China

Back in 2021 at the Shanghai Auto Show Lincoln was presenting the Zephyr Reflection Concept. Then, at the beginning of November 2021 the first leaked images offered us the first look at the production version. And now, as no surprise, the production version made its world debut at the Auto Guangzhou 2021.

The new Zephyr will be the first Lincoln model locally produced in China, and only for the Chinese market.

At the beginning of November 2021, I brought you spy shots of a mysterious Audi EV prototype that could have been the Q6 E-Tron or a special, China-only model that would slots somewhere between the Q6 and Q4 E-Tron. As it turns out, it was the China-only Q5 E-Tron, and now it has been fully revealed. As you’d expect it’s based largely on the Audi Concept Shanghai that was reveled back in April 2021, a car that led us to believe that China would be getting something like a fancier ID.6 with an Audi badge.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class L is a longer wheelbase version of the company’s midsize sedan. Built in China and available exclusively to this market, the 2021 E-Class L is based on the latest, facelifted W213-generation sedan. The long-wheelbase model is 140 mm (5.5 inches) longer than the standard sedan and all of that extra wheelbase goes into the rear compartment, which translates into more legroom for rear-seat passengers. What sets it apart from the regular E-Class? Let’s find out in the review below.

The Jeremy Clarkson era of Top Gear will always be the gold standard of motoring shows, but there’s a show in China called Big Crazy Car that should make Clarkson, James May, and Richard Hammond proud.

The show is in Chinese, obviously, so unless you understand the language, it’s going to be a little tough to follow. But the action — and comedy — are all on point, something we didn’t think we’d get from a show that we had never heard before until now.

The 2021 Volkswagen SMV is a brand-new SUV that the German firm will unleash on the Chinese market sometime in 2020. Based on a concept vehicle unveiled at the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show, the SMV is slightly bigger than the Atlas, currently the company’s longest SUV.

Specifically, at 201 inches long the SMV is almost three inches longer than the Atlas, sold as the Teramont in China. The production model doesn’t have an official name yet, but it was spotted testing in cold weather in Sweden. But don’t get your hopes up, although Volkswagen is testing it in Europe, the SMV will be a China-only vehicle. Let’s find out more about it in the speculative review below.

When Tesla invested in a 534-square-mile plot of land in Eastern Shanghai province, no one would have expected a full-fledged factory built there in less than a year. However, the company managed to achieve the feat and even rolled out the first batch of Model 3s off the production line on the 30th of December. Model Y production, however, is now expected to take place in Berlin, Germany and hackers have uncovered some interesting information in the Model 3’s source code.

The Chinese market has always been a hotbed for limousines. In recent years, though, a different kind of limousine has enraptured the hearts and wallets of Chinese consumers. Stretched sedans have exploded in popularity in the People’s Republic, so much so that automakers from all over the world build these models specifically to cater to the whims of the Chinese car-buying population. Mercedes-Benz has taken full advantage of this. It offers the A-Class L, C-Class L, and now, the AMG A 35 L. As the name implies, the AMG A 35 L carries a bit of AMG’s racy DNA with it. It’s fast, powerful, and, most importantly in this instance, has a stretched out interior that provides more rear legroom space for an owner to take full advantage of as the business of hard labor is left in the hands and feet of the hired chauffeur. The Mercedes-AMG A 35 L is the latest example of the automotive mind meld that is the stretched sedan. But, hey, it’s popular in China, and what’s popular in the world’s largest auto market is a goldmine for auto brands like Mercedes. Better get used to the stretched sedans; it doesn’t look like they’re going away anytime soon.

Manufacturers have adapted to the specific needs of the Chinese automotive market, and one of the prime adaptations has to do with providing long-wheelbase versions of sedans they already sell elsewhere. Now, that may not seem especially ridiculous if you think about a C- or E-Class Mercedes, for instance, but an extended wheelbase version of the compact Mercedes-AMG A35 sedan? That’s certainly more unusual.

Jaguar Land Rover has been fighting a lengthy and tedious legal battle against Jiangling Motor Corporation (JMC) from China it initiated when the company launched a model that very closely resembled its Range Rover Evoque. The copycat model is called the Landwind X7, and it has been in production uninterrupted since 2015, but now, a Beijing court has ordered the automaker to stop making the X7.

Volkswagen’s bespoke electric prototype racer that was the fastest at last year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb event will most likely add another record to its cabinet. Romain Dumas will pilot it in September on the so-called "Road to Heaven" that features 99 bends along 6.83 miles of road, longer than the original Spa-Francorchamps road course.

This year, Volkswagen will finally introduce the first model from its much-advertised I.D. family of electric models that are supposed to make us all rethink our lives, ponder on existence as a whole and so on and so forth. To keep the ball rolling and the buzz going, Volkswagen is yet to park the glorious LMP-like I.D. R in a museum and, instead, it will take the 670 horsepower beast all the way to China to compete on a strip of road that’s not opened to the public.

Premium automakers give China special attention because the Chinese market is so big and lucrative that it makes a lot of financial sense for them to do so and that’s why they all have long-wheelbase versions of the sedans they sell there. The latest premium sedan to be launched is the all-new 3-Series from BMW, and it really didn’t take long for the stretched model to make its appearance.

From a distance and at an angle where you can’t see the grille, the Beijing Auto BJ80 looks exactly like a Mercedes G-Class. It is a blatant automotive design ripoff if we’ve ever seen one - the manufacturer even made a 6x6 version exactly like the one Mercedes also made and sold briefly.

BMW said that it will launch its own ride-hailing service in China next month. According to Reuters, BMW is the first foreign car manufacturer that has been granted a license to operate a ride-hailing service in China. The license has been obtained in Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan province in southwest China.

Lynk & Co is a Chinese mobility company owned by Geely (the same parent company to Volvo), and the simply named 01 is its first production vehicle. It’s a high-riding crossover that shares its platform and drivetrain with the Volvo XC40 - they both use the Swedish manufacturer’s modular CMA chassis architecture.

The 01 has been on sale in China for over a year now, and the company’s initial plan was to start selling it in Europe as of next year. But European automotive journos have had a chance to drive the 01 in production form, and first impressions were very positive.

It looks interesting and distinctive in person, according to first impressions from those who’ve driven it, and the level of fit and finish quality is also high. The driving experience is also rated as good, showing its link to the excellent XC40.

Its designer is actually the same person who penned some of the newest Volvo models, Peter Horbury, and his team. The 01 is definitely a bit strange to behold for European and American tastes, but still familiar enough to not be considered ugly. In other words, its design is much more in tune with Chinese tastes in automotive design, than it is with what Europeans or Americans want, but we wouldn’t call it ugly.

However, the really unique part of the Lynk & Co proposal is the subscription-based way you will be able to get behind the wheel. They will not sell you the car, but instead, present you with a choice of cars in different specs that’ll you’ll subscribe to from month to month. According to the company, this is said to eliminate the stress associated with car ownership (maintenance, servicing and insurance) all of which will be taken care of by Lynk & Co.

The system is currently being tested in China, and if it proves successful, it will be adopted once Lynk & Co hits Europe. You will be able to buy one outright, but the company expects that 70 percent of its customers will opt for the subscription, arguing that people will appreciate the flexibility of being able to return the car at the end of the month, instead of when a conventional lease is concluded.

The plan is to introduce it in Europe in 2019, but there are no guarantees that they will be able to stick to it.

Skoda recently launched the Kodiaq GT and announced that it is destined to serve as the automaker’s flagship product on the Chinese market. With a "GT" badge, one would assume that the Kodiaq GT would be about extreme performance but, in its best form, it pumps out just 217 horsepower. It does feature some enhancements inside, though, so at least it has that going for it. All four Skoda products currently offered in China are SUVs – the Kamiq, Karoq, Kodiaq, and Kodiaq GT.

The world’s longest sea-crossing bridge was officially inaugurated on Tuesday at a ceremony in the southern city of Zhuhai by Chinese President Xi Jinping and will be open for public use on the 24th. The project came at a cost of $20 billion and connects China with a few remote territories of Hong Kong and Macau. Wondering why are we talking about it? Well, the bridge is 34 miles long, is exceptionally strong, and will be a hoot-and-a-half to drive.

The Mercedes GLC-Class L is joining the growing list of long-wheelbase SUVs that will be offered in the Chinese market. The extended SUV stretches almost five inches longer than its standard counterpart. Its size and the extra space provided by that size is the only thing different with the GLC-Class L. Everything else is identical to the normal length GLC-Class, right down to its exterior looks and interior layout. The Mercedes GLC-Class L debuts at the Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition in November.