The has been running in Munich since Tuesday IAA Mobility, Europe’s largest mobility fair. VDA boss and hostess Hildegard Müller (56) can count on twice as many registrations China happy, but in the foreground is the dreaded cut-throat competition. “Chinese manufacturers are massively pushing into the European market, and with very competitive products,” reported Alexander Wachtmeister, industry expert at Boston Consulting, in the run-up to the IAA.
Lost at the same time Volkswagens core brand VW passenger cars recently in China its market leadership, which it has maintained for decades, because about China man Ralph Brandstatter
(64) finds it difficult to get going with his electric cars in the People’s Republic
. The price war for electric cars in China is also causing unrest.
This is how the Chinese car manufacturers are celebrating their grand entrance at the IAA. Numerous new models will be exhibited, some of which overshadow the western competition in terms of digitization and autonomous driving. You should know these eleven cars from China:
1. E-convertible MG Cyberster
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The Chinese car brand MG presented the MG Cyberster at the IAA
Photo: Leonhard Simon / Getty Images
The electric revolution started around 15 years ago with the Tesla Roadster. But the range of open cars for Generation E is more than manageable. Because the Fiat 500 is currently the only open-air model at the charging station. And strictly speaking, it only has a large folding roof. MG wants to change that and will be launching an electric roadster next year at starting prices of less than 60,000 euros. According to the manufacturer, the two-seater is available with one or two engines and up to 400 kW/544 hp and a range of 580 kilometers at best.
2. Electric SUV BYD Seal U
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The BYD Seal U is scheduled to go on sale in early 2024
Photo: LEONHARD SIMON / REUTERS
What the VW Tiguan wants for the old world BYD Seal U for the electric age: The universal SUV for companies and families and a global bestseller. The Chinese market leader has provided a pleasing crossover with a length of 4.79 meters. It should go on sale in early 2024.
For prices that should start just under 50,000 euros, there are five seats, plenty of space and a huge tablet in the cockpit that can be rotated 90 degrees. A front engine with 160 kW/218 hp takes over the drive and the energy is supplied by batteries with 72 or 87 kWh, with which up to 500 kilometers can be unwound.
The Chinese electric car manufacturer BYD had in the second quarter sold more cars than ever before. A total of 700,244 vehicles were delivered, 352,163 of them with a fully electric drive, the Chinese market leader announced in July.
3. SUV Seres 5
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The Seres 5 comes from the rather unknown Chinese brand Seres
Photo: TOBIAS SCHWARZ / AFP
Although Seres is one of the many unknown brands from the Middle Kingdom, it has a well-known head in the management team. Because none other than Tesla co-founder Martin Eberhard (63) is with the Chinese money in the American Silicon Valley established companies on board.
In Munich, the newcomers are making their debut with three simply numbered SUV models for the compact (3 series), the middle (5 series) and the luxury class (7 series). And the Chinese have already delivered the first examples of the 5 Series in Europe: with just under 441 kW/600 hp, a range of over 500 kilometers and less than 75,000 euros.
4. Electric SUV Xpeng G9
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The luxury SUV Xpeng G9 from Xpeng
Photo: Alex Kraus / Bloomberg / Getty Images
They have been on the market in Scandinavia for a few months, and now the Chinese electric car manufacturer Xpeng wants to follow suit Germany – with a mid-size sedan called P7 and a luxury SUV with the G9 at the rear. With a good 404 kW/550 hp, it has a range of almost 600 kilometers and, with a charging capacity of 300 kW, is one of the sprinters on the socket.
In the coming year Xpeng wants to launch its vehicles in Germany. The carmaker wants to sell its cars in Germany through dealers and not just online, according to Germany manager Markus Schrick. In Europe, Xpeng is currently represented in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands.
Competitors like the Mercedes EQS or the Audi Q8 are also stealing the show in the interior of the Chinese: As is usually only the case with Mercedes Maybach & Co, they are installing electric recliners in the rear of the SUV. However, the brand recently made the headlines for another reason: as Development partner of the VW Group. CEO Ralf Brandstätter wants to save the electronics business in China with a new alliance between VW and Xpeng and an extended partnership between Audi and SAIC.
5. Skateboard platform in the floor – the Mini Cooper
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For the Mini Cooper SE, Oliver Zipse has teamed up with Great Wall Motors for development and production
Photo: Bernhard Filser
So much for the English original: the new Mini Cooper speaks Chinese – at least in the electric version. Because in order to cut costs and increase speed, BMW and CEO Oliver Zipse (59) have teamed up with Great Wall Motors in development and production and constructed a so-called skateboard platform with all the technology in the car floor.
6. SUV Smart #3
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The Smart #3 is a little more streamlined than the upright #1
Photo: PR
When Mercedes and CEO Ola Källenius (54) teamed up with Geely a few years ago, the Smart had to learn Chinese. The first result of the cooperation was a compact SUV called #1, which is now being followed by the obligatory coupé. A little longer and a little more streamlined than the upright #1, the four-door accelerates a little better and drives on.
Available with 200 kW/272 hp or 315 kW/428 hp, it now manages the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds at best, reaches up to 180 km/h and has a range of 455 kilometers at best. The surcharge for elegance and efficiency is modest: With a basic price of 43,490 euros, the #3 is only around 1,000 euros more than the #1, the manufacturer reports.
7. Two-seater XEV Yoyo
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The XEV Yoyo was developed by the Hong Kong-based XEV company Italy developed
Photo: TOBIAS SCHWARZ / AFP
While the original Smart Fortwo will soon be finally phased out and the small Mercedes offshoot in a joint venture with Geely continues to climb into the compact class, the Hong Kong-based company wants XEV and Italy fill the gap. Together, the two have developed the tiny two-seater Yoyo, which will be available in 2024 as a light vehicle for just under 17,000 euros Germany should come.
The drive is rather meager with 15 kW/20 hp and a top speed of 80 km/h, but the battery concept is clever: if the batteries of the 2.53 meter short lightweight are empty after 150 kilometers, the three cartridges can be replaced by hand at special stations The manufacturer promises that fully charged batteries will be replaced.
8.VanDenza D9
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The Van Denza D9 by BYD
Photo: Matthias Balk / dpa
In the Asian cities they have long been the true luxury sedans and now the vans are slowly making competition with the S-Class & Co in this country too. A pioneer of this trend is the Denza D9, which BYD showed in Munich.
Located where models like the Mercedes EQV or the VW ID. Stop the buzz, the space glider drives with luxurious captain’s chairs in the second row, an elaborate infotainment program and a potent electric drive. The two motors have 275 kW/374 hp and the battery has a capacity of 100 kWh. Pricing and the exact launch date are still unknown.
9. Mid-range model Nio ET5 Touring
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The Nio ET5 Touring
Photo: PR
So far, Mercedes hasn’t had one at all, and Audi and BMW have only made announcements: while the German luxury brands are forcing their customers to wait for electric station wagons, the Chinese car manufacturer Nio is now closing the gap. Especially for the Europeans, the Chinese have further developed their mid-range model ET5 for touring – with a length of 4.79 meters, with a large tailgate and up to 1300 liters of loading volume.
Available to buy for 59,500 euros or to rent from 1,119 euros per month, it is available with 360 kW/490 hp, a range of up to 560 kilometers and batteries with 75 or 100 kWh, which can also be changed at stations.
10. Electric sedan Avatr 12
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The Avatr 12 also wants to score with its AI
Photo: Zhang Fan / Xinhua / IMAGO
While many Chinese are pushing into the country about the price, Avatr is on a premium course and is showing the Model 12, a mixture of Porsche Taycan and Audi A7 Sportback. In addition to engines with almost 441 kW/600 hp and a range of up to 700 kilometers, the Gran Turismo, which is more than five meters long, wants to score points with its empathetic electronics in the form of artificial intelligence.