Auto China 2024
Five Beijing premieres we want to have
Dozens of premieres make the auto show in Beijing the most important motor show in the world. And the most interesting innovations come less and less from Germany, but mostly from China. We would rather have a few of them here now than right away. Five examples.
Brazen plagiarism, bad copies, crude bodies - a tour of the Chinese car shows used to be a laughing stock. However, when the board members of German manufacturers and their entourages wander through the halls, their laughter is now increasingly stuck in their throats. This is because the Chinese have caught up at an incredible pace and have long since overtaken the former top dogs from abroad in many disciplines. Not only are their batteries sometimes significantly better than those of the Germans, but their pace of development is also faster. Even the design has matured and is correspondingly appealing.
Xiaomi SU7: New connection under this number
Until now, Xiaomi has mainly built smartphones and became number three last year with around 150 million devices. Now, however, the electronics giant also wants to prove itself as a car manufacturer and has launched the SU7 sedan, which looks a bit like a Taycan that has been washed too hot and can almost hold a candle to the Porsche on paper. Not for nothing does it accelerate to 100 km/h in less than three seconds and reach 265 km/h.
The largest of the available batteries has a good 100 kWh and should last for up to 830 kilometers. And yet Xiaomi is keeping its feet on the ground when it comes to prices and, at the equivalent of around 30,000 euros, is starting at the level of a Tesla Model 3 rather than a Taycan. No wonder the car is sold out for months in China and Xiaomi cannot keep up with production. As long as this doesn't change, exports are also likely to be difficult.
Nammi EV1: a bargain with charm
While they in Wolfsburg and Paris are despairing at the Volksstromer for under 25,000 euros and a price under 20,000 euros is a distant prospect, the Chinese are proving how sharp they can be - for example with the Nammi EV1 from the large Dongfeng range. After all, the small electric car costs the equivalent of just 10,000 euros at home and still doesn't look like a Spartan piggy bank.
The design is appealing, the format corresponds to Corsa & Co and the key drive data suggest a certain suitability for everyday use: There is just under 100 hp for up to 140 km/h and a 42 kWh battery, which should last for 400 Chinese standard kilometers at best. Even if the price were to rise by another 50 percent and the range were to drop by 100 kilometers on the way to Europe, the Nammi EV1 could enrich the market - even if it were only to serve as an example for VW, Citroen or Renault.
Denza Z9: Shenzhen instead of Stuttgart
The first prototype photos show it in Stuttgart of all places, it was designed by former Audi chief designer Wolfgang Egger and the company also has a few percent Mercedes in it. However, the elegant Gran Turismo is neither a Shooting Brake under the sign of the rings, nor the successor to the Panamera or another AMG tourer. What stretches 5.20 meters into the spotlight at the trade fair with elegant lines and powerful hips is the Denza Z9, which will crown the model range of the distinguished BYD subsidiary in future and is intended to combine the best of the old and new car worlds.
It is no coincidence that the attractive design and elegant ambience are complemented by a plug-in hybrid with around 1000 hp and Porsche-level performance. And above all, there is a large tailgate, which the original lost during the generation change.
iCar V23: It also works a size smaller
While Mercedes is electrifying the ageing G-Class in Beijing to ease the conscience of the very high earners, Chery subsidiary iCar is showing how the same concept works two sizes smaller: with the V23. The off-roader looks like an evaporated G-Class, measures just 4.20 meters and is packed with high-tech electronics from Xiaomi and Texas Instruments.
The CATL batteries have around 80 kWh and last for 500 kilometers. Although Mercedes is also officially working on an electric Baby-G, the Chinese have two decisive advantages: Their car could be on the road in our country as early as next year rather than at the end of the decade, and the price is probably not even half as high.
Zeekr Mix: space is wealth
Even the S-Class or the 7 Series seem somehow cramped against them: anyone who is anyone in China and is often shuttled in congested city traffic doesn't take a luxury sedan, but a van - especially an electric one with its space-efficient skateboard platform.
That's why every second stand at Auto China features a space cruiser like the Zeekr Mix, which is furnished with spacious armchairs and shortens the time for its occupants with huge screens and elaborate infotainment. Many of these vans, from the Denza D9 to the LiAuto Mega, are in the starting blocks for export. But now that Zeekr already has dealers in Germany, they could make a start there and expand into Austria straight away.
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