Former military truck supplier to the People's Liberation Army of China, Changfeng Motors, chose today's Auto China 2009 press day to unveil a pair of new cars based on the Lancer sedan sold by joint venture partner Mitsubishi. Openly referred to in the Changfeng press release as a 'Volvo S40 lookalike', the Acumen production sedan strays furthest from the its Lancer roots. But it was the Acumen Sports Coupe concept that grabbed the attention of the designers gathered in Shanghai.

The greenhouse fore of the B-pillars and hood appear to have been carried straight over from the Lancer, and the prominent trapezoidal grille is almost identical. Within the grille aperture, however, is a matt black T-shaped graphic element flanked by pair of D-shaped chrome bars that extend into the bumper to form a home for a horizontal strip of LED lamps. It's a nice touch. The headlamps also step down more acutely at the outer edges, creating a dramatic look from head-on.

A number of the car's design themes seem to have been 'borrowed' from European rivals, however. The crease that runs from the front fender and accelerates up into the rear wheelarch is straight off the Audi A5, for example, and like the Acumen sedan parked nearby, the Acumen Sports Coupe's shoulder treatment calls to mind the work of Volvo: specifically the C70 coupe cabriolet. In fact, the way that the (fixed) greenhouse arcs down to meet a wide, flat rear deck very much calls to mind the proportions of a folding hardtop. Somebody needs to tell Changfeng that these cars only look that ungainly out of necessity...

Not exactly the donor Lancer's strongest feature, the four-seat, Changfeng-designed Acumen interior is nothing short of shabby. Even the bright orange upholstery and door card inserts can't detract attention from the brittle switchgear, nasty-looking fake aluminum trim on the center console and childish font used to adorn the orange-lit instruments. While it's good to see the brand stepping into bolder design territory, a more holistic approach is required if it's going to be taken seriously on the global stage.