Landwind is on track to enter the UK car market next year, having just become the first Chinese car brand to achieve European whole vehicle type approval.

Production of the X-Pedition, an SUV reminiscent of a Vauxhall Frontera, will begin in December, starting with left-hand-drive models.

Right-hand-drive production is now scheduled to begin in April, with the first cars arriving here next July ready for September registrations.

Landwind Motor Corporation managing director Paul Williams, former boss of Kia UK, has confirmed that engines for the X-Pedition will be a 2.4-litre Mitsubishi petrol unit and a VM 2.5-litre diesel.

The starting price in mainland Europe will be around E15,000.

A second Landwind model, the Fashion, will begin production in the latter half of 2008. It will be an Italian-styled seven-seat compact MPV.

He is not expecting to make any headway in the fleet market with the X-Pedition, but is hopeful that the Fashion will win favour with business customers, including taxi companies and daily rental firms.

Landwind, based in Antwerp, is a direct division of the Chinese car manufacturer Jiangling.