Zotye Auto (; officially Zotye International Automobile Trading Co., Ltd.) is a privately owned Chinese automobile manufacturer based in

Yongkang, Zhejiang Yongkang (), formerly known as Lizhou (), is a county-level city located in the central part of Zhejiang, in the People's Republic of China. It is southeast of the Jinhua, Jinhua City boundary and approximately 180 km (111.8 mi) ...

, China. It is owned by Zotye Holding Group and was established in 2005.

History

Zotye was founded on 2005 by Zotye Holding Group. Previously, Zotye had contracts to only export automotive parts but increased its production to complete cars to take advantage of the expanding Chinese automotive market. In 2005, because of their reputation as a reliable partner, Zotye established contracts for sales subsidiaries in 10 different countries. Since 2005, Zotye has expanded its automobile lineup and production numbers. The first model of the brand was a small SUV, the Zotye RX6400, later renamed to Zotye Nomad. The Zotye Nomad bears a remarkable resemblance to the Daihatsu Terios (see also

Automotive industry in China The automotive industry in mainland China has been the List of countries by motor vehicle production, largest in the world measured by automobile unit production since 2008. , mainland China is also the world's largest automobile market both in ...

). Zotye's total revenues in 2006 were 2.88 billion RMB (about €290 million). Zotye Auto ranked 352nd with a revenue of 20.80 billion RMB and a profit of 1.13 billion RMB on Top 500 Chinese Companies List released by Fortune China on July 10, 2018. The company entered bankruptcy and liquidation proceedings in 2021. Its cessation followed complex financial issues caused by consequently worsening debt. Production was reportedly restarted in December 2022. In March 2023, the company's domicile was changed from the Economic Development Zone, She County,

Huangshan City Huangshan () is a prefecture-level city in southern Anhui Province, People's Republic of China. Huangshan means ''Yellow Mountain'' in Chinese and the city is named after the famously scenic Yellow Mountains which cover much of the city's vast g ...

Anhui Province Anhui is an inland province located in East China. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze and Huai rivers, bordering Jiangsu and Zhejiang to the east, Jiangxi to the south, Hub ...

to No. 1 Beihu Road, Economic Development Zone, Yongkang City, Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province. In July 2024 Zotye announced agreements to expand markets in Russia and Algeria.

Former models

Series E

E20 EV

The E20 EV is a small electric car produced by Zhidou Auto for Zotye.

E30 EV

The E30 EV is a small electric car that looks very much like the older version of the Smart Fortwo. Launched at the 2015 Shanghai Auto Show, its body shares the look of the Smart's individually painted Tridion safety cell and wheel-in-each-corner layout. It has a 1765 mm wheelbase, and measures 2798 mm long, 1563 mm wide, and 1572 mm tall - smaller than the equivalent Smart Car. The central console is reported as having been inspired by the Tesla Model S, with a large touch screen. The electric drive is built around a 17.6 kWh battery and an electric motor that provides up to 18 kW of power and 83 NM of torque. Zotye claim that the E30 has a top speed exceeding 80 km/h and a driving range of 150 km. In 2016 the company reported sales of just 3,471 units.

E200 EV

The E20 EV is an even smaller electric car that also looks a bit like the older version of the Smart Fortwo. Also launched in 2015 in Shanghai its electric drive is built around a lithium-ion battery and an electric motor that provides up to 82 NM of torque. Zotye claim that the E200 has a top speed exceeding 80 km/h and a driving range of 120 km. In 2016 the company reported sales of 13,154 units.

E300 EV

The E300 is a multi purpose vehicle based on the Fiat Multipla but using an electric power train instead of the petrol engined M300. The E300 MPV has 6 seats 5 doors and the floor pan of the Fiat Bravo.

JN Auto/TT

In 2009, Zotye purchased Jiangnan Auto and acquired their only production model, a facelifted

Suzuki Alto The is a kei car produced by Suzuki since 1979. The model, currently in its ninth generation, was first introduced in 1979 and has been built in many countries worldwide. The Alto originated as a commercial vehicle derivative of the Fronte, ...

which was initially sold as the JN Auto. In late 2010, Zotye released a $2,830 Jiangnan Alto, the cheapest car in China and possibly in the world, and now calls the car Zotye TT.

2008/5008

In 2008, Zotye began exporting the Zotye Nomad, the export name for the

2008 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

which was launched in China in 2006 as a rebadged Daihatsu Terios. In 2010, Zotye released the Zotye 5008 which is a facelifted Zotye 2008 for the Chinese domestic market. It is still sold as the "Nomad" but also as the Zotye Hunter in various export markers, and also in India as the Premier Rio. Together with LUIS Motors GmbH, Zotye has developed an electric version of the Zotye 5008 for the European market, where it is sold as the "Luis 4U". Zoyte also supplies CKD kits of Nomad to Premier Limited in India to sell a version of this car as Premier Rio, powered by a Peugeot TUD5 diesel engine. Nomads are also sold in South Africa and Latin America. Following a new restyling, it is now marketed as the Zotye T200. Zotye has an ambitious plan for developing electric cars. It started leasing 5008EVs in

Hangzhou Hangzhou, , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ; formerly romanized as Hangchow is a sub-provincial city in East China and the capital of Zhejiang province. With a population of 13 million, the municipality comprises ten districts, two counti ...

in 2010. Production ended in 2013.

M300

In 2009, Zotye released its second car model for the Chinese market, Zotye M300, (originally Multipla) which is a licensed rebadged production of the

Fiat Multipla The Fiat Multipla (Type 186) is a six-seater car produced by Italian automaker Fiat from 1998 to 2010. Based on the Bravo/Brava, the Multipla was shorter and wider than its rivals. It had two rows of three seats, where its compact MPV competi ...

. Production ended in 2013.

T200

The T200 is the facelifted version of the Zotye 5008, adding also a new interior design. It was launched in April 2013, and is powered by a range of a 1.3-litre and a 1.5-litre petrol engines, with four valves per cylinder and

variable valve timing Variable valve timing (VVT) is the process of altering the timing of a Poppet valve, valve lift event in an internal combustion engine, and is often used to improve performance, fuel economy or emissions. It is increasingly being used in combina ...

, reportedly sourced from Mitsubishi, which are able to develop between and between of torque. Production ended in 2016.

Series Z

Z100

At the 2013

Shanghai Auto Show Auto Shanghai (), officially known as the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (), is a biennial Auto show, international automobile show that alternates with the Auto China, Beijing Auto Show (Auto China) as China's yearly int ...

, Zotye introduced their new Z100 model, a five-door hatchback city car, with a design very much inspired from the seventh generation

. The model was initially revealed one year before as the New Jiangnan TT. It is one of the cheapest cars on the Chinese market.

Z200/ Z200HB

The Zotye Z200 and Z200HB are subcompact sedans and hatchback based on the Fiat Siena and Palio respectively. Fiat sold the Siena and Palio platforms to Zotye in 2008. Initial names of the Z200 and Z200HB are Langjun and Langjie respectively, but the products were later renamed to fit into the new Zotye product line. Zotye launched the Z200 saloon and Z200HB hatchback in 2011, an updated version of the Fiat Palio and

Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...

which had been built in China by Nanjing Fiat from 2001 to 2006 with little success, and Zotye purchased the tooling for these cars in 2008. The Z200 stopped production in 2014.

Z300/ Z360

The Z300 four-door

compact Compact as used in politics may refer broadly to a pact or treaty; in more specific cases it may refer to: * Interstate compact, a type of agreement used by U.S. states * Blood compact, an ancient ritual of the Philippines * Compact government, a t ...

saloon was launched in 2012. It has a remarkable likeness to the design of the second generation (2007)

Toyota Allion The and its twin the are sedans sold in Japan from 2001 to 2021 by Toyota. The sedans are designated as a compact car by Japanese dimension regulations and the exterior dimensions do not change with periodic updates. Unlike Toyota's other ve ...

. The facelift version was later renamed to Z360.

Z500/ Z560

The Z500 is a 4-door sedan that was produced since November 2014. It runs on a 1.5-litre 4G15 or 4A91 engine. Transmission choices are a 5-speed manual or a CVT gearbox. The facelift version was renamed to z560.

Z700

The Z700 (formerly known as the Z600) is a sedan produced by Zotye Auto since 2016 positioned above the Z500. It runs on a 1.8-litre turbo or 2.0-litre turbo engine paired with a 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Pricing is 99,800 yuan to 158,800 yuan.

Series T

T300

The T300 is a Subcompact crossover with styling inspired by the Mazda CX-3.

T500

The T500 is a

Compact crossover Compact crossover SUV is an automobile classification used mainly in North America to describe a segment of crossover SUV, a type of sport utility vehicle, between subcompact crossover SUV and mid-size crossover SUV. By the late 2010s, the se ...

revealed during the 2017

and launched in March 2018.

T600

The T600 is a mid-size crossover launched in December 2013, powered by either a 1.5-litre turbo or a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine. According to much of the media, it has a remarkable resemblance to the Audi Q5 and the

Volkswagen Touareg The Volkswagen Touareg (German pronunciation: ) is a Luxury car, mid-size luxury crossover SUV produced by Volkswagen since 2002. The vehicle is named after the nomadic Tuareg people, inhabitants of the Sahara desert, Saharan interior in North A ...

. A higher trim model with completely redesigned front DRG and rear bumper called the Zotye T600 Sport was revealed in May 2016. Another higher trim model featuring redesigned DLO and D pillars called the Zotye T600 Coupe was revealed in March 2017.

T700

Previewed by the T600 S Concept launched on the 2015 Shanghai Auto Show, the T700 has been the flagship SUV of the Zotye brand ever since. It was one of the first original designs coming out of Zotye despite the ongoing copying controversies of other products. Production commenced in May 2017. The T700 is marketed as Zotye Z8 in Vietnamese market.

T800

Based on the T700, the Zotye T800 is a full-size SUV revealed during the 2018 Beijing Auto Show essentially being a longer version of the T700.

Traum

Traum is a sub-brand under Zotye Auto. This brand name means "dream" in German. The Traum brand was originally aimed at a younger target market. The Chinese name was pronounced as Junma (君马), and is best translated as Supreme Horse. The English slogan is ''Driven by Dreams''. The Chinese slogan is ''Dream for a Horse''. Cars branded under the Traum marque are manufactured by the former Jiangnan Auto, a subsidiary bought by Zotye that was famous for building China's cheapest car; the Jiangnan TT.

Traum S70

The Traum S70 is a mid-size crossover utility vehicle introduced in 2017.

Traum MEET3

The Traum MEET3 is a compact crossover utility vehicle based on the Zotye SR7 introduced in 2017.

Traum MEET5

The Traum MEET5 is a compact crossover utility vehicle inspired by the Mazda CX-4.

Traum SEEK5

The Traum SEEK5 is a mid-size crossover utility vehicle introduced in 2018.

Other series

SR7

The SR7 is a

compact crossover Compact crossover SUV is an automobile classification used mainly in North America to describe a segment of crossover SUV, a type of sport utility vehicle, between subcompact crossover SUV and mid-size crossover SUV. By the late 2010s, the se ...

of the Zotye brand. It bears striking resemblance to the

Audi Q3 The Audi Q3 is a subcompact luxury crossover SUV made by Audi. The Q3 has a Transverse engine, transverse-mounted front engine, and entered production in 2011. __TOC__ First generation (Typ 8U; 2011) Concept Vehicle: Audi Cross Coupé quat ...

SR9

The SR9 is a mid-size crossover of the Zotye brand. It bears striking resemblance to the

Porsche Macan The Porsche Macan is a compact luxury crossover SUV (D-segment) produced by German manufacturer Porsche since 2014. It is the smaller SUV from Porsche below the Cayenne. The first-generation Macan went on production from February 2014 with pet ...

Domy X5

The Domy X5 or Damai X5 is a

of the Zotye brand. It bears striking resemblance to the first generation

Volkswagen Tiguan The Volkswagen Tiguan () is a sport utility vehicle produced by German manufacturer Volkswagen since 2007, sitting between the smaller T-Roc and the larger Touareg in the company's crossover SUV range. The first generation was based on the ...

Domy X7

The Domy X7 or Damai X7 is a mid-size crossover of the Zotye brand. It bears striking resemblance to the 2015 Volkswagen Cross Coupe GTE Concept and 2018 Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport Concept.

V10

The small Japanese style minivan was launched in 2011. It runs on a 4G12 engine and 5 speed manual gearbox.

Product gallery

File:Zotye 2008.jpg, Zotye 2008 File:Zotye 5008 01 China 2012-05-20.JPG, Zotye 5008 File:Zotye Damai X5 3 China 2016-03-29.jpg, Zotye Damai X5 File:Domy X7 001 China 2017-04-05.jpg, Zotye Damai X7 File:Zotye Hunter 1.5i 2009 (14343401029).jpg, Zotye Hunter File:Zotye SR7 3 China 2016-03-30.jpg, Zotye SR7 File:Zotye SR9 China 2017-03-30.jpg, Zotye SR9 File:Zotye T200 China 2014-04-16.jpg, Zotye T200 File:Zotye T300 (cropped).jpg, Zotye T300 File:Zotye T500 001 (cropped).jpg, Zotye T500 File:Zotye T600 China 2016-03-29.jpg, Zotye T600 File:Zotye T600 Sport facelift (cropped).jpg, Zotye T600 Sport File:Zotye T600 Coupe 01 China 2018-03-20.jpg, Zotye T600 Coupe File:Zotye T700 02 China 2017-03-25.jpg, Zotye T700 File:Zotye T800 002 (cropped).jpg, Zotye T800 File:Zotye Z100 China 2015-04-08.jpg, Zotye Z100 File:Zotye Z200 HB 001 China 2014-04-16.jpg, Zotye Z200 File:Zotye Z300 China 2014-04-16.jpg, Zotye Z300 File:Zotye Z500 China 2016-03-29.jpg, Zotye Z500 File:Zotye Z700 01 China 2016-04-07.jpg, Zotye Z700 File:Zotye-E200EV.jpg, Zotye E200 EV File:Zotye V10 001.jpg, Zotye V10

Sales

References

External links

Zotye Auto InternationalZotye Auto
{{Insolvent EV companies Companies based in Jinhua Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 2005 Motor vehicle manufacturers of China Chinese brands Chinese companies established in 2005