Shanghai Motor Show 2013 top 10
News editor Jack Rix has picked his 10 favourite cars from Shanghai
The world’s number one car market isn’t growing at quite the rate it once was. Sales grew by just 4.3 per cent in China last year (compared with a phenomenal 30-per-cent surge in 2010), but competition is fiercer than ever. Whereas in Europe we have 45 different manufacturers to choose from, in China there are more than 100 brands competing for customers' money - all of which were crammed into 17 halls at the sprawling Shanghai Motor Show.
And the potential for yet more growth is huge. In Europe there is an average of 500 cars per thousand people, whereas in China - even in a densely populated city like Shanghai - there are only 232 cars per thousand. It’s that untapped potential that’s got the global car industry frothing with excitement. So, with 1,300 vehicles on display and 111 global debuts, which model managed to stand out from the crowd? Read on to find out…
1. Mercedes Concept GLAWhy is the GLA our pick of the show? Because the timing of its introduction - slap bang into the middle of an SUV boom - couldn’t be better, plus it looked absolutely incredible in the flesh. We are fully aware that concepts need to be toned down for production, but even if the GLA retains three quarters of the concept’s style, it’s bound to fly out of showrooms. The A-Class design DNA (the GLA shares its underpinnings with the A, B and CLA) is clear, but we have a feeling the high-riding GLA won’t suffer from the same brittle ride as the hatch, which is excellent news.
2. MG CS ConceptMG has been threatening to produce an SUV for some time now – it brought us the retro-styled Icon concept at last year’s Beijing show and now this more contemporary CS show car has landed. With its razor sharp creases and superb detailing it looked fantastic on MG’s stand - and a Brit designed it, which is always nice. Based on the MG5, a production car is slated for 2015, powered by choice of 1.5 or 2.0-litre turbo petrol engines or a 1.9 diesel. We reckon if the concept’s styling can be carried through to production, it could be the car to put MG firmly back on the map.
3. BMW Concept X4Some will call it an SUV too far, but there’s no denying the X4 is a smart move from BMW. Ever since the X5 was first launched in 1999, the SUV segment has been a huge success story, which is why the X3, X6 and X1 followed. More than 2.7 million of those four cars have been sold in total, and the signs are that the segment will continue to grow, which is where the X4 comes in. Despite its swoopy roofline and big wheels, the X4 concept (essentially a thinly veiled production model) didn’t look particularly sporty, but its certainly different. And in a congested area of the market, sometimes that’s all it takes.
4. Porsche Panamera Hybrid SIt’s easy to forget that Porsche is a relatively small company. It doesn’t have the manpower or financial clout of BMW, for example, which is why the new plug-in Panamera is so impressive. A V6 petrol engine and an electric motor combine to produce a total of 410bhp and, according to Wolfgang Hatz, Porsche’s R&D boss, you won’t feel the extra weight of the batteries when you’re driving. Yet, it can blast from 0-62mph in 5.5-seconds, travel 20 miles on electric power alone and returns an eye-popping 91mpg with CO2 emissions of 83g/km. Hybrids might be a tough pill for Porsche purists to swallow, but you have to marvel at the engineering involved.
5. Audi A3 SaloonSometimes choosing which new niche to fill next looks remarkably easy. Take compact saloons for example; they make up the single biggest market segment in the world (and are especially popular in China), so Audi has decided to build one. Simple. But what we like about the new A3 Saloon is that it doesn’t feel like a car dreamed up by market analysts - it’s desirable in its own right. Just like the BMW 1 Series M Coupe tugged at enthusiast’s heart strings by reminding us of the original M3, the A3 Saloon also looks trim and taught - especially in S3 guise - with just enough space for the family and a few bags.
6. Maserati GhibliFrom a distance it’s not easy to tell the Quattroporte and its new baby brother, the E-Class-rivalling Ghibli, apart. But get up close and the Ghibli’s shorter overhangs, slimmer headlights and sportier interior start to get under your skin. What’s really exciting about this car is that rather than chasing only the very wealthiest customers, Maserati is making it more attainable than ever before. It will be offered with a choice of two rip-snorting twin-turbo V6 engines, with either 330bhp or 410bhp, but for the first time in a Maserati, a diesel will be offered, too. It worked for Porsche, who says Maserati can’t pull off the same trick?
7. Citroen Wild Rubis ConceptWhen it comes to bold design statements, Citroen has never been backwards in coming forward. The Wild Rubis Concept is predictably striking with its purple paint, endless chrome highlights and arch-bursting wheels. But behind the flair and drama of its design, the Wild Rubis makes a solid business case for itself. Aimed primarily at the Chinese market, this Audi Q5 and BMW X3-sized crossover concept should sell well to increasingly fashion-conscious Chinese buyers, but we can imagine it going down well in the UK, too.
8. VW CrossBlue Coupe ConceptJust when we were growing tired of VW’s Russian doll designs, this CrossBlue Coupe concept proves it has some flair in reserve. A five-seater coupe version of the seven-seat CrossBlue concept shown at the Detroit Motor Show in January, it previews a production model for the US and China, but not the UK. There is some significance here, though – its design will filter down to production versions of the up!-based Taigun SUV, the new Tiguan due in 2014 and the next Touareg, expected in 2015. The plug-in hybrid powertrain, which uses a 295bhp 3.0-litre V6 working in combination with two electric motors for a total of 409bhp, will also make production in the near future.
9. Ford Escort ConceptLove it or hate it, the Escort is back. Ford sprung a surprise when it unveiled this new compact saloon in Shanghai, especially when the iconic name badge was announced. The bad news is that if it does make production, the Escort is unlikely to make it to the UK – it was designed in China with the Chinese in mind. However, there is ‘global potential’ according to one spokesman, so who knows what could happen further down the line.
10. Skoda Superb faceliftSkoda is one of the VW Group’s major success stories in China. In fact, China is now Skoda’s largest market worldwide, accounting for an incredible one in four Skodas sold. It’s little wonder then that Skoda chose Shanghai to reveal an updated version of its flagship model, and our current family car of the year. Tweaked front and rear ends give the facelifted Superb a fractionally cleaner look, but then there wasn’t much wrong with it in the first place. If you like the updated look, you’ll be able to buy one in the UK from the end of June.
See also
• Shanghai Motor Show 2013: ugly cars
