Let the show begin
- Source: Global Times
- [23:01 April 22 2010]
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Audi's A8 hybrid sedan
By Chen Xiaomin
Last year China nudged past the US to become the world's largest auto market. Though it remains to be seen whether it will keep its ranking this year, foreign automakers cannot afford to ignore China's car market, the most promising in the world.
Now, Beijing is hosting the first world-class car show in China in the post-financial crisis era. The 2010 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition will run from today to May 2. It's the first time the show organizer has used two venues, totaling 300,000 square meters, to host more than 2,100 exhibitors from 16 countries and regions. A total of 990 vehicles will be exhibited, with 89 models making their world debuts.
Carmakers participating at the show will range from Toyota, reeling from its recall scandal, to the US's still recovering General Motors and Europe's Volkswagen AG, which opened a new plant in China last year and plans to open another in South China's Guangdong Province.
Toyota, together with its luxury division Lexus and its joint ventures in China with FAW and Guangzhou Automobile, will bring nearly 50 models to show on its 4,800-square-meter display area.
Hit with a $16.4 million fine in the US, endless safety probes and plunging sales in the American market, the world's biggest automaker also faces tougher recall regulations in China. In the first quarter, its best-selling Corolla and Camry fell from the list of China's top 10 sedans, as measured by sales. Niu Yu, Toyota's spokesman in China, told the Global Times that the automaker tends to be low-key and declined to analyze the importance of the show to Toyota.
Toyota will bring a wide variety of vehicles to the auto show, ranging from the compact hybrid FT-CH, making its Asia debut, to the FT-EV II and the sports car FT-86 concept, both making their China debuts, to the locally produced Prado SUV.
GM, together with its local partners SAIC Motor and FAW, plans to show 37 models, including six new ones, to the Chinese audience. One will be a world debut concept car, while three others will be concepts making their Asia Pacific debuts.
To meet robust demand, GM has been expanding capacity at its manufacturing facilities in the country and will roll out 25 new or upgraded models in the next two years in China.
VW's display will be the biggest at this year's show, totaling 9,326 square meters, beating Ford, which had the largest display at the last Beijing auto show. It will be the largest display VW has ever made in China.
VW's display will be in an independent exhibition hall, which will also feature its six brands in China, which include VW, Audi, Skoda, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti and Porsche. Making its world debut will be the all-new Audi A8L. The hybrid A8, R8 full electric racecar and the full electric A1 sedan will make their Asia debuts.
Rupert Stadler, Audi's CEO, told the Global Times that Audi's continued success in its most important overseas market, China, will lay a solid foundation to make the company the most successful auto brand in the world.
