Toyota bZ3X
When I came to Beijing for the first time in 5 years, the most amazing thing was, of course, how different the cars were on the street. At the Chinese rate, 5 years is actually equivalent to 10-15 years in the rest of the world. So I really needed a refresher, although fortunately I recognized almost all the cars around. We’ll cover Beijing’s automotive landscape in a separate post, so stay tuned. For now, we’ll focus on why I’m here in the first place: the Beijing Auto Show. Our first update features overseas manufacturers that made their mark at the show.
1. Toyota
For reference, Toyota’s retail sales fell -17.1% in March. Housed in a tiny showroom in the corner, the Japanese manufacturer is nevertheless pleased with its offering. In addition to the existing bZ4X crossover and the China-exclusive bZ3 sedan, two new electric vehicles were presented at the exhibition: the bZ3X crossover and the bZ4C fastback sedan. The models maintain a pleasant family atmosphere. In addition, he released a new generation Prado, and for the first time I was able to appreciate it. It’s night and day compared to the previous model, with a touchscreen much larger than previous Toyotas, considering the brand has previously been quite conservative in this area.
2. Honda
Equally impressive is Honda, which has released a new family of electric vehicles, Ye, designed specifically for the Chinese market. Honda sales fell -34.4% in March. The Ye family includes the S7 and P7 crossovers, as well as the GT sedan concept. It’s a lot of work, but the models look pretty ordinary.
3. Smart
Smart, which is now a joint venture between Marcedes and Geely, presented concept No. 5 at the exhibition, which is already the third model after No. 1 and No. 3. Just over a year after launching in the country, Smart is already struggling with a -72.1% year-on-year decline in retail sales in March. We’re hoping the #5 could be a game changer for the brand, and it certainly looks like one considering the production version is pretty close to the concept. Model No. 5 will be launched in China at the end of 2024 and in Europe at the beginning of 2025.
4. Mazda
Mazda was the only foreign manufacturer to post a positive result in March, with retail sales up 37.7% year on year. Surprisingly, this was achieved without any EV in the range. The Japanese automaker is changing that unenviable position at the show by making a late foray into the electric vehicle market with the EZ-6 sedan.
5. Audi
Audi retail sales were down -10.9% year over year in March. On display were the stretched Q6 e-Tron and SQ6 e-Tron models, which will begin production at Audi’s new plant in Changchun.
6. Mercedes
The long-awaited Mercedes G-Class Electric, presented as a concept car back in September 2021 at the IAA Mobility Show in Munich, made its debut at the Beijing Motor Show. However, there was no real excitement at the Mercedes stand.
7. Mini
In a cramped space next to the BMW stand, Mini unveiled its all-new small electric crossover, the Aceman. The interior is not groundbreaking and follows the brand’s traditions with a round center console.
8. Ford
Ford had a large booth decked out for the locally built Chinese version of the Bronco. Testing it for the first time, the Bronco impressed with its rugged interior and large touchscreen. The brand also introduced the Mustang Coupe Performance Edition and the updated Mustang Convertible.
9. Chevrolet
At the show, Chevrolet noticeably changed the name of its brand, highlighting the electric vehicle in the brand name. It can only introduce a new Equinox PHEV variant called Equinox Plus.
Follow our roundup of the most impressive Chinese brands at the auto show!