2021 Guangzhou Auto Show. Main novelties
One of the most important events in the automotive world, the Guangzhou Auto Show, began on November 19, 2021 in China. During it, manufacturers presented numerous new cars, series, modifications and configurations. The first auto show in this city was held in 2003, after which it quickly grew in scale, becoming one of the largest automobile exhibitions in China. Chinese cars are currently set to conquer the world. That is why participation in this auto show is so important, and it is equally important to know what new Chinese brands have prepared for us. Let’s discover more.
Saloon - Great Wall’s new hydrogen brand
Great Wall has presented its new sub-brand Saloon at the Guangzhou Auto Show. All of its models will be powered by hydrogen. Saloon’s first car will be a luxury SUV with a driving range of 800 km. So far, the vehicle has been named Jijia Long, which can be translated from Chinese as “Mechanical Dragon”. The brutal appearance of the fastback is reminiscent of many iconic vehicles: Porsche 911’s profile and Lamborghini Diablo’s front optics. Headlights are combined into a single element on which you can display different images. Two exhaust pipes at the rear are just for the beauty, because the vehicle is electric. Its motors generate 543 hp and 750 Nm. Acceleration to 100 km/h occurs in 3.7 seconds, while the driving range reaches 802 km according to the Chinese CLTC cycle (very similar to WLTP). It takes only 10 minutes to charge the Dragon up to 50%.
Weltmeister M7 - Best autopilot
The new Weltmeister M7 sedan from the Chinese startup is so far the only car with three high-precision laser radars (the actual competitor NIO ET7 has only one). There is every chance that the M7 autopilot will outperform Elon Musk’s Tesla. During the presentation, representatives of Weltmeister demonstrated the advantages over competitors, so far only on slides. The company boasted the 1024 TOPS performance of its processors, for comparison, citing the Tesla Model 3 with a result of 144 TOPS. We will not judge whether such a step was ethical, but for now we note the clear advantage (in words) of the M7 in the field of autopilot.
Xpeng’s flagship SUV
Chinese startup Xpeng has unveiled its new flagship SUV called the G9. It is based on the scalable SEPA platform. In size, it is close to the BMW X5, while its wheelbase is approximately 3,100 mm. As for its exterior, it resembles the already popular Xpeng P7 four-door coupe, featuring the brand’s traditional minimalistic RobotFace design and headlights at the front, represented by a single element. The G9 will be equipped with a number of screens. Another feature is the new XPILOT 4.0 autopilot. The SUV will have the possibility of high-speed charging. It will take you 5 minutes to charge the range up to 200 km. The Xpeng G9 will become the main competitor for the Li One and Nio ES6 in China.
GAC’s SUV with a driving range of more than 1,000 km
Based in Guangzhou, GAC is traditionally occupies an entire pavilion at the exhibition. Not only the Trumpchi and Aion sub-brands are located there, but also the ‘Japanese’ with the ‘American’, which are assembled in China by GAC. GAC’s electric sub-brand Aion has unveiled a new full-size SUV, the LX Plus. The vehicle’s dimensions are 4,835×1,935×1,685 mm with a wheelbase of 2,920 mm. The SUV will be distinguished by a 144.4 kWh battery. As a result, the driving range will be 1,008 km (CLTC cycle). The most productive version of the LX Plus will generate 407 hp. Aion claims that acceleration to 100 km/h will take only 2.9 seconds. Moreover, just like the Weltmeister M7, the new Aion LX Plus is equipped with three laser radars.
Changan Uni-V sports sedan
The Uni-V, a new sports sedan reminiscent of the Audi A7, has been unveiled at the Guangzhou Auto Show. Its dimensions are 4,680×1,838×1,430 mm with a wheelbase of 2,750 mm. The car is equipped with a 1.5-liter engine with 187 hp. It is expected that a version with a 2-liter engine will also become available in the future.
BYD Yuan’s “Dragon Face”
BYD has revealed a new version of its Yuan SUV with a design that the company calls the ‘Dragon Face’. The SUV features a powerful electric motor producing 204 hp with a driving range (430 and 510 km according to the NEDC cycle). Moreover, BYD showed the new Yuan Plus, which is a separate model along with the regular Yuan. The manufacturer has not kept the exterior design of a novelty a secret for a long time, but now the vehicle has been shown in all its glory. The Yuan Plus continues to use the old Dragon Face design, but in a heavily updated version. Along with the standard Yuan Plus, a ‘pseudo’ off-road version with special wheels and a steel tube bumper has also been shown.
MPV from Voyah
Voyah is an electric sub-brand of Dongfeng Corporation, already known for the Free electric SUV. Now there is also a business class minivan. The vehicle has a roomy interior and the Free-inspired exterior. The dimensions of the minivan are 5,315×1,980×1,810 mm with a wheelbase of 3,200 mm. In front, you can see a huge digital screen, reminiscent of the latest Mercedes-Benz models. A huge monitor is mounted at the back, almost like a TV. And in general, the interior looks chic: passengers are surrounded by a variety of materials, and the seats look no worse than those offered by the segment leaders. The details of its powertrain are still unknown, but the Voyah Free electric motors produce a total of 510 hp and 1,040 Nm, which means that the minivan will have something similar.
HiPhi Z’s cyberpunk style
The HiPhi X SUV came out a long time ago, but it still gathers crowds of admirers at every car show. However, now some of the potential buyers will be taken away from the X by the HiPhi Z presented at the auto show. It largely repeats the proportions of the HiPhi X, but the Z has acquired sharper lines and even more expressive optics. We are waiting for details about the novelty.
Mocha and Cybermocha by Wey
GWM’s sub-brand Wey has presented its flagship Mocha, which features an advanced hybrid system, based on a 2-liter ICE with 204 hp. The vehicle accelerates to 100 km/h in just 5 seconds. The pure electric driving range will be 150 km. In Germany, the Wey Mocha will be sold under the name Coffee 01. In addition, Wey showed off the sporty Cybermocha SUV based on the Mocha. It has a cool aerodynamic body kit, different lighting equipment and large wheels. The model features a hybrid system from the standard Mocha with a 2-liter turbocharged engine, assisted by two electric motors, with a total output of up to 456 hp. Acceleration to 100 km/h occurs in 4.6 seconds.
Great Wall’s pickups
Great Wall has brought several interesting pickups to the 2021 Guangzhou Auto Show. The first is an extreme version of the usual Poer, which is equipped with the full off-road package: reinforced bumpers, a different radiator grille, a snorkel, two spare wheels in the back, off-road tires and arch extensions. The chassis has been retuned, and the ground clearance has grown by 5 cm. The vehicle comes with a gasoline engine producing 190 hp.
The second pickup is the premium Poer King Kong, based on the Poer, but with different design solutions: the front end is inspired by the Tank 500 SUV, and the sidewalls have arched stampings, like the Geely Icon SUV. Technically, this is still the same vehicle built on the Haval H9 platform. However, there is not so many powertrains to choose from so far. Initially, the vehicle will be equipped with a 1.6-liter turbocharged diesel engine with an output of 166 hp.
