|
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. |
|
||||||||
 |
|||||||||
