Beijing Auto Expo breaks records

When the first Beijing International Automotive Exhibition was held 22 years ago, 216 motor vehicles were on display, including motorcycles. This year a record-high 1,125 vehicles from carmakers were showcased. 36 vehicles made by foreign carmakers and 84 cars by domestic manufacturers made their global premieres. The exhibition closed on May 2. The total exhibition area was a record as well ? an all-time high of 230,000 square meters. Volkswagen Group booked an entire hall of more than 9,600 sq m to showcase models under its eight brands Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborgini, SEAT, Skoda and Porsche. Thirty-one Volkswagen-branded models ? including the E-Bugster electric car, Cross Coupe and new Lavida making their global debuts in China ? were on display. Ford has promised to bring 15 new models to China before 2015. At the Beijing Auto Show it showed a rich lineup led by the all-new Focus and its three latest SUVs. Absent from the last Beijing Auto Show, Italian carmaker Fiat returned to the stage this year with the global debut of the Viaggio, the first model to be produced at its joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group. Anhui-based Chery Automobile Co showed 20 models at the auto show, including three models making their global premieres. The Cowin 5, Riich G2 and new Eastar, which augment Chery?s classic product portfolio of the Tiggo, QQ, A3 and G3, represent the carmaker?s increasing competitive strength. The company also showcased two new concept vehicles: the SUV TX and the energy concept @ant. BAIC Group, the partner of Daimler and Hyundai, debuted the first mid-sized sedan carrying its wholly owned Beijing marque. Almost all major car makers showed their SUVs at the exhibition. Domestic carmakers Geely and Chang?an launched their first-ever SUVs. In all, about 30 new SUV models are expected to join the marketplace this year to cash in on the booming segment.

Some 88 new-energy vehicles also appeared at the Beijing Auto Show. SAIC Motor displayed the Roewe 550 plug-in hybrid that will be put into volume production this year. The pure-electric Roewe E50 made its first public appearance. Victoria Beckham flew to Beijing to launch a limited edition Range Rover Evoque bearing her name with ?ultra-luxurious? floor mats, a four-piece luggage set and tan seats. Seat, the VW-owned brand which faces a collapsed car market in Spain, dispatched its entire board to China during the exhibition, where they fanned out across several cities to attend dealership openings and launch the marque. VW says it is opening dealerships in China at the rate of two a week. BMW is adding at least one dealership a week there and will have 350 by the end of the year, the same number as in the U.S. Last year new car sales in China totaled 18.5 million units, retaining the country?s top position for the third consecutive year, but growth slowed to 2.5% from strong double-digit growth in 2009 and 2010. In the first quarter this year, the numbers actually fell as 1.25% fewer passenger vehicles were sold than in the same period last year, according to statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). The rest of the year is expected to be better. Industry consultancy IHS forecasts that passenger vehicle sales in China will increase about 8% this year and LMC Automotive projects 9% growth.

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