New brands, new models, new tech – China’s car industry continues to blossom

A major auto show in Guangzhou showcased the very best in Chinese motoring.
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John Calne|Autocar30 December 2016

New technology, electric powertrains, autonomous drive… and of course lots and lots of SUVs. That’s the stuff of any current motor show – but amid all the fuss from LA recently, you might have missed the fact that there was another big event going on at Guangzhou.

This is one of the biggest shows in the Chinese calendar, and it demonstrates what the nation’s car makers are doing – as well as what the west’s are doing for it. There were a few hints at Chinese-built vehicles which could go on to make it to Europe, too…

GAC Enlight

Guangzhou was the local show for GAC, and the company went all-out to steal it with a dramatic looking supercar featuring rear-hinged gull-wing doors big enough to create their own weather. It’s electrically powered, natch, and GAC says it has the ability to drive autonomously.

Qoros QamFree prototype

An engineering concept which could be in production two years from now, this is an engine design which replaces the traditional camshaft with a Pneumatic-Hydraulic-Electric-Actuator – which, by allowing independent valve control, improves torque and fuel economy by 45% and 15% respectively.

Hanenergy Solar R

It looks like a supercar (or maybe a space probe), but with a 0-62 time of ‘less than 1.5 seconds’ the Solar R will only stay that way until you actually drive it. With the ability to generate 8kW of charge in five hours via its self-contained solar panels, however, it’s fast in other ways – and Hanenergy claims a range of more than 250 miles.

Wey

Upmarket sub-brands are the flavour of the month with China’s mass-market manufacturers. Great Wall’s new Wey nameplate will hit the local streets next year with the W01 and W02, which were shown here in concept form

Haval H2S

This SUV, also from Great Wall – they of the Steed – has the distinction of being available with different coloured badges. Cool buyers will opt for blue, they say, and cautious ones for red.

SEM DXC

Designed by Pininfarina, this youth-appeal SUV has more than a touch of the Renault Captur about it.

Maxus T60 pick-up

An imposing double-cab from the SAIC conglomerate, this could be exported to the UK – though if the show vehicle is anything to go by, its interior is short of the quality we’re used to in the pick-up market.

Lifan Xuanlang

A more traditional Chinese design, in that it’s a rip-off of the Ford S-Max, this seven-seat people carrier did at least boast a well executed cabin with good materials.

Follow Evening Standard Motors on Twitter: @ES_Motors.

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