Two Chinese car models get EU sale approval -paper

FRANKFURT, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Two models built by Chinese carmakers have been approved to go on sale in Europe, paving the way to launch them next month, industry paper Automotive News Europe reported on Saturday.

It quoted Tatyana Podkatelow, a spokeswoman for German importer China Automobile Deutschland, as saying the Zhejiang Jonway UFO and Shuanghuan Automobile CEO models had both received European Union approval.

The models are controversial because their appearance is similar to rivals. The UFO looks like the Toyota (7203.T) RAV4 sport utility vehicle (SUV) and the CEO resembles the BMW (BMWG.DE) X5 SUV, the paper said.

BMW, which started legal proceedings to stop the CEO's launch last year, still hopes the courts will halt European sales, it quoted BMW spokesman Andreas Lampka as saying.

It cited a Toyota spokesman as saying that the Japanese carmaker would not take legal action to block the UFO's sale.

The paper also reported that major Chinese carmakers hope to have models on the European market by 2011 as they meet European safety and emissions regulations.

Geely Automobile (0175.HK), China's largest private carmaker, plans to start selling its CK sedan in Europe within three years, Geely International manager Ronnie Wong told the paper at the Detroit auto show.

BYD Auto (1211.HK) wants to have its F1 small hatchback, which it will show at the Geneva auto show in March, on the market in three years, it said. It also plans to sell a plug-in version of its hybrid F6 DM large sedan, the paper reported.

Changfeng Motor (600991.SS), which plans a joint venture with Japan's Mitsubishi Motors (7211.T) in China, wants to sell the Liebao CS7 and CS6 SUVs and the Kylin medium minivan, it said.

Within two to three years, Changfeng will be exporting cars "probably going first to Europe and then to the U.S.," it quoted Ming Zeng, director of the carmaker's international trade department, as saying. (Reporting by Michael Shields)