Beijing Motor Show 2016: news round-up
All you need to know about what happened at the 2016 Beijing Motor Show, with pictures and video
The 2016 Beijing Motor Show was evidence enough that China is quickly becoming big business for car makers across the globe. The Beijing show, along with the Shanghai Motor Show it alternates with, is China's prime location for new car buyers to experience what could be on sale in the next few years.
Along with the massive amount of Chinese brands like Geely, Chery, Dongfeng and BAIC, we saw big reveals from Renault, Porsche, Audi and Volkswagen. We also got to see many of the cars we know in Europe with longer wheelbases, including a stretched Mercedes E-Class, a Jaguar XF L and even a longer BMW X1 SUV.
The Beijing Motor Show is set to run until 4 May 2016. We have all of the news, pictures and even a video news round-up of what happened at the show, including some exciting world premieres and some cars developed specifically for the Chinese market.
Scroll down the page for all the most important cars at this year's Beijing Motor Show...
Beijing Motor Show 2016: the key cars
- • Audi TT RS - the hottest Audi TT gets 493bhp for 174mph performance
- • Mazda CX-4 - Mazda enters the coupe SUV game with the sporty crossover
- • Citroen C6 - an all new C6 executive saloon makes its debut
- • Renault Koleos - Renault's X-Trail-based SUV arrives in Beijing
- • Volkswagen T-Prime concept - new VW Touareg previewed in concept form
- • Porsche 718 Cayman - we've seen the Boxster now the 718 Cayman hard-top is here
Beijing Motor Show: manufacturers A to Z
Audi
Audi fired the TT RS into supercar territory with a thumping jump in power and speed. On sale in the autumn, the RS will cover 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds – nearly as fast as an R8 – and hit 174mph flat out.
Power from the reworked 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo has been upped from 335bhp to 394bhp and it now uses both direct and indirect fuel injection, along with variable valve timing. An even faster Plus version of the new car could be on the cards, too.
Bentley
Bentley debuted its latest Mulsanne flagship saloon in Beijing - and the big attraction is the sumptuous new First Edition. It's mechanically identical to the regular Mulsanne, but gets some ultra-exclusive wood trimmings inside, unique badging, and is only available in very limited numbers. The British luxury brand also let slip that Speed performance versions of its Bentayga SUV are in the works.
Chery
The Chery FV2030 might not have a particularly catchy name, but this electric crossover concept is certainly eye-catching. The car is designed around being fun to drive, with energy-generating wheels that help top up the battery. There aren't any powertrain details yet but it's likely to be an all-electric car, considering this detail.
Citroen
It might have been a head-turner, but the last Citroen C6 was a sales flop in Europe – which is why the next one will be a China only car.
We got our first glimpse of the new saloon at the Beijing show, and it will use the same platform as the Citroen C4.
Geely
Volvo's parent company Geely launched the Emgrand GS SUV in Beijing but more significant for the UK market was the news that a Geely SUV will go on sale in the UK within the next couple of years. Design boss Peter Horbury revealed the news that could be just the start of a concerted attempt by Chinese brands to crack the European market.
Infiniti
Infiniti revealed the QX Inspiration in Beijing, which previews a new SUV for the brand, possibly to replace the QX50 in the range. Infiniti Design Director Alfonso Albaisa said that the concept "demonstrates how Infiniti can offer something new and exciting with future QX SUV models".
Jaguar
The British luxury brand revealed a long-wheelbase variant of the latest XF saloon. It's a China-only model with 140mm added to the wheelbase giving rear passengers 157mm more legroom and 116mm more kneeroom. As many of these cars will be chauffeur driven, there’s be WiFi for rear passengers, along with the option of folding tables, massaging seats and electric window blinds. The XF L will be the first model out of JLR's new Changshu plant in China.
LeEco
Chinese media giant LeEco is increasingly turning its hand to car manufacturing and we learned at Beijing that it's working very closely with Aston Martin as part of the venture. LeEco unveiled the LeSee electric concept car at the show and revealed that its tie-up with Aston will see the brands sharing in-car tech and electric vehicle technology.
Lexus
The new Lexus IS made its debut at the Chinese motor show, with a fresh new look. It gets the same spindle grille and sleek light design from the recent RC coupe, giving it a sportier design. There's a new infotainment display inside as well, plus some dashboard changes.
Mazda
The Mazda CX-4 is on the way - a new coupe-crossover for the Chinese market. It sits on the same platform as the CX-5 SUV, but offers style-concious buyers something with a sleeker profile and a sportier stance. The car is China-only for now, but R&D boss Kenichiro Saruwatari did tell us that a European launch hasn't been ruled out completely.
Porsche
The new Porsche Cayman is now called the 718 Cayman and it was revealed to the world at the Beijing Motor Show. It's powered by the same downsized four-cylinder turbo boxer engines as the open-top 718 Boxster.
The entry-level version of the mid-engined two-seater uses a 296bhp 2.0-litre turbo, while the faster S model has a larger 345bhp 2.5-litre. Porsche claims not only better performance for both cars, but also superior fuel economy.
Renault
Renault’s 2016 product offensive continued with the Beijing launch of its new Koleos SUV, a stylish crossover it reckons will have global appeal.
The car shares its platform and drivetrain with the Nissan X-Trail, and Renault has high hopes that it will replicate that car's sales performance.
Smart
Smart revealed the sportiest variant of its ForTwo and ForFour at Beijing; the Brabus. The flagship city car gets a 108bhp turbo petrol engine and upgraded suspension for sportier handling. It goes from 0-62mph in 9.5 seconds, and hits 112mph. Racier exterior looks and a load of extra kit inside debuts, but its expected to start from around £17,000 when it arrives in the UK.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen previewed the next generation of its Touareg flagship SUV with its Beijing Motor Show concept - a plug-in hybrid crossover called T-Prime.
The show car is considerably larger than the existing Touareg, which has been on sale since 2011. However, the successor to that car will need to grow anyway, as the recently launched larger Tiguan and the even bigger Tiguan XL are currently waiting in the wings.
We've already seen the VW Phideon at the Geneva Motor Show, but the China-only car is on show at Beijing as well. As a large, luxury flagship saloon, the car is likely to be built around the passengers rather than the driver, as it will mostly be used to chauffeur VIPs around.
What was your favourite new car reveal at this year's Beijing Motor Show? Leave us a comment below!
