Shanghai Auto Show

Being a purist at heart, it’s hard to condone the new futuristic design philosophies that most EVs follow. There are a few exceptions once in a while, like the Nio ET7, which looks absolutely stunning. But, it looks like the ET7 now has competition in the looks department. Lincoln has somehow managed to strike a perfect balance in every aspect and has come out with this gorgeous EV called the Zephyr Reflection. Previewed at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show, the Zephyr Reflection has got us drooling and we can’t get enough of it. Unfortunately, it won’t be coming Stateside as it is a China-exclusive model.

Thinking about how Chinese cars looked one decade ago, the Hongqui S9 seems to have arrived from another planet. The S9 was revealed on Monday at the Shanghai Auto Show and believe it or not, it was penned down by the same designer responsible for the Audi R8.

Hyundai’s premium brand Genesis was born just a few years ago and is already bringing some very competitive models to the market. Initially focused purely on luxury sedans and, more recently, SUVs, the brand is now officially stepping into the EV market. Now, the company has revealed the all-electric Genesis eG80 at the 2021 Shanghai International Automotive Industry Exhibition (Auto Shanghai 2021), and it is the first Genesis model to be unveiled outside of Korea.

Mercedes arrived at the 2021 Shanghai Auto with a new EV called the EQB. The company revealed the EQB less than a week after it took the wraps off another EV, the EQS. The EQS drew some polarizing opinions for its looks, but there’s no denying that it is a strong, competent product. Now, the automaker has unveiled this crossover that will hit the Chinese markets first and will then be launched in Europe later this year. It will arrive Stateside sometime in 2022.

Toyota has revealed the bZ4X electric crossover concept. Kicking off the new ‘Beyond Zero’ series for the Japanese automaker, this concept looks to be a spiritual successor to the RAV4. More than the product itself, this reveal was all about the bZ series of vehicles, a prefix that will be used on the company’s upcoming electric vehicles. The bZ4X is based on a BEV platform that Toyota has co-developed with Subaru, and it will feature an all-wheel-drive system.

Audi is arguably the most active automaker that’s electrifying its lineup. Barely a few days after debuting the Q4 e-tron SUV and Sportback, the German automaker has now given us a preview of the A6 e-tron, the electric version of the luxury namesake sedan. Teased at the 2021 Auto Shanghai, the A6 e-tron concept showcases what to expect from the production version of the EV and also goes on to show that Audi is not getting rid of sedans anytime soon.

The 2021 Auto Shanghai revealed many interesting studies, among which the Ford EVOS. There has been a steadily increasing trend of sedan models, becoming crossovers and SUVs. Although the EVOS looks like a blend of a station wagon and an SUV, it is believed that this will be the next Ford Fusion (in the US) and Ford Mondeo (Europe). The EVOS is the first Ford product, largely developed by the brand’s team in China.

It’s not the lineup we can expect, but Volkswagen’s growing family of I.D. concepts welcomed its newest member to the fold at Auto Shanghai 2019. The new model, called the I.D. Roomzz Concept, is yet another concept crossover that previews a production model that’s scheduled to hit the Chinese market sometime in 2020. If VW’s grand EV plans come to fruition — the German automaker is putting up almost $35 billion in investments to its EV cause — the production version of the I.D. Rooms Concept would follow the all-electric hatchback and all-electric crossover that Volkswagen already has in the pipeline. Testing of the hatchback model, called the ID.3, is now in full swing after a series of videos previewing the model’s Launch Edition leaked online. The budding excitement surrounding the ID.3’s coming launch shouldn’t take away from the potential of the I.D. Roomzz Concept, especially with what this concept brings to the table.

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.

Karma Automotive, the company that emerged after the bankruptcy of Henrik Fisker’s first automotive venture, came to the 2019 Shanghai with its own "Big Three": A flamboyant open-top concept, the revised Revero GT and this lavish and elegant two-door sports car penned by Pininfarina which could be produced in limited quantities by Pininfarina if enough buyers get together. As it’s based on the Revero’s underpinnings, it should be at least as quick and agile if not more so.

Karma has been around for a few years already, but it was seen as a stagnant company. After all, its only product has been the Revero, essentially an exercise in rebadging the Fisker Karma. In a way, it makes sense as Chinese company Wanxiang who bought Fisker’s assets (as well as a production plant and other things) paid over $149 million for them and, anyway, the Karma’s bad rep was never due to its design since it’s arguably one of the prettiest four-door GTs of the 21st century (just look at the curvaceous rear fenders).

Last year, Karma introduced the Aliso, a limited-edition version of the Revero and the company announced that only 15 will be made with a base price of $145,000, some $15,000 on top of the Revero’s base MSRP of $130,000. This luscious coupe we see here should be at least as expensive if it will be put into production. If not, just look at it in concept form and think that it’s a source of inspiration for Karma products to roll out in the near future.

The Mercedes-Benz Concept GLB is a concept vehicle that previews a new crossover from the German company. As the name suggests, the GLB is the SUV equivalent of the B-Class compact; thus the production model will slot between the existing GLA and GLC, corresponding to the A-Class and C-Class, respectively. The concept vehicle was unveiled at the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show in near-production-ready form.

Notably larger than the GLA, the Concept GLB is actually almost as big as the GLC. But the crossover stands out through its boxy design cues. Although it’s not the baby G-Class it was rumored at first, it’s notably boxier than the coupe-styled GLA, and it also feels more utilitarian than the GLC. The concept features a production-ready design, it’s equipped with technology already available in Mercedes-Benz vehicles, and comes with a production four-cylinder engine under the hood. Let’s find out more about it in the review below.

The latest in Infiniti’s growing line of Inspiration concepts made its debut at the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show. Called the Qs Inspiration, the concept is the latest in a series of concept cars that Infiniti has showcased to spread the word of its plans for greener powertrains and other new technologies that will shape the future of the brand. Like most automakers these days, Infiniti has moved well beyond “talk is cheap” model by showing an increased commitment in demonstrating what it intends to do now that the industry is in the middle of shifting eras. The Qs Inspiration still looks like a concept, but it’s not really just a concept in the traditional sense of one. It’s a look into a future that isn’t that far away anymore. In fact, look for the next-generation Q50 or Q70 sedans to draw inspiration from the Qs. That’s how close this concept is to becoming, well, more than a concept.

Audi revealed the AI:me concept at the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show, and it clearly gives a preview of what our future will look like. Audi has been on an electric vehicle onslaught, and this concept shows one of the many facets that the company is capable of. Audi’s creation prior to the AI:me, the Q4 e-tron EV, looks like it could be ’production-ized’ soon. But with the AI:me, Audi aims to show what an urban, electric autonomous car could look like in a couple of decades from now.

Karma Automotive was built from the ashes of Fisker Automotive, and with the latter no longer around, the new automaker — it’s owned by Chinese auto supply company Wanxiang Group — made a bold statement at the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show with the introduction of the SC1 Vision Concept. As you might expect, the SC1 Vision is Karma’s slightly fleshed out interpretation of its future electric supercar. It’s unlikely to hit production anytime soon, but there’s no better time than today to let the world know of your plans, right? Among other things, the SC1 Vision is a showcase of Karma’s ideas and a platform to promote high-tech systems like 5G connectivity and a humanized communication system, both of which, Karma says, are big parts of its future as a purveyor of high-performance electric vehicles. Whether that future materializes remains to be seen, so, for now, we at least get an idea on what that future could look like.

Auto Shanghai 2019 brought out all kinds of attractive new four-wheeled creations, with the best of the best compiled in our traditional Best In Show list right here. Unfortunately, there were a few debuts that definitely left us unimpressed, so we’re calling them out with a follow-up Worst In Show list. Regular readers will no doubt recognize some of these entries from our Best In Show list - as it turns out, we here at TopSpeed can’t always agree when it comes to matters of automotive opinion. As such, it’s up to you to post your thoughts in the comments section so we can hash this out…

Although the Chinese car market is currently undergoing a sales slump, it’s still the biggest car market in the world. No surprise then that the recent Auto Shanghai show brought out oodles of attractive new debuts, many of which provide clues as to what’ll arrive on these shores in the near future. As such, we’ve got the best of the best lined up right here in the following list.