Shanghai Rolls

April 25,2005

SHANGHAI, CHINA—There’s little doubt that China has been on the rise for the past decade or so. More than ever, the Chinese is going through a phase that takes them, for the first time ever, into the world of commercialization. And although the sheer number of luxury cars running about is a testament to fortunes made, the garish clothing, tasteless food (local Chinese food is better), oddly shaped skyline and preference for woods like “Double Happiness” are statements that simply say: money still can’t buy you taste. So what do you get when China’s most cosmopolitan city dishes out the 11th serving of Auto Shanghai? A great tale to tell.

There’s no denying the massive scale of this show. With 100,000 square meters of exhibition space, it eclipses motor shows the likes of Bangkok and Singapore. The list of exhibitors is equally impressive with the usual array of Japanese, Korean and European alongside local favorites such as Brilliance, BTD, Chery and Geely. There are seven indoor exhibition halls and 3 outdoor pavilions. As expected of any international motor show, there were several new concepts on display, but what’s surprising is that just about every Chinese brand had one to call their own! Some funny, some downright copied; but it’s a move that’s bold and commendable.

Greeting the guests in the West Hall is an entire complex hosting the First Automotive Works (FAW) Group, one of China’s leading car assemblers. Their brand portfolio is vast and impressive—including the likes of Audi, Mazda and Toyota. While the group showcased several new Volkswagens and Toyotas, what caught everyone’s eye is the company’s version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom. It sports the same proportions, design details and suicide doors. After pestering the folks at FAW, they said that this car will be made for sale. It was equally funny to note that Rolls-Royce also unveiled the Phantom LWB three exhibit halls down.

Aside from FAW, other Chinese brands decided to “emulate” other foreign models. The entire BYD Motor stand is filled with “guess who’s” with all of its models having different fronts and rears slapped together haphazardly. For example, their F3 benefits from a Honda City’s rear end and a Toyota Altis’ front, interior and drive train. But before labeling the entire Chinese auto industry as a bunch of intellectual property violators, there are some here that have come up with original (but dated looking) designs. There’s Chery’s M14 which has a retractable hardtop ala Peugeot 206CC and Tiggo, the company’s first compact SUV. Souleast also unveiled their own rally-inspired sports car; the Evolution V based Lioncel Evoution! Others though are simply the result of raids in Japanese manufacturer parts bins—producing new cars with sheet metal resembling 1980’s Daihatsus and Suzukis.

Admits the clownish automobiles, there are some really fine cars, some of which have made worldwide debuts. All major automotive groups such as Ford, General Motors and Volkswagen had entire exhibition halls to themselves, showcasing brand new production or concept models. Ford, for instance, had the Mazda6 MPS and all-new Miata on center stage as well as all variants of the Focus (hatchback, sedan, Vignale Concept and WRC), Five Hundred, Freestyle and the chrome-finished GR1.

DaimlerChrysler talked business, announcing that it was going to export Chinese-made cars into the US. At the same time, they showed renewed interest in preserving the environment with the unveiling of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Hybrid as well as the new B-Class based F-Cell hydrogen-powered car. The German company’s first people carrier, the R-Class also made its worldwide debut alongside the new B- and M-Class. For adrenaline junkies, will be happy to see the SLR McLaren and Kimi Raikkonen’s MP4-17 Formula One car.

General Motors, despite its lavish display was low key in terms of new models. Most are geared for the Chinese market such as the face lifted Regal (our Chevrolet Lumina) and Excelle (our Optra). Perhaps, the only one that needs noting is the world debut of the 2006 Chevrolet Aveo—a car that looks very distant from the current egg-shaped model, despite sharing the same engine and platform.

BMW and Audi’s continued their aggressive marketing in China by unveiling new models. BMW had the all-new 3-series and face lifted 7-series, while Audi showcased the long wheelbase version of the A6, the A6L. Equally unexpected is Audi’s announcement that the A6L will be built and sold solely in China, showing such high confidence in the country’s luxury car market.

There was no shortage of low volume sports car in Auto Shanghai. Maserati launched its entire model range in China: the Grand Sport, Quattroporte and the Enzo-based MC12 super car. Ferrari had the F430 and the 612 Scaglietti while its perennial rival, Porsche had the new 911 Cabriolet, Carrera GT and Boxster. V12 monsters were there too including the Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster, Koenigsegg CCR and Spyker Roadster. Oddball Swedish maker, Rinspeed takes the prize for most captivating car though, with a chopped-up and lowered Porsche Cayenne: the Chopster.

In the end though, despite the sheer number of new models and concepts at the Auto Shanghai, the biggest newsmaker is China itself. For the first time in years, it’s seeing a drop in new car sales. The glitz and glamour faded fast as the foreign car makers who invested big are now facing a conundrum. Hot sellers such as Volkswagen, announced only a marginal increase in sales, despite years of growth by as much as 50 percent. Although the improvement of domestic brands is a key factor, industry experts also say that China is ready for more than just good cars right now. With a market that’s becoming increasingly picky, it’s about time that makers focus on things such as financing, build quality and better after-sales service. After all, with increased western influence, the Chinese market’s taste will have no where to go but up.

By Ulysses Ang | Photos By Ulysses Ang

Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.