Auto Industry's New Melting Pot

 

 

By: Todd Kaho, ForbesAutos.com
Photo Credit: Audi

With a rapidly growing domestic market and volatile export business, the Chinese auto industry has the potential to affect the whole world. Growing numbers of car buyers in China create a new frontier for automakers hungry to expand production and offset slowing sales in other markets.

As a nod to China’s increasing influence, its international auto show, called Auto China 2008, didn't just host new vehicles from Chinese manufacturers or feature models meant only for the Chinese market. Rather, it was the scene of major unveilings from big players like Audi, Buick and Mercedes-Benz, among others.

China: The Auto Industry's New Melting Pot Slideshow

China’s international auto show alternates between the major industrial hubs of Shanghai and Beijing, spending odd years in Shanghai and even years in Beijing. With the world’s attention focused on the upcoming Summer Olympic Games, Auto China 2008 offered manufacturers a more prominent platform on which to tout upcoming production and concept vehicles.

Here are the highlights from Auto China 2008.

2009 Audi Q5
On Sale: First Quarter 2009
Price: Starts around $35,000

The five-passenger Audi Q5 is coming to the United States in early 2009 to compete with other compact premium SUVs, including the Acura RDX, BMW X3, Infiniti EX, Land Rover LR2 and the recently announced Mercedes GLK-Class and Volvo XC60.

We expect the Q5 to be sporty and nimble. It’s based on Audi’s compact A4 Sedan platform.

A 3.2-liter V6 engine producing 270 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque with a six-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission will power the U.S. version. All-wheel drive will be standard. In addition to conventional settings optimized for driving on and off road, the Q5’s electric stability program has a third setting to help counteract instability created by mounting heavy objects on the roof.

An optional sliding rear bench seat makes the Q5's interior more flexible. Audio enthusiasts will like the optional 505-watt, 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system.

2009 Ford Fiesta
On Sale: Later this year in China and Europe; 2010 in the U.S.
Price: Not yet determined

Ford’s five-door hatchback Fiesta designed for the Asian market follows the company’s Verve concept car unveiled at the Detroit auto show and the Fiesta sedan — essentially a production version of the Verve — subsequently revealed at the Geneva auto show.

The Fiesta is scheduled to go on sale in markets around the world later this year. The sedan version is scheduled for sale in North America in 2010. Production of China’s version of the Ford Fiesta, which looks largely the same as the European model, will begin in the fourth quarter at a new $510-million facility run by Changan Ford Mazda Auto Company in Nanjing, China. There is no word on whether the car's styling or features will be adjusted for the Chinese market.

The Fiesta is designed with special lightweight steel for a strong body structure without excessive weight, which robs power and fuel economy. An electric power steering system further aids fuel efficiency.

The Fiesta is an important car for Ford, not only because it will be sold globally, which is unusual for the company, but because American consumers are increasingly abandoning large cars and trucks in favor of smaller ones.

Ford is tight-lipped about which engines it will use in the Fiestas for Asia and North America. In Europe, the car will be offered with a choice of three small gasoline engines and two diesels ranging from 67 hp to 114 hp.

2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class
On Sale: January 2009
Price: Not yet determined

With the addition of the all-new 2010 GLK-Class, Mercedes-Benz will offer no less than five SUVs in the United States. The GLK-Class is Mercedes’ first compact SUV and will compete with the Acura RDX, Audi's new Q5, which also debuted in Beijing, BMW's X3, Infiniti's EX, Land Rover's LR2 and Volvo's XC60.

Of those models, only the BMW X3 existed a couple years ago, which indicates that automakers see the small SUV category as one of the most promising.

The GLK-Class' exterior styling is intended to give the impression of a larger, more substantial vehicle. It looks like a shrunken version of Mercedes’ large SUV with a confusingly similar name, the GL-Class, which is 22.3 inches longer and 3.6 inches wider than the GLK-Class.

The GLK350 will be powered by a 268-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 engine with a seven-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive will be standard. Mercedes says the GLK350 will accelerate from 0-60 miles per hour in about 6.5 seconds — faster than many family sedans — and deliver 23 miles per gallon on the highway.

The GLK-Class also offers a sophisticated suspension and electronic stability program with a feature designed to help stabilize towed trailers. The GLK-Class will have a tow rating of 3,500 pounds, enough to pull a small camper or small fishing boat.

Porsche Cayenne Turbo S
On Sale: August 2008
Price: $176,000

If any doubts remain as to the growing influence China exerts on the global economy, Porsche helped dispel them by unveiling one of its priciest, most powerful and most exclusive vehicles at the Beijing auto show. The Porsche Cayenne Turbo S returns as a 2009 model after a brief hiatus, packing 30 horsepower more than the previous version without degrading fuel economy.

Remapping the engine management software and adding a better exhaust system boost the twin-turbocharged 4.8-liter V8 engine’s total output to 550 horsepower. Yet fuel economy remains in line with the previous model — about 16 miles per gallon overall. Its torque has been improved from an already-impressive 516 pound-feet to 553 pound-feet.

All that power will catapult the Cayenne Turbo S to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds. Porsche says its top speed is 174 mph.

Unique body-colored front air intakes, pronounced wheel arches and 21-inch alloy wheels with wide performance tires help cope with the extra power and enhance curb appeal.

Concept Cars

Buick Invicta Concept

Buick is a strong brand in China, and it now sells more cars there than in the United States. So it isn’t surprising that General Motors chose Beijing as the place to pull the cover off its follow-up to the recent Riviera concept car.

Called the Invicta, which is Latin for “invincible,” this concept car is a reincarnation of the Buick Invicta offered in the late 1950s and early '60s. The original was a sedate-looking car powered by a massive V8 engine.

The new Invicta eschews old-school V8s for what could be the hot-rodder's choice of the future, if fuel prices continue their upward trend: Buick’s first-ever turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It puts out a respectable 250 horsepower and 220 pound-feet of torque when paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The Buick Invicta’s design was influenced by both Western and Eastern cultures. It was a collaborative effort between GM’s design centers in Warren, Mich., and Shanghai, China.

The Invicta is currently intended for the North America and Chinese markets. Rumor has it that this concept hints at the next-generation Buick LaCrosse sedan, but with a mildly refreshed LaCrosse coming out this fall, the Invicta's influence may not be seen in a production car for a couple of years.

Li Nian (Honda) Concept
On Sale: 2010 (in China)
Price: Not yet determined

One of the best-kept industry secrets revealed at Auto China 2008 was Honda’s announcement of a new brand for the Chinese market, called Li Nian. Like Toyota’s Scion brand in North America, Li Nian will cater to young people. Li Nian is a joint venture between Honda and Chinese partner Guangzhou Automobile Group.

The first vehicle in Li Nian’s portfolio will be a small, sporty five-door hatchback based on the same platform as the Honda Fit. The name of this vehicle was not announced at the show. Honda’s China design studio created the car’s look with design cues that all Li Nian models will share.

Details on the car's engine weren't available.

• 2008 Porsche Boxster