As China’s new car market grows, so does the relevance of the Auto Shanghai show, which is why this year’s is set to be one of the most prestigious yet. Several manufacturers are planning big product launches this year, with Chinese tastes clearly in their sights. Saloons and SUVs are big players over there, which is why it’s no surprise that these make up the bulk of the news – but of course, there has to be something for the ‘emerging elite’, as most news outlets like to put it.
Panamera facelift will debut, sans V8
Lamborghini Aventador LP720-4 50 Anniversario
comes in. Big, yellow, elaborately named and brutally styled, it’s been put together as part of Lamborghini’s 50th anniversary celebration, and offers a hike of 20hp over the standard car's 700hp, knocking the 0-62mph down to 2.9 seconds. There’s also a rather daft bodykit which, Lambo says, will make the special edition 50 per cent more aerodynamically-efficient than the standard car.
That won’t be the only high-end car to tempt oriental tastes; the facelifted Porsche Panamera, freshly denuded of its V8 engine, with a V6 twin-turbo in lieu as well as an updated hybrid, will also be making its public debut. The Panamera ticks all the right boxes for the aspirational Chinese market, with four doors and a brand image to die for, so it’s no coincidence that Porsche has picked Shanghai to release the new car.
Ghibli looks set to stun at its official unveiling
Likewise Maserati with its lustily-styled
Ghibli
Again, the decision to unveil this at Shanghai gives an indication of where it sees its future markets if it’s to achieve its ambitious target of selling 50,000 units a year. The Ghibli will certainly help towards that; it’ll run on a cut-down
Quattroporte
chassis with, it’s reported, a choice of three engine options, including a V6 diesel. The highest-spec petrol motor, meanwhile, is expected to go toe-to-toe with the Panamera S, with an output of over 400hp.
Also jumping on the ‘spangly new saloon’ bandwagon will be Audi, which has opted to give its new A3 and S3 saloons their first public airing in Shanghai. They’ll take the fight to the Mercedes CLA and forthcoming BMW 1 Series saloon, and once again offer the aspirational image and four-door body so favoured over in China. Engines will come in a similar range of flavours to the hatchback models, and you can expect the hot S3 to closely ape its three- and five-door stablemates in terms of its driving experience.
S3 saloon will join hatch and Sportback
While Jaguar won’t have a new model on display, meanwhile, it will be showing off a new version of the XJ exclusively for the Chinese market: the XJ V6 (or
XJ6
, as we used to call it). JLR China’s head of sales, Bruce Robertson, told
Autocar
that the market over there demands big cars with small engines, making the current XJ range a difficult proposition to sell, and necessating the smaller-engined model if Jaguar’s to hit its 5,500-car sales target for the country this year. Fear not, though, for this is no XJ40 2.9; with 240hp and a 0-62mph time of 8.5 seconds, the XJ V6 won’t exactly be sluggish.
So we’re covered for four-door saloons at all levels, then – what about those potentially pesky SUVs? Well, we already know that Mercedes will be bringing the Concept GLA along. This’ll be previewing the upcoming GLA, which will rival the BMW X4 (see below), X1 and Audi Q3. It’ll be based on the A-Class’s MFA platform and feature a similar range of engines. Most interestingly, though, we’re expected to get a GLA45 AMG model to top the range, too, which should share the running gear of the A45 and CLA45. Small and tall might not be everyone’s cuppa, but with 360hp on tap, the GLA45 should at least be pretty interesting to drive.
GLA and X4 will go head-to-head
Less appealing, certainly, is BMW’s
new X4
. Should the idea of a miniaturised version of an overly large and somewhat unnecessary coupe-SUV crossover that shares its profile with a defecating canine appeal to you, then this will be right up your street – although we’re guessing it won’t be. That said, this sort of thing could do well over in China, with BMW’s badge kudos and the SUV body style again potentially proving to be the clinchers, and the X4 providing access to an X6-style image (something some people do seem to want) for a cut price. Fancy one? Well, prices are set to start in the low-30s. If you must.
It isn’t just the Germans getting in on the act, mind. Citroen has big plans for its DS luxury sub-brand in China, not only pitching the DS3, DS4 and DS5 into the mix but aiming to introduce the big DS9 saloon in the next few years. To add to the brand’s appeal, Citroen will be showing off its Wild Rubis concept at Shanghai. It’s currently set to be an exclusively Chinese model, though a European market entry isn’t being ruled out, with Citroen hoping the DS brand will give the new model enough clout to rival the GLA, X4 and Q3. Based on a DS5 platform, the Wild Rubis is expected to be powered by a 1.6-litre turbo-based hybrid powertrain that should give around 240hp in total.
Vulcano will be potent - if it's produced
MG
will also be jumping on the SUV bandwagon, with its new CS concept. Based on the upcoming
MG3
’s platform, this dinky off-roader previews a potential production model for the company. It’d be the first-ever MG of its kind, and should pack an SUV stance and a high driving position into a Ford EcoSport-sized package. Technical details are scant at present, but we’re hoping more will be revealed at the show.
And finally, something completely different. Expect to see the unveiling of the Icona Vulcano. Yep, it’s another small supercar startup, with all the attendant ‘will they make it work?’ questions hanging over its head. Former Ferrari powertrain technical director and founder of AIPA Claudio Lombardi, and Samuel Chuffart, previously of JLR and Nissan, are two of the names already involved. The aim? A circa-900hp hybrid that, Icona says, will bring “the beauty and the beast together” with a top speed of 217mph and the ability to hit 124mph in under 10 seconds. One startup, then, that we’re hoping will make it!