The four-wheel-drive CEO made by Chinese automaker Shuanghuan will be on display at the International Motor Show (IAA) despite a complaint by BMW that it is a copy of one of its cars, the head of China Automobile Deutschland said Monday.
"Of course we are coming to the IAA, there is no question of that for us," chief executive Karl Schloessl told the WISO programme that is broadcast by ZDF television but was released in advance.
"We will show the CEO and will not let ourselves be intimidated," said Schloessl, whose firm imports the vehicle to Europe for the Chinese automaker Shuanghuan.
"We will make this car affordable for all," he added.
BMW said Friday it had launched legal proceedings against the importer because the German automaker claimed the CEO is a copy of the BMW X5 model that it stopped building last year.
Two models of the Chinese vehicle were to be on display at the IAA starting this week in Frankfurt.
Another disputed Shuanghuan model, the Noble, which DaimlerChrysler has said is a copy of its Smart city car, was not to be shown, however.
Shuanghuan has not yet applied for a patent in Europe and the car is therefore not protected, Schloessl said.
DaimlerChrysler has also threatened legal proceedings if the car is shown at the Frankfurt auto show.
If the German carmakers shut down China Automobile Deutschland's stand in Frankfurt it would be the first incident of this kind in the history of the fair.
