Shanghai Motor Show 2019: news round-up and all the cars
Everything from the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show, including all the new car reveals, news and pictures
The Shanghai Motor Show is a reflection of just how much China’s recent automotive boom has accelerated. In recent years some genuinely high-profile launches have crossed its floor, rivalling those from the likes of Geneva, Paris and Tokyo, and that was once again the case in 2019.
Given the Chinese market’s recent affinity for all-electric motoring (helped along by domestic manufacturers such as Lynk & Co and NIO), there were plenty of zero-emissions and electrified offerings. The likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes, MINI and even Lotus were Shanghai, so scroll down below to read all the latest news.
Shanghai Motor Show 2019: key cars
• Aston Martin Rapide E: the British brand's first ever all-electric car• Audi AI:ME: city car concept previews the brand's future of urban mobility.• Mercedes GLB: rugged concept will morph into a production model.• MINI Clubman: facelifted version brings styling tweaks and custimisation options.• Renault City K-ZE: Small all-electric SUV could be coming to Europe.
Shanghai Motor Show 2019: live gallery
Scroll down below for everything at this year’s Shanghai Auto Show, ordered alphabetically according to manufacturer...
Shanghai Motor Show 2019: A-Z
Aston Martin
The British brand revealed its first ever all-electric car in Shanghai. Called the Aston Martin Rapide E, it unsurprisingly is based on the standard 6.0-litre V12 car. However, it features a pair of rear-mounted electric motors that generate 602bhp and 950Nm of torque.
Audi
Audi revealed the new AI:ME on the eve of the Shaghai show. The concept does not preview a future production model, acting instead as a design exercise which showcases the German brand's vision for the future of urban mobility in the “megacities of tomorrow.”
Bentley
• Bentley Mulsanne W.O. Edition by Mulliner
Bentley celebrates its 100th anniversary this year and, as a result, it's pushing its products hard. The British firm brought a packed show stand to Shanghai, featuring the limited edition Mulsanne W.O. Edition, the new Bentayga Hybrid, the third-generation Continental GT and a 1930 Bentley 8 Litre, once owned by the company’s founder, Walter Owen Bentley.
BMW
• BMW X3M and X4M• BMW 3 Series long wheelbase
BMW’s current take on the compact performance SUV market made its public debut at Shanghai, with two new rivals for the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Both the X3M SUV and the mechanically-identical X4M coupe-SUV featured, with both offered with either a 476bhp or 506bhp 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine and all-wheel-drive.
The new, long wheelbase 3 Series saloon also broke cover at Shanghai. Built at BMW’s Shenyang production centre exclusively for the Chinese market, it offers improved rear-seat legroom, a panoramic glass roof and BMW’s Intelligent Personal Assistant as standard.
Geometry
Chinese car maker Geely announced the birth of its new, all-electric spin-off, Geometry. The "A" is the brand's first model, featuring a single 161bhp electric motor, a drag coefficient of just 0.2375 and a 61.9kWh battery pack in long-range trim. As a result, Geely claims its new all-electric saloon has a range of 311 miles and a 0–62mph time of 8.8 seconds.
Infiniti
Infiniti unwrapped a new electrified sports saloon concept at Shanghai, influenced by both the firm’s 1989 Q45 saloon and 2018 Q Inspiration concept. It features Infiniti’s latest exterior design language and a spacious, clutter-free interior, separated into a driver-focused cockpit and a “relaxed passenger zone.”
Karma Automotive
California-based Karma Automotive teamed up with the Italian design house Pininfarina, bringing three new models to this year's show. This low-slung two-door GT took centre stage, accompanied by a next-generation Revero saloon and a concept called the Karma SC1 Vision. The models aim to push the Karma brand onto the global EV marketplace, with a product line-up to rival that of Tesla and NIO.
Lotus
• Lotus Type 130 all-electric hypercar• Lotus Evora GT4 Concept• New Lotus sports car to arrive in 2020
Lotus used the Shanghai Motor Show as an opportunity to confirm the existence of its upcoming all-electric hypercar. Due for launch later this year, it will act as a rival to the Pininfarina Battista, with an expected power figure of around 1,000bhp, thanks to a unique battery and electric motor system.
So the British firm had something tangible at the show, Lotus also unveiled a new Evora GT4 Concept. Built on the same lightweight aluminium chassis as the road-going Evora, it features a race-tuned 443bhp supercharged 3.5-litre V6 engine, carbon fibre body panels and a suite of FIA-compliant safety equipment.
Mercedes
Mercedes showcased the latest addition to its growing SUV line-up at Shanghai with a new rival to the BMW X1. Called the GLB, it's based on the same underpinnings as the firm’s A-Class and B-Class hatchbacks, but outfitted with a squared-off two-box body shell, a taller ride height and a range of rugged exterior plastics. It’s been previewed in concept form, but it will morph into a full production model.
MINI
MINI brought a facelifted version of its barn-doored Volkswagen Golf rival to Shanghai. Revisions are subtle, much like the redesign of the MINI hatch last year, but a fresh set alloys, new headlights, updated badging and the firm’s union-jack-branded LED tail lights all featured.
Mitsubishi
• Mitsubishi E-Yi concept
Essentially a re-skinned version of the Engelberg Tourer, the Mitsubishi E-Yi concept is a plug-in hybrid powered, all-wheel-drive, three-row SUV, designed to cope with Shanghai living. The powertrain consists of a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor, which offers an all-electric range of 43 miles and a total cruising range of over 400 miles.
NIO
• NIO ET saloon
Chinese electric car manufacturer NIO introduced a new fastback saloon at the show. Called the ET, the sleek looking five-door coupe is fully-electric and will join the ES6 and ES8 SUVs in the brand’s line-up.
Porsche
Porsche recently jumped on the coupe-SUV bandwagon, producing a direct rival for the BMW X6. It made its Asian debut at Shanghai this year, offered with a 330bhp 3.0-litre V6 petrol or a turbocharged 534bhp 4.0-litre V8. Styling-wise its gets a more steeply-raked roofline, a redesigned bootlid and a pair of new rear spoilers.
Renault
Renault globally unveiled its new all-electric SUV-inspired city car, called the K-ZE. Due to be built in China, (following the Renault Alliance's joint venture with Dongfeng), it has a claimed range of 155 miles, making it competitive with the recently-announced Honda e Prototype. It will reach Chinese showrooms in 2019, before being rolled out worldwide.
Toyota
Toyota unveiled a new, all-electric compact SUV at Shanghai, called the C-HR EV. The new model gets a revised nose with a blanked off radiator grille, making it stand out from its conventionally-powered siblings. It's the first pure-electric to be launched on the Toyota New Global Architecture platform, shared with the Prius and Corolla, and will form a key part of the firm's expansion strategy in China.
Volkswagen
• Volkswagen ID. Roomzz• Volkswagen SUV range revealed
Due for launch on the Chinese market in 2021, the ID. Roomzz is a full-sized SUV designed to sit above the ID. Crozz in Volkswagen’s growing all-electric line-up. It's built on Volkswagen’s all-electric MEB platform and feature configurable interior seating, level four autonomous driving capabilities and a set of rear-opening suicide doors.
Which new car do you think was the star of this year’s Shanghai Motor Show? Let us know in the comments section below…
