Qiteng Logo

Qiteng Brand Overview

Qiteng is the passenger and light-commercial vehicle brand of Fujian Xinlongma Automobile Co., Ltd., a state-controlled carmaker in Longyan, Fujian province. Its roots go back to the Longyan Tractor Factory, which began building agricultural motor vehicles in the early 1980s and grew into one of China’s biggest agricultural-vehicle makers under the Longma name through the 1990s. The original Longma Group later ran into financial trouble, and by the mid-2000s the business had been reorganized under the Fujian Provincial Automobile Industry Group and the Longyan city government as Fujian Xinlongma Automobile, commonly known by its initials, NLM Motor. In 2011 the company moved its headquarters from Fuzhou to Longyan and began building a new factory in the city’s Economic Development Zone, completed in December 2012.

The Qiteng brand itself launched in 2014, with the M70 minivan as its first product. A compact MPV, the EX80, followed in September 2015, and the V60, a raised-ride-height SUV aimed at buyers who wanted the look of a crossover on a van platform, arrived later that same year. The lineup later expanded to electric versions of these models plus N-series minitrucks, sold mostly to fleets and logistics operators. Outside China, Qiteng vehicles are marketed under the name Keyton, in countries including Egypt, the Philippines, Bolivia and Chile.

Ownership changed hands twice in the 2010s. In May 2016 the Swedish electric-car company National Electric Vehicle Sweden, or NEVS, agreed to buy a majority stake, and it formally took control of New Longma on 18 August 2016, ending up with 65 percent of the company. The deal came with a contract to supply 35,000 electric logistics vans to Panda New Energy. NEVS was itself later acquired by the Chinese property group Evergrande, and at the end of 2020 the Fujian and Longyan state shareholders bought back their stakes, returning Qiteng to local government control.

Sales were always modest. The brand never sold more than about 3,000 vehicles a year, and production at the Longyan plant stopped in February 2022, with sales for the year falling to only around 500 cars. Chinese business press reported that year that Great Wall Motor had registered a branch at the same Longyan address and was hiring for the site, seen as a step toward taking over the factory, though the automaker never made a formal announcement confirming a takeover.

Qiteng Logo Meaning

The Qiteng badge is a cluster of angular, diamond-cut silver panels set inside a chrome oval frame. Chinese reviewers have likened the shape to a swallow in flight or a stylised jet silhouette, evoking speed and forward motion, but Fujian Xinlongma has not published an official explanation of the design, so any reading of it beyond the visual should be treated as informal.

Qiteng Logo History and Evolution

2014-present: The Diamond-Cut Emblem

Qiteng has used one badge design since the brand’s 2014 launch: a silver, chrome-rimmed oval enclosing a cluster of diamond-cut angular panels. No earlier or later redesign of the emblem is documented; the badge that appeared on the first M70 minivans is the same one used on Qiteng and Keyton vehicles today.

Who Owns Qiteng?

Qiteng is owned by Fujian Xinlongma Automobile, which sits under the state-owned Fujian Motors Group umbrella and is jointly held by the Fujian provincial government’s automotive holding company and the Longyan municipal government. Sweden’s NEVS briefly held a 65 percent majority stake between 2016 and 2020, before the Chinese state shareholders reacquired the business after NEVS came under the control of Evergrande.

FAQ

What does Qiteng mean?

Qiteng is the brand name Fujian Xinlongma Automobile uses on the passenger and light-commercial vehicles it has built since 2014. The company’s own roots go back to the Longma, or “dragon-horse,” name used by its predecessor agricultural-vehicle maker.

Who owns Qiteng?

Fujian Xinlongma Automobile, a state-controlled company jointly owned by Fujian’s provincial automotive holding group and the Longyan city government. The Swedish company NEVS owned a 65 percent majority stake from 2016 to 2020, after which the Chinese state shareholders bought the business back.

Why is Qiteng called Keyton in other countries?

Keyton is the export name Fujian Xinlongma uses for the same vehicles sold outside China, in markets such as Egypt, the Philippines, Bolivia and Chile. The cars, badge and model names are otherwise the same as the domestic Qiteng lineup.

What happened to Qiteng?

Qiteng’s sales stayed low throughout the brand’s life, never reaching much above a few thousand cars a year, and its Longyan factory stopped production in February 2022. Chinese media reported that Great Wall Motor was preparing to take over the plant that year, though no official transfer was ever announced.

What was Qiteng’s first car?

The M70, a compact minivan, launched in 2014 as the brand’s debut model. It was followed by the EX80 compact MPV later in 2015, pitched against vehicles like the Wuling Hongguang, and the V60 SUV, which arrived around the same time.