Daimler debuted the Maybach, right, and showed the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG sports car at the Beijing auto show last month. (Gemunu Amarasinghe / Associated Press)
April saw a flurry of new-vehicle launches at the Beijing auto show, as manufacturers from around the globe scramble for China's fast-growing market.
In a reflection of China's new importance -- the country became the world's biggest auto market in 2009 -- global automakers showed 14 new vehicles at the event, while Chinese automakers displayed 75 new sedans, SUVs, experimental "green" cars and other vehicles.
Here's a look at what stood out at the event, which wrapped on April 27, and what may soon be seen on U.S. shores.
Chinese automakers
China's BYD showed its all-electric e6, which may be the first Chinese-made car to hit the U.S. market. The company, partly owned by billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, hopes to start selling its five-seat e6 on the West Coast this year.
The e6 was one of a series of green vehicles being developed by Chinese automakers. Geely unveiled six alternative-energy vehicles, some of which it says it plans to release by next year. The 13-year-old brand, which shot to prominence after buying Volvo from Ford, showed 55 models, including 11 new vehicles.
Chery -- China's biggest domestic auto brand -- showed 29 vehicles, including four alternative-fuel models. The company exports to some 70 developing countries in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.
Debuts at the Beijing auto show included (clockwise from top left): The BYD e6, the Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept, the Ferrari 599 GTO and the next generation Ford Focus. (credits: Associated Press, general Motors, Ford, Ferrari)
Luxury cars
China's wealthy are fast developing a taste for pricey cars. The country's luxury-car sales were up 66 percent the first three months of 2010 compared with last year, according to J.D. Power and Associates.
Daimler unveiled its new ultra-luxury Maybach sedan, which features optional Swarovski crystal decorations on the seats, perfume atomizers and wireless Internet routers. It also showed a trio of Mercedes-Benz cars, including a 571-horsepower SLS AMG with gull-wing doors. Starting price: around $180,000.
Ferrari unveiled its ultra-exclusive 599 GTO. Priced at around $460,000, the car is faster than the legendary Ferrari Enzo. Ferrari sold 60 cars in China in 2004. That total jumped to 220 last year. China also has more female buyers than other markets; about 20 percent of Ferrari purchasers last year were women, compared with 5 percent in the rest of the world.
Audi chose the auto show to unveil the A8 LW12 Quattro, a 500-horsepower sedan with the Chinese mogul in mind. The backseat features include extra legroom and a footstool; a walnut folding table (just in case you need to sign a deal); and massage chairs that "wave, pulse, stretch and lumber."
Volkswagen debuted its ultra-luxury Phaeton sedan, and Porsche did the same for its sleek Panamera 4.
Global showing
General Motors premiered its all-electric Volt MPV5 concept car, as well as a Chinese-made minivan and a compact sedan. Toyota displayed 50 vehicles, including its latest gas-electric Prius hybrid and an electric concept car.
Ford's latest Focus, a five-door hatchback model, got an Asian debut; it will be sold nearly identically around the world. The Ford Edge, a midsize SUV for the Chinese market, and the Start, a new concept car, also debuted at the show.
Leave a comment