipped its SUV with a number of useful electronic “helpers”.

 The minimum price tag for the Haima 8S starts at 85,900 yuan. For comparison, the new Hyundai Santa Fe in Chinese car dealerships will have to pay at least 202,800 yuan.

GMC disowned a possible compact crossover

The company officially announced the absence of any plans to enter the compact crossover segment. So far, the brand will focus on its premium products and the new AT4 line of options.

GMC Granite is a compact crossover with good off-road performance, which was introduced as a concept in 2010 at the Detroit Auto Show. Already in 2011, the company was going to release a production version, but this did not happen. In 2015, the brand re-registered the name "Granite", and now this is happening again.

 Rumors say the company’s readiness to engage in compact crossovers for market share, and experts decided to find out the details in the company itself. According to Mark Alger, Regional Marketing Manager at GMC Canada, in the foreseeable future, the compact crossover model will not:

 “I will give you a definite answer - NO. We are positioning the GMC brand as a premium car manufacturer. In the near future, the company will focus on existing products, as well as on the new AT4 add-on line for all models