Manufacturers worldwide depend more and more on the success of the Chinese market which, contrary to what happens in Europe and North America where the effects of Covid-19 are still being felt, has been showing very positive signs.
In the last month of March alone, Chinese dealerships sold 2.53 million cars, representing an increase of 74.9% over the same period last year.
These are impressive numbers and attest to the importance of this market for world manufacturers, who made a point of presenting their latest innovations at the Shanghai Salon , the first automobile show of the year.
At the Shanghai Auto Show 2021, as it is officially called, we witnessed the presentation of an “SUV offensive” by foreign manufacturers, a veritable parade of proposals focused on electric mobility and the announcement of the already usual “stretched” versions of new models. sell in Europe.
The result of all this? An event full of novelties, where the presence of proposals “from the house” — read, from China — is increasingly notorious (and relevant…).
European manufacturers at "all gas"
The importance of the Chinese market for European car brands was noticed on several levels, with BMW showing a special version of the BMW M760 Li xDrive — with two-tone bodywork, reminiscent of Mercedes-Maybach's proposals — and the make the debut in that country of the iX electric SUV, which will begin shipping in China in the second half of the year.
After the virtual presentation, Mercedes-Benz took advantage of the Chinese event to show the EQS live, as well as the recently presented EQB for the first time. To these was added the “stretched” version — exclusive to China — of the new C-Class.
As for Audi, it presented itself at the Shanghai Motor Show with the electric prototype A6 e-tron, which promises more than 700 km of autonomy, and with an “stretched” — and “sedan” shaped — version of our well-known Audi A7 Sportback.
The Ingolstadt manufacturer also showed the longer version of the Q5 (Q5 L) and a prototype of a new 100% electric SUV — it will be its version of the Volkswagen ID.6 — at a stand that it shared (for the first time…) with its two Chinese partners: FAW and SAIC.
Volkswagen was also very busy and booked the presentation of the ID.6 for the Shanghai Motor Show, which will be sold in two versions. You can read more about this seven-seater electric SUV that appears to be a grown-up version of the ID.4, which was today honored with the 2021 World Car of the Year trophy.
The European representation at this Chinese event was also made with Maserati, which presented the hybrid version of Levante, and with Peugeot, which took the opportunity to launch its new strategy for China, called “Yuan +”, to show the its new logo and its latest pair of SUVs: 4008 and 5008.
US also said "gift"
The North American “army” was also noticed at the 2021 Shanghai Motor Show, largely due to Ford's “fault”, which, in addition to showing the Mustang Mach-E produced in China, also presented the And you , a crossover with a muscular image and sporty contours that could indicate what could be the successor of Mondeo in Europe and Fusion in North America.
These two models were also joined on the stage of the Shanghai Motor Show by the new Ford Escape (“our” Kuga), Ford Escort (yes, it still exists in China…) and Ford Equator (a seven-seater SUV).
The presence of General Motors (GM) was also felt in China, with the announcement of the Cadillac Lyriq, an electric crossover, and the renewed version of the Buick Envision.
And the Japanese?
Honda was present with the e:prototype electric SUV which, like the Honda e, should have a final production version with a very close look, and with the plug-in hybrid version of the Breeze (a CR-derived SUV -V).
Toyota showed the bZ4X Concept, the first model in its range of electric models, called bZ, while Lexus was present with the renewed ES.
Nissan also answered “present” and unveiled the X-Trail, the new generation of the SUV that we've already seen unveiled in the US as Rogue and that, it seems, will also reach the European market in the summer of 2022.
And what about “home” makers?
At the 2021 Shanghai Motor Show, “in-house” makers showed — once again — that they are no longer supporting actors, but are ready for the lead role.
Gone are the days when we stumbled across news of Chinese brands that “cloned” European models. Now China wants to “attack” the giant — and profitable! — home car market with distinct and innovative proposals and not even Xiaomi, the Chinese technology giant, wants to “miss the ride”, with Lei Jun, founder of the group, confirming its intentions to launch a car.
Rival Huawei also doesn't want to "do it for less" and has already said it will invest a billion dollars (about 830 million euros) in autonomous driving technologies, embracing the role of future supplier to the automotive industry.
Another of the novelties that came out of this Asian event was the Xpeng P5, the brand's third model, which offers autonomous driving functions thanks to the new XPilot 3.5 system, which consists of 32 sensors, two LiDAR units (integrated in the niches where we would find the headlights of fog), 12 ultrasonic sensors, 13 high-resolution cameras and a high-precision GPS sensor.
Zeekr, a new car brand from the ever-growing Geely — the owner of Volvo, Polestar and Lotus — also chose the 2021 Shanghai Motor Show to showcase its first proposal, the Zeekr 001, a kind of electric shooting brake — at 4.97 m long — capable of traveling 700 km on a single charge.
Great Wall, which has a joint venture with BMW, showed off a prototype with the radical name Cyber Tank 300 — it looks like a cross between a Ford Bronco and a Mercedes G — and a modern interpretation of the Volkswagen Beetle's design, the Ora… Punk Cat — we're not kidding.
Wuling, a partner of General Motors, presented in Shanghai the latest version of its “micro-electric” Hong Guang MINI EV Macaro, a small city with 170 km of autonomy that in that market costs the equivalent of 3500 euros — a car that also already arrived in Europe as Dartz Freze Nikrob.
now punk cat
Finally, FAW Hongqi did not want to go unnoticed and presented the hyper-sports S9, whose prototype had already left “mouth watering” in 2019, at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Its lines are designed by Walter da Silva, the Italian designer who gave us, for example, the Alfa Romeo 156 and who led the design of the Volkswagen Group for several years.
Thanks to a hybrid system that has a V8 engine, this S9 has a combined power of 1400 hp and needs less than 2s to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h, with the top speed being fixed around 400 km/h. H.
FAW Hongqi S9