Trade fair tour at Auto China Shanghai 2025: Return to normality
Auto China lacks the spirit of optimism that the Chinese manufacturers spread two years ago with the diversity and maturity of their new launches.
iCar V23 at Auto China 2025
(Image: Gomoll)
- Wolfgang Gomoll
When Auto China in Shanghai reopened its doors for the first time after the Covid-19 break in 2023, it was a shock for Western car manufacturers. The force and variety of products from Chinese car manufacturers was unexpected. There was no comparable flood of new products this time. Even the big companies BYD, Nio or Zeekr did not bring any particular highlights. Not even China has almost unlimited resources for innovation, since the giant country's growth rate now only shows a four before the decimal point.
Less hustle and bustle
But that doesn't mean that there aren't still a few highlights to marvel at. The Dongfeng Warrior makes a martial appearance in the best Chinese tradition, and BYD's premium brand Denza announces a Porsche 911 competitor in the form of the Z concept coupé. Of course, there are also a few classic eye-catchers, such as the plush cars from MiniEV or the small helicopter from Changan. But otherwise it is business as usual for the car manufacturers from China. Even the crowds in the halls were nowhere near as big as they were 24 months ago.
Volvo presented the EM90, Zeekr the SUV 9X, based on the same platform. The national brand Honqi is showing the HS9 plug-in hybrid model. Aito with the M9 or Xpeng with the X9 and LiAuto with the aerodynamically shaped Mega also want to impress families. The off-road specialists from Haval are focusing on mass appeal with the Max SUV. The Jetour G600 is powerful and angular. With its premium Jetour division, Chery is focusing on cars with a large margin. Clones of successful Western models such as the Geely Galaxy Cruiser, whose front end is the spitting image of the Ford Bronco, can still be seen at Chinese motor shows.
Auto China Shanghai 2025 I (9 Bilder)
Wolfgang Gomoll
)Off-road hybrid with four-liter V8
Anyone who thinks that China is all about electromobility is at least a little mistaken. Tank's rustic mud-slingers proudly present a V8 combustion engine and, with the Hi4T, the car to go with it. The engine works in a hybrid drivetrain to bring consumption in line with the limit values.
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Audi is desperately fighting for market share in China and is hoping for new success with its many innovations. The Audi E5 is of course at the forefront of the trade fair line-up. An electric estate car that was developed together with SAIC and is tailored to the Chinese market. The electric car has an 800-volt architecture, charges in ten minutes under ideal conditions for a range of 370Â km and, in its most economical version, can travel up to 770Â km. Both figures refer to the Chinese CLTC consumption cycle, not the stricter WLTP, which is the standard in Germany. Audi will also be exhibiting the four localized models A6L e-tron, Q5L and A5L from the FAW cooperation as well as the A5L Sportback.
Auto China Shanghai 2025 II (9 Bilder)
Wolfgang Gomoll
)Volkswagen announces 30 new models
With the VW ID.Aura, VW ID.Era and VW ID.Evo, Volkswagen has rolled three concept vehicles into the gigantic trade fair complex. The trio is representative of a product offensive that is set to bring over 30 new models to China by the end of 2027. 20 of these will be new energy vehicles, which in China also include a number of hybrids. With the Vision V study, Mercedes reaffirms its intention to gain a foothold in the luxury van segment. The Mercedes CLA was also on show in Shanghai. BMW celebrates itself without showing any real innovations. Honda brings out the dynamic side with the GT. Toyota delivers with the double of the Toyota bz7 electric car and the Lexus ES luxury sedan, which is also available as an electric car.
The automotive newcomer Xiaomi, previously known primarily from the smartphone market, originally wanted to bring the SUV YU7 to the trade fair. Now, however, the SU7 Ultra is on the stand. The power sedan with 1103 kW costs around 35 percent less and, with a price of 529,900 yuan (around 63,000 euros), significantly undercuts both the Tesla Model S Plaid and the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach package. The fact that in a country with a strictly monitored speed limit on the one hand and daily mega traffic jams around the huge metropolises on the other, such drive performance can practically never be enjoyed there has not yet bothered the small target group.
(dmk)