Chongqing carmaker Changan Automobile Co Ltd recently launched a new passenger vehicle project and put the first phase into operation at the company’s production base in Liangjiang New Area, local media reported on March 22.

Authorities said that the project, established in Yufu Industrial Development Zone in Liangjiang New Area, covers an area of 1,656 mu (110.4 hectares). With an investment of 5.8 billion yuan ($840 million), the production base, which has a total building area of 572,000 square-meters, will be completed in two phases.

The project focuses on leading passenger vehicles in the domestic automobile industry, and is Changan’s latest ambitious attempt to increase the range of the company’s vehicle types and sharpen its edge in the domestic market.

The vehicles started construction on May 26, 2015, and the first phase of the project will take on production of a series of types of passenger vehicles including the Changan V301, CS55 and C301, and the maximum production capacity of the first phase can be up to 360,000 passenger vehicles.

Changan V301 cars started rolling off the production line this March, CS55 cars will begin production in June, and the C301 in September.

Edited by James Skinner