We've been hearing a lot about Chinese automakers who hope to break into the US car market. None have materialized yet but we did see the Qiantu K50 electric sports car in New York, where the company told us the car should arrive next year in 2020. Qiantu could be one of the first Chinese automakers to sell a car in the US, though it will likely be a runner up to another company called Zotye USA. Zotye is a Chinese automaker known for building copycat cars like the fake Range Rover (called the T900) and fake Porsche Macan (called the T700).

Since Land Rover and Porsche would probably sue if either of those cars came to the US, Zotye will be bringing its compact T600 SUV to the US. This will be the company's first model to be sold here and likely the first Chinese car to be sold under its own brand name.

"This T600 is a perfect vehicle for the US market and I'm very excited to announce it will be the first Zotye product to go on sale here. The vehicle has excellent quality, outstanding safety features and will be very well equipped with a unique design that will make it popular with American buyers, " said Duke Hale, CEO of Zotye USA and HAAH Automotive Holdings, Zotye's partner company in Lake Forest, California. "That size and that pricing is really the heart of the SUV market," Senior Vice President of Sales, Bob Pradzinski, added.

It's all well and good to bring the car to the US, but we have to ask if anyone will actually want to buy it here. The company's Chinese website lists two engine options, 1.5- and 2.0-liter units, both of which are turbocharged. The 1.5 is mated to a five-speed manual and produces 160 horsepower while the 2.0 produces 174 hp. When the T600 arrives in the US, it will likely be powered by a 1.6-liter turbo-four mated to a six-speed automatic and Zotye has yet to quote any performance figures.

"Homologation and certification work on the T600 have been ongoing for some time and are proceeding on schedule. We're reviewing the optimal timing for putting the vehicle on sale and anticipate sales will begin at the end of 2020 or early in the first quarter of 2021," said Pradzinski. Based on what we can see in the pictures, the T600 looks fairly basic so it will have to be offered at a very low price in order to be competitive. After the T600 goes on sale, Zotye will consider offering a mid-size SUV and a sedan.