Dozens of premieres make the auto show in Beijing the most important motor trade fair 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 with us now rather than straight away. Five examples.
Brash plagiarism, bad copies, crude bodies – a tour of Chinese car shows used to be a laughing stock. But when the board members of the German manufacturers parade through the halls with their entourage, the laughter is increasingly stuck in their throats. 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 the Germans, but also their speed of development. Even the design has matured and is correspondingly pleasing.Xiaomi SU7: New connection under this numberSo far, Xiaomi has mainly built smartphones and made it to number three with around 150 million devices last year. Now, however, the electronics giant also wants to prove itself as a car manufacturer and has launched the SU7 sedan, which looks a little like a Taycan that has been washed too hot and can almost hold a candle to the Porsche on paper. It’s not for nothing that it accelerates to 100 km/h in less than three seconds and achieves 265 km/h. The largest of the available batteries has a good 100 kWh and is said to last for up to 830 kilometers. And yet Xiaomi remains grounded in terms of prices and starts at the equivalent of around 30,000 euros, more at the level of a Tesla Model 3 instead of a Taycan. No wonder the car is sold out in China for months and Xiaomi can’t keep up with production. As long as that doesn’t change, exports are likely to become difficult.Nammi EV1: Bargain with charmWhile in Wolfsburg and Paris they are despairing of the Volksstromer for under 25,000 euros and are pushing a price under 20,000 euros into the distance, the Chinese are proving that they can what a sharp pencil you can count on – for example with the Nammi EV1 from the large Dongfeng shelf. After all, the small electric car at home costs the equivalent of just 10,000 euros and still doesn’t look like a spartan money box. The design is pleasing, the format corresponds to Corsa & Co and the key data of the drive suggest a certain suitability for everyday use: there is almost 100 hp for up to 140 km/h and a 42 kWh battery, which should be enough for 400 Chinese standard kilometers in the best case scenario. Even if the price were to rise another 50 percent and the range were to fall by 100 kilometers on the way to Europe, the Nammi EV1 could enrich the market – even if it only served as a calculation example for VW, Citroen or Renault. Denza Z9: Shenzhen instead of Stuttgart The first Erlkönig photos show it in Stuttgart of all places; it was drawn by former Audi chief designer Wolfgang Egger and a few percent of Mercedes are also still in the company. But the elegant Gran Turismo is neither a shooting brake in the spirit of the rings, nor the successor to the Panamera or another tourer from AMG. What is stretching 5.20 meters into the spotlight at the trade fair with its elegant lines and strong hips is the Denza Z9, which will crown the model range of the noble BYD subsidiary in the future and combine the best of the old and the new car world. Not In addition to the pretty design and the elegant ambience, there is also a free plug-in hybrid with around 1000 hp and performance at Porsche level. And above all, there is a large tailgate, which the original lost with the generation change. iCar V23: It can also be one size smaller While Mercedes is powering up the old G-Class in Beijing and thus easing the conscience of very high earners, the Chery subsidiary iCar shows how the same concept works two sizes smaller: with the V23. The off-roader looks like a vaporized G-Class, measures just 4.20 meters and is full of high-tech electronics from Xiaomi and Texas Instruments. The CATL batteries have around 80 kWh and are sufficient for 500 kilometers. Mercedes is also officially working on an electric Baby-G, but the Chinese have two decisive advantages: their car could hit our roads not just at the end of the decade, but as early as next year and the price is probably not even that high half as high. Zeekr Mix: Space is wealthCompared to them, even S-Class or Sevens seem somehow cramped: Anyone who is self-respecting in China and spends a lot of time in congested city traffic doesn’t take a luxury limousine, but a van – especially an electric one with its space-efficient skateboard. Platform.That’s why every second stand at Auto China has a space cruiser like the Zeekr Mix, which is furnished with spacious armchairs and shortens the time of the occupants with huge screens and sophisticated infotainment. Many of these vans, from the Denza D9 to the LiAuto Mega, are in the starting blocks for export. But since Zeekr already has dealers in Germany, they could start there and expand to Austria straight away.
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