Everything you do, we can do better (read cheaper), seems to be the rallying cry of Chinese industry. In a country with negligible demand for hybrid cars owing to cheap fuel prices, the only means to create a market might be to introduce a product that costs half as much as its competition.

The Jiexun-HEV is priced at 150,000 yuan, half the price of the other hybrid on the Chinese market, Toyota's Prius. But considering that Toyota's sales have fallen steeply this year, the state-owned manufacturer of Jiexun-HEV, Changan Automobile, might have to rely on more than just competitive pricing to convince buyers.

The car uses 20% less fuel than conventional models and complies with the new Stage IV standards which come into force in 2008.