China’s oldest motoring exhibition returns post-pandemic; we take a look at everything revealed
China’s first motor show since Covid restrictions were finally lifted will take place next month in Shanghai, with a number of new cars expected to make their first public appearances.
Auto Shanghai, which began in 1985, is scheduled to host unveilings from global brands such as Polestar, Porsche and Smart and home-grown ones including BYD and Xpeng when it returns on 18 April.
Let’s take a look at what you can expect to see:
Volkswagen ID 7
The German giant’s MEB-based rival to the Tesla Model 3 made its UK debut on 17 April in Birmingham and will be unveiled in production-ready guise at Shanghai. It is the sixth EV in Volkswagen‘s ID range and, in time, will become the firm’s only model in Europe’s ever-shrinking D-segment. Volkswagen say it is designed specifically ‘for long distances’ and will become available in Pro and Pro S trims. It’s set to enter UK showrooms by the end of 2023 with a WLTP range of 435 miles, a price tag of around £50,000, 282bhp and a 0-62mph time of 6.0sec. An estate version is due to arrive later.
Volkswagen ID 7 goes official with 282bhp and 435-mile range
BMW XM Red Label
The most powerful hybrid SUV on the market will make its official debut in Shanghai. It comes as a uniquely-styled, 738bhp SUV that will do 0-62mph in 3.8sec. The £170,860 Red Label builds on the regular XM’s 644bhp powertrain with the addition of an upgrade package for its V8 – it now produces 94bhp more than the standard car’s V8. With this upgrade to the combustion engine, its electric-only range is now 47-52 miles and will reach a top speed, in electric mode, of 87mph. Derestricted and with the optional M Driver’s Package, it will reach a top speed of 180mph.
BMW XM Label Red brings 738bhp for £170,860
BYD Yangwang U9
China’s answer to the Audi R8 comes as a £122,100 sports coupé with an electric motor powering each wheel to deliver a 0-62mph time of less than 2.0sec. While not much has been disclosed about the U9, we can confirm that it uses EV technology developed by BYD itself and was styled by Wolfgang Egger, the former Alfa Romeo and Audi design boss.
BYD launches luxury EV brand with supercar and rugged 4×4
Mini Aceman
The Aceman will be Mini’s first bespoke EV and its most important model. It will arrive in 2025 to fill the gap between the Mini Cooper hatchback and the Mini Countryman SUV. It will be available for the public to view in concept guise at Shanghai. Using Mini’s first new name since Paceman in 2012, the Aceman is said to be the car that “ticks all the boxes” yet will still be largely similar to the concept when it enters production.
Mini Aceman EV is electric-only Clubman replacement
Mini Electric Convertible
Limited to just 150 models in the UK and 999 in Europe, the Mini Electric Convertible will be available for the public to see for the first time in Shanghai. The £52,500 soft-top will sit on the same platform as the regular hatchback, so expect a 181bhp single-motor set-up, an 8.2sec 0-62mph time and 125-mile range.
2023 Mini Electric Convertible goes on sale at £52,500
Lexus LM
Lexus will launch the second generation of its LM – or Luxury Mover – in Shanghai. Posed as the more upmarket alternative to the Toyota Alphard, the MPV focuses on space and comfort in both its seven- and four-seat guises. Those seats use Adaptipedic memory foam, recline and offer a choice of seven massage functions. Privacy for passengers is provided by a glass panel that can raise in between the first and second row of seats. Powering it is a 291bhp 3.5-litre petrol V6 for a 0-62mph time of 7.0sec.
Nio ES6 facelift
The facelifted edition of Nio’s popular electric SUV will be the first car the Chinese company has launched at a motor show. It will sit on the firm’s second-generation platform, which is expected to afford slight improvements in range and performance. The current ES6 uses the same platform as the seven-seat ES8, using an electric motor on each axle which, in Performance trim, features a 322bhp motor at the front and 215bhp motor at the rear. The Standard version has two 215bhp motors at the front and rear. Each achieves a range of 319 miles and 256 miles respectively.
Nio is also expected to announce six more models under its New Episode agenda, including the ET7 electric saloon, ES8, EC7, ES7, and ET5.
New Nio ES6 unveiled: £41,000 electric rival to the Audi Q5
Nissan Max-Out concept
Nissan‘s outlandish electric two-seat drop-top will make its Chinese debut in Shanghai. Coming as part of the Japanese firm’s drive to develop sustainability and “innovative mobility”, the Max-Out will likely make use of solid-state battery technology should it head into production. It’s a clean-sheet design with a unique set of alloy wheels, a large, squared-off open-air intake at the front and lightbar at the rear whose shape mimicks that of the front grille. It promises to deliver a “new driving experience with its superlative stability and comfort, tight handling and limited body roll”.
Elsewhere on the Nissan stand, two concepts previewing China-only production cars will be shown. The firm has kept shtum on details but did say it would be showcasing electric and e-Power hybrid powertrains, which these concepts could make use of in production.
Nissan Max-Out is tech-focused electric sports car
2023 Porsche Cayenne
Stuttgart’s revamped flagship SUV will be revealed before going on sale this spring. It will feature a comprehensively redesigned Porsche Taycan-inspired cabin, subtle changes to the exterior and chassis changes honed over 200,000 test kilometres to create “one of the most extensive product upgrades in the history of Porsche“.
2023 Porsche Cayenne teases new styling before 18 April reveal
Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV
Mercedes’ electric SUV flagship has been revealed as a new era for the German ultra-luxury sub-brand as it moves towards a profit-focused strategy centring on large, luxury cars. Maybach’s hope with the EQS is that it will position the brand ahead of rivals Bentley and Rolls-Royce, which don’t yet offer a luxury electric SUV. It features Maybach’s signature two-tone paintwork and a raft of bespoke interior upgrades to make it worthy of “first class” accommodation. Power comes from two electric motors producing 659bhp and 701lb ft and it will offer a range of 373 miles.
Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV is luxury brand’s first EV
Smart #3
Expected to be the next stage in Smart‘s electric revolution, the #3 has been designed to give the Geely-Mercedes brand a foothold in the popular electric SUV market. While technical specifications for the #3 remain unavailable to the general public, information leaked out of China has revealed that the coupé-SUV is 4400mm long, 1800mm wide and 1600mm tall with a wheelbase of 2785mm – a similar size to the Volkswagen ID 5. Basic models will feature a single motor with 268bhp and 252lb ft, and a high-performance Brabus variant is likely to join the line-up.
Smart #3: firm’s largest model yet rivals Volkswagen ID 5
Polestar 4
The Polestar 4 will rival the Porsche Macan as a rakish sporting crossover. Previously only seen under camouflage, it’s designed to fill the gap between the Polestar 2 saloon and Polestar 3 SUV. It’s expected to cost from around £45,000 and will enter production later this year in China.
New 2023 Polestar 4 readied as sleek Porsche Macan EV rival
BYD F SUV
Having been depicted in prototype form, BYD’s new five-seat SUV will take aim at the Mercedes-Benz G-Class as the first piece in the firm’s new F model line. BYD officials said it measures close to 5000mm long, is powered by a petrol-electric drivetrain producing 671bhp and has a combined range of more than 746 miles.
BYD to launch 671bhp hybrid 4×4 globally in 2024
Xpeng G6
Xpeng’s fifth production car, originally leaked as part of a batch of Chinese government registry filings, is a mid-size electric crossover earmarked for sale in selected European countries from 2024. Featuring a minimalist design, the G6 is expected to go on sale in front- and four-wheel drive guises with outputs ranging between 208bhp and 292bhp.
Xpeng G6 detailed ahead of debut at 2023 Shanghai motor show
HiPhi Y
HiPhi is a rapidly evolving Chinese premium EV manufacturer that currently offers the X SUV and Z grand tourer (pictured). Sitting below this will be the entry-level Y, a smaller electric car that will begin HiPhi’s expansion into Europe. Arriving at the end of the year, it targets a lower price point and higher sales volumes than the £75,000 X and Z.
HiPhi to launch in Europe in 2023 with new entry-level EV
Zeekr X
Kicking off what Zeekr officials have said will be an “aggressive global marketing push”, the X is the Geely-owned Chinese firm’s third production model, an electric crossover that aims to double Zeekr‘s sales to more than 140,000 this year. It’s likely to share the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive and dual-motor, four-wheel-drive powertrains used by the related Smart #1 and forthcoming Volvo EX30. The fastest version is confirmed to have a 0-62mph time of less than 4.0sec.
New 2023 Zeekr X is Volkswagen ID 3 rival with up to 422bhp
Audi and Formula 1
Audi is primed to enter Formula 1 in 2026 in partnership with Sauber, and it has been reported that more details on its project will be presented at Shanghai, given the importance of the Chinese market for the sport. The move towards sustainable fuels and the cost cap for each team were key motivators for the German brand to join F1.
Source: Autocar
