It's clear from the vehicles unveiled at the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show that automakers fully realize the importance of China to the global automotive market. Sales are burgeoning, and some forecast that China will become the world's biggest car market before the end of the decade. So it's no surprise that many of the new production cars and concepts shown in Shanghai are tailored specifically for Chinese drivers, such as a stretched version of the Porsche Panamera, a Ford Escort built to compete in China's compact-car market and the new Maserati Ghibli. Click through for a quick glimpse of quirky and cool vehicles making their debut in Shanghai.
Acura Concept SUV-X
The Acura Concept SUV-X is a perfect example of how important the Chinese market is becoming to global automakers. A future compact crossover based on the Concept SUV-X is being developed primarily for China and will be produced there. Acura plans to launch it within about three years. The fact that the Concept SUV-X was unveiled at this year's Shanghai show is also telling: It marks the first time Acura had a concept vehicle's world premiere outside North America.
BMW Concept X4
The BMW Concept X4 is a nearly production-ready preview of a new crossover "coupe" set to go on sale in 2014. One might dub it a shrunken X6, which is to say it will be based on the X3 SUV but have a lower roofline that mimics the sleek profile of a coupe. The Concept X4's styling hints at what to expect from future BMW SUVs as well; note, for example, the new headlight design. BMW did not say what engines and transmission the production X4 will have, but it's clear from the company's product strategy that the crossover will share all its underpinnings and powertrain with the X3.
Buick Riviera concept
Buick is teasing us with another seductive concept car that will probably never see the light of day, much like the previous Riviera concept it unveiled in 2007. This new one does show the direction Buick will take with styling in the future. Of note is the iconic waterfall "active grille," which incorporates shutters that automatically close at higher speeds to improve aerodynamics. The Riviera also has a hybrid electric propulsion system with inductive charging that allows the battery to be charged without plugging in; drivers simply park the car on a special pad. The setup is purely theoretical at this point
Detroit Electric SP:01
This electric sports car made a splash online earlier this month when startup Detroit Electric, founded by former Lotus executives, released specs and other production details for this racy 2-seater. But its official show debut was in Shanghai. The SP:01 loosely copies the Tesla Roadster's formula. It's based on a Lotus Elise chassis and uses a potent electric motor powered by lithium-polymer batteries to achieve sports-car levels of performance with zero emissions. It has a range of 180 miles and a top speed of 155 mph. Its motor puts out 201 horsepower and enables a sprint from zero to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds. The company says it will start delivering the SP:01 to customers in September with a starting price of around $135,000.
Ford Escort concept
This attractive concept previews a new compact sedan Ford is considering for the Chinese market, and we think it's stylish enough to succeed in the U.S. The Escort concept is about the same size as the Focus and would be a less expensive alternative, aimed at China's burgeoning compact-car segment. With the latest Focus already on sale in China, adding yet another compact entry might seem foolhardy. However, in countries with developing markets, automakers typically offer lots of alternatives priced within a few hundred dollars of each other, since a difference of as little as $100 can often be a tipping point for first-time buyers.
Honda Concept M
Not much is known about this mini-minivan, but Honda says it is working on a production version for introduction in 2014. The front end, with its gaping grille, is polarizing. Like many vehicles unveiled in Shanghai, the production version of the Concept M is being tailored to the Chinese market, where commercial offerings comprise the majority of so-called multipurpose vehicles, or MPVs. Honda aims to create a passenger vehicle that offers the practicality of existing commercial offerings, but in a more refined and stylish package that is also fun to drive.
Mercedes-Benz Concept GLA
Mercedes' Concept GLA previews a small crossover based on underpinnings from the new CLA-Class sedan. Mercedes hasn't officially confirmed it will create a production version, but we're betting it will. It has a 208-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and the all-wheel-drive system from the CLA250. And like that car, the Concept GLA looks fierce for such a small vehicle, thanks to its bulging fenders and aggressive grille. One of the most interesting experimental features that likely won't see the light of day any time soon are headlights that use laser beams to project images on the road ahead, such as turn signals for navigation directions.
Maserati Ghibli
The success of this midsize sedan is imperative if Maserati hopes to reach its goal of growing sales tenfold by 2015. It is smaller and sportier than the Quattroporte, an all-new version of which was unveiled earlier this year. The Ghibli S will be the most powerful model, boasting a 410-horsepower twin-turbocharged V6 engine. A less powerful version with a 330-horsepower twin-turbocharged V6 engine was developed specifically for the Chinese market. The Ghibli will also offer a 275-horse turbodiesel V6, making it the first Maserati ever to be offered with a diesel engine. The Ghibli will compete with the Audi A6, BMW 5-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
Nissan Friend-Me
Nissan created this curiously named concept car in its Beijing design studio specifically to appeal to the 240 million Chinese in their mid-20s — the world's largest customer segment. Having grown up without siblings, due to the Chinese government's law that families can have only one child, these young people put a high value on friends. Thus the car's interior is set up as a social hub, where occupants can download information from mobile devices onto touch screens in the center console to share with friends. The Friend-Me me has expressive, muscular styling that shows where Nissan design is headed. Nissan says the Friend-Me was designed to explore the social dynamics of 20-something Chinese men.
Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid and Executive
Porsche unveiled two new versions of its Panamera sedan: a plug-in hybrid and a stretched model with more rear legroom, designed specifically for the Chinese market, where affluent buyers prefer to be chauffeured. With that in mind, Porsche created the Panamera Executive S and 4S, which have about 6 inches of added length between the front and rear wheels. Porsche also announced in Shanghai the replacement of the Panamera base V8 engine with a 3.0-liter V6 that delivers an additional 20 horsepower. The biggest gain in fuel economy will come from a new plug-in hybrid version of the Panamera called the E-Hybrid. It can drive in electric-only mode for about 22 miles and up to speeds of 84 mph.
Suzuki Authentics
The Suzuki Authentics concept will eventually become a production car. Designed for the Chinese market, it will compete with cars such as the new Ford Escort, a concept version of which was also unveiled in Shanghai. Suzuki released very little information on this sleek 4-door, but from what we saw of it on the show floor, the Authentics is understatedly handsome and should mesh with Chinese tastes, which tend toward the conservative.
Volkswagen CrossBlue Coupe concept
The CrossBlue Coupe gives a strong indication of what future Volkswagen SUVs will look like. It seats five and is a follow-up to the 7-seat CrossBlue concept unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Its headlights and taillights look significantly different than the original CrossBlue concept, and the vehicle is much sportier, with a long, low stance. Motivation comes from a 416-horsepower diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain with an electric-only range of 21 miles. It's capable of going from zero to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and has a top speed of 147 mph.
Lamborghini Aventador LP720-4 50th Anniversario Edition
Lamborghini will produce 100 of this special edition of the Aventador to commemorate its 50th anniversary, all of them in "giallo maggio," or May Yellow. The output of the 6.5-liter V12 engine increases 20 horsepower to a total of 720, which enables a blazing zero-to-60-mph sprint of 2.9 seconds. Special aerodynamic enhancements improve high-speed stability. The interior gets unique colors and a special quilted diamond-stitch pattern.
Matthew de Paula wanted to be an automotive journalist ever since reading his first car magazine in grade school. After a brief stint writing about finance, he helped launch ForbesAutos.com and became the site's editor in 2006. Matthew now freelances for various outlets.
Matthew de Paula wanted to be an automotive journalist ever since reading his first car magazine in grade school. After a brief stint writing about finance, he helped launch ForbesAutos.com and became the site's editor in 2006. Matthew now freelances for various outlets.
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