Freelander 8
The new Freelander 8 comes as part of a partnership between China’s Chery and JLR.
The Freelander was the best-selling SUV in Europe for five consecutive years, and has now been reborn, which CJLR says focuses on the principles of “British Unconventionality, Contemporary Premium, Creative Intelligence, and Expressive”.
The SUV is still focused on ruggedness and off-roading, with nine all-terrain drive modes.
Volkswagen ID Aura T6
Volkswagen’s ID Aura T6 is built in partnership with China’s FAW, and marks its entry into China’s mid-size electric SUV market.
The SUV features a full-width light bar, hidden door handles, and Volkswagen claims level 2 assisted driving plus LiDAR technology.
The car uses an architecture developed in partnership with Xpeng, which Volkswagen says helps cut development time by around 30%.
Volkswagen Jetta X
The Volkswagen Jetta name has been in production since 1979, but the German car maker revealed the future of the moniker in Beijing.
The Jetta X is the latest instalment for the JETTA subbrand, which launched in 2019, avoiding Volkswagen badging. The concept car morphs what is traditionally a saloon car into an electric SUV, and is one of four electrified models due by 2028.
No technical details were revealed for the Jetta X, but the car was presented on stage, previewing a rugged design with narrow LED headlights, tow hooks and a skid plate.
BYD Atto 3
The Atto 3 has been on sale since 2022, and BYD is giving the car a mid-life update after selling 1.1 million units across the world.
Named the Yuan PLUS in China, the Atto 3 gets a substantial redesign, super rapid charging, LiDAR technology and a new cabin.
BYD says the design is inspired by a city skyline, with a floating roof, semi-hidden door handles and new taillights. It’s practical too, with 39 storage areas and a huge 750-litre trunk. Under the bonnet is a 180-litre storage area, too.
Add in a 16-speaker audio system, relaxation features on the seats, a fridge and fast wireless phone charging, and you’ve got a very well-equipped electric SUV.
Leapmotor B05 Ultra
The Leapmotor B05 is a hatchback roughly the size of the Volkswagen Golf, but this Ultra variant is focused on high performance and range-topping equipment.
Leapmotor claims the car has an aerodynamics package installed as standard and can dispatch 0-100km/h in five seconds.
Other equipment includes massage seats, a faster internal computer and improved assisted driving features, as well as chassis and handling adjustments.
Smart #2
Named the #2, Smart’s new small electric car was revealed as a concept at the Beijing motor show. Its new name reflects Smart’s existing naming strategy and is designed to offer what the company claims is “uncompromised urban capability”.
The new Concept #2 is a two-seater electric car. It's based on Geely’s Electric Compact Architecture, but has been designed on the whole by Mercedes-Benz. While still only a concept, it features a visual look very reminiscent of the previous Smart Fortwo.
While technical details will remain secret until the car’s full unveiling at the Paris motor show in October, Smart has confirmed the car will offer a range of almost 299km (186 miles).
Hyundai Ioniq V
The Ioniq V is a sleek electric car which Hyundai says is designed to “balance space, comfort and refined driving performance”.
Its sharp styling features a futuristic design with frameless doors and floating side mirrors, which improve aerodynamics.
Measuring 4900 millimetres long and 1890mm wide, Hyundai adds that the Ioniq V has a spacious interior with a huge 27-inch panoramic display for key driving information and functions.
Hyundai Earth
Hyundai is planning to launch over 20 cars in China over the next five years, and it premiered two of them in Beijing.
The Earth is a mid-size SUV with wide-opening doors. The concept features several rugged aspects, including a skid plate and integrated tow hooks, partnered with chunky wheel arch cladding.
A minimalist interior includes a large tablet-based infotainment system along with “air-hug” seats, which mould around your body as you drive for improved comfort.
Peugeot Concept 8
The Concept 8 previews the largest SUV that Peugeot will bring to market. It “announces the next chapter of Peugeot’s SUV ambition”, said the firm.
This aligns with what Favey told Move Electric’s sister publication Autocar at the Brussels motor show in January, where he explained that the brand is “thinking about” launching a model above the flagship 5008.
He added that for it to be successful, “it would need to be something really different”, which the dramatic design previewed by this concept suggests it will be.
Peugeot Concept 6
Peugeot presented two cars in Beijing: an estate car and an SUV. Peugeot says both cars “demonstrate our vision for a bold new future for the brand”.
The Concept 6 will be built through the brand’s partnership with Dongfeng and will likely be built in China. Dongfeng has made China-market cars for Peugeot previously, such as the long-wheelbase 508L.
The Concept 6 is a “vision of a bold new generation of large sedans”, said the firm, and combines the “elegance” of a saloon with the “dynamism” of a shooting brake to preview a new grand tourer estate.
Geely EVA Robotaxi
This year’s event marked Geely’s first appearance at the Beijing motor show. Its main showcase was the EVA Cab robotaxi, which heralds in futuristic assisted driving technology.
There’s a lot to say about the EVA Cab, but we’ll keep it brief. It features the world’s first 2160-line digital LiDAR system.
It’s also fitted with the industry’s first mass-production-ready level four assisted driving software. A production version of the car will go on sale in 2027.
Of all the automotive markets around the world, China’s is no doubt the largest, busiest and arguably the most interesting.
The country is pushing ahead, particularly in the world of electric cars, with some remarkable technological developments coming at a truly rapid pace.
Even traditional European car manufacturers want a piece of the action, partnering with some of China’s most influential automotive institutions to develop new cars and snap up increasingly vital market share.
The Beijing motor show is the centre of the country’s motoring showcase, and this year’s event took place at the massive Capital International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Our team was on the ground searching out the biggest reveals, public debuts and model announcements - so scroll on to see everything this year’s event had to offer.
Denza Z9 Convertible
BYD's luxury marque Denza unveiled the production version of its new super-GT flagship, which boasts 1000bhp.
The four-seat electric supercar is claimed to be capable of sprinting from 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in less than 2.0 seconds - as fast as the Rimac Nevera.
Following its debut as a concept at last year's Shanghai show, the car has now been displayed in its road-ready form. Its first public dynamic appearance is scheduled for the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.
Porsche Cayenne Coupé
The Porsche Cayenne Coupé is technically identical to the Cayenne Electric SUV, but its raked roof and lower overall height – down by 24mm to 1.65m– make it more aerodynamic.
Its drag coefficient of just 0.23, compared with 0.25 for the SUV, nets it 11 miles of additional range from the same 108kWh (usable) nickel-manganese-cobalt battery.
This takes the entry-level variant's official range up to 410 miles, while the most efficient variant, the mid-ranking S, manages 415 miles.
There is a compromise to practicality, though, as boot space has been slightly eaten away by the Coupé's roofline, down to 454 litres from 506 litres in the boxier SUV.
BYD Ocean-V Concept
The BYD Ocean V Concept is the company’s vision of a “family mobile life cube”, which effectively combines the three body styles of SUV, sedan and MPV.
The tall, boxy concept car is designed to be endlessly configurable, with several cabin environments available, all apparently designed to emphasise the importance of family life.
These include driving mode, which includes a traditional steering wheel and drops physical buttons. Cinema mode retracts the steering wheel and flips up the dashboard to reveal a huge screen for in-car movie viewing, while camping mode folds the seats to transform into a bed.
BYD Sealion 08
The Sealion 08 is the SUV sibling to the Seal 08 sedan. It measures 5115mm long, 1999mm wide and 1800mm high.
Both cars feature the latest version of BYD’s Blade battery, with super-fast charging. Similarly, the SUV is equally comfort-focused with technology that should see it sit near the top of the class.
BYD Seal 08
The BYD Seal 08 is one of two cars the Chinese brand considers to be its future flagship models. However, these two cars are not related to the existing Seal and Sealion models already on sale around the world.
The sleek Seal 08 sedan comes with the curious option of either two or three rows of seats, and measures a lengthy 5115 millimetres long - around the same size as a Mercedes-Benz EQS.
BYD says the main focus is the car’s interior, which is designed to be bright and spacious like a “high-end apartment”. There’s a lot of premium equipment, including zero-gravity seats and luminous “mother of pearl inlays”.
BMW iX3 LWB
The BMW iX3 is taking the electric car world by storm, and it has gained a new variant, which made its world premiere in Beijing.
The IX3 long-wheelbase is extended by 108 millimetres, which offers a lot more space than the standard car, in turn bolstering comfort levels for rear passengers. This, BMW says, is vital for customers in the Chinese premium car market.
Other changes include a China-specific chassis and suspension setup to improve balance and comfort on the road.
BMW i7
The new BMW i7 was revealed last week and made its public debut at the Beijing motor show.
Its update comes four years after its initial launch, and BMW has wasted no time redesigning the car to align with its new Neue Klasse design philosophy.
Design aside, the main changes include a new 112.5kWh battery, which is also used in the new BMW iX3 SUV and upcoming i3 sedan. This increases the range significantly, from 623km (387 miles) before to 727km (452 miles) in its most efficient form. Its maximum charging rate is also increased, from 195kW to 250kW.
AUDI E7X
AUDI revealed the E7X SUV, which the brand says combines a spacious interior with the signature driving dynamics of the iconic Audi brand.
Measuring roughly the same size as a Range Rover, the E7X features all-wheel drive, wraparound lights and a 109kWh battery with a range of 750km (466 miles). It can also charge from 10-80% in just 13 minutes.
The E7X is focused largely on luxury for those living in China’s megacities. It is equipped with an AI assistant, ultra-comfortable seats and a huge 21-inch screen for passengers in the back.
AUDI E5 Sportback
The AUDI brand recently launched by the Volkswagen Group in China is different to what we have in other parts of the world.
AUDI does not feature the brand’s traditional ringed logo, instead opting for a typed-out logo. It revealed two cars at the motor show - the first being the E5 Sportback, an electric saloon which launched last year and has already been named China Car of the Year.
The car, developed in partnership with Chinese car maker SAIC, features a 100kWh battery with a range of 804km (500 miles) when measured using China’s generous testing cycle.
