The Brussels motor show at the beginning of the year turned out to be an important event for the automotive industry, replacing the Geneva show at the top of the calendar.
This week sees the Beijing motor show held in the capital city of the country that’s quietly having more impact on our lives than any other – and Electrifying is here on the ground with the latest news.
While western carmakers are moaning about the rigours of having to comply with emissions rules and sell increasing proportions of electric cars, there are queues of fresh-faced Chinese brands getting on with actually selling them.
What is the Beijing motor show?
The Beijing motor show started back in 1990 and goes by a number of names, including the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition and Auto China, but for our purposes it’s the Beijing motor show.
It happens every two years, with the in-between dates covered by the Shanghai motor show (which claims seniority having started in 1985).
The fun thing about the Beijing motor show is that you’re as likely to see a knock-off Rolls-Royce-style limo as you are a new personal autonomous helicopter, with a new German sub-brand sandwiched somewhere in between.
What are the biggest stories from Beijing?
1. Volkswagen launches 20 new models
The VW Group revealed ambitious plans to launch a load of new models that we'll never see in the UK – promising 20 new electric and plug-in hybrid in the country in 2026 alone. The Volkswagen brand's range in the country now includes two lines of electric cars under the ID.Aura and ID.Unix badges.
The VW Group has also launched two new sub-brands in China in recent years – AUDI (which is different to Audi – the “four rings and four letters brands” as VW likes to call them) and Jetta, both launching China-only electric vehicles at the premium and mass market ends of the market respectively, including the AUDI E7X that we're quite taken with.
Porsche has shown off its new Cayenne Coupe Electric which brings a sportier look and a touch more efficiency to the big electric SUV. It sticks with the same 108kWh battery as the standard Cayenne Electric, but the roofline is 24mm lower so that drag has been improved and is now a very slippery 0.23Cd – down from 0.25Cd in the SUV.
2. Smart #2 Concept
Smart revealed its #2 concept that's keeping the spirit of the Nineties original alive. The final production version will be unveiled later in 2026, and will be the successor to the iconic Fortwo model that first went on sale way back in 1998. The new #2 looks set to stay true to its heritage – Smart has even said the new city car will be as bold as the original, saying the car will “present a new vision while preserving the DNA of the Fortwo”. It will be electric only and have a 186-mile (300km) range, along with 10–80% charging in 20 minutes and V2L capability. Smart also says that the Concept #2 has a turning circle of just 6.95 metres, which is less than the 7.6m that London taxis have to manage.
3. Freelander coming to the UK
Freelander has confirmed that its new electric SUV will be revealed in production form at the end of June and that they're definitely working on a right-hand drive version of the car that will go on sale after the car is launched in China. The new brand that’s a joint venture between Chery and Jaguar Land Rover in China. The car is much bigger than it initially looked in pictures, certainly bigger than the 1997 car that the concept is named after. Test versions of the new Freelander have already been deployed around China and Europe to get miles on the new car before it goes on sale.
4. Hyundai Ioniq V
Hyundai took the wraps off its surprise new Ioniq V model, which is its first China-specific production car from the new Ioniq sub-brand. Ioniq V. The sleek, 1970s-inspired saloon may look like a concept but it’s a real car, and the first of more than 20 new models Hyundai plans to launch in China over the next five years as it rolls out its all-electric Ioniq brand in the world’s most competitive EV market.
Under the skin, the car has batteries supplied by CATL and Hyundai is targeting a range of up to 600km (around 370 miles). Simon Loasby, head of Hyundai Design Center, wouldn’t rule out bringing the car to other markets – including the UK.
5. BMW iX3 LWB and facelifted i7
BMW has whipped the covers off its China-only long wheelbase iX3 SUV – our 2026 Car of the Year but more comfortable and with loads of space in the back. The wheelbase is extended by 107mm over the standard version of the iX3, with suspension and chassis set up specifically for the Chinese market. Long wheelbase versions of cars are highly desirable in China, where chauffeur drivers are far more common, which is why many popular cars end up with stretched derivatives on sale in the market.
The company also showed off the facelifted i7 that we sent Tom Ford off to get a sneak peek at before the Beijing show.
6. BYD Seal 08
BYD’s big Beijing reveal was its new flagship saloon called the Seal 08 which will feature the carmaker’s new Blade 2 battery tech complete with FLASH Charging. If it comes to the UK (we don’t know whether it will yet) it could be new range king, with rumours of 620-mile (1,000km) range under the Chinese CLTC test regime, which would be less on WLTP but could still beat the new BMW i3.
There was also the huge Sealion 08 SUV, measuring 5,115mm long, 1,999mm wide and 1,800mm high, with six individual seats over three rows. Design touches include Rolls-Royce style 'floating' centre caps in the 21-inch wheels, and the longest tail-light motif in the industry – it measures almost two metres in length.
7. Leapmotor B05 and B03X
Leapmotor was a rare Chinese brand unveiling cars that we'll actually see in the UK (sort of) – the new B05 electric hatchback was resplendent ahead of its imminent launch, but the show reveal was a surprise hot hatch version of the car that looks tasty, but they've not made a decision on whether it will come to the UK yet or now.
A car that's definitely coming to the UK is the B03X small SUV – we got to see the inside of the car for the first time. The B03X is on its way to the UK later this year after the B05 goes on sale.
8. Nio ET9 SUV
Nio took the wraps off its new ET9 SUV. Yet another ginormous flagship range topper which measures a massive 5,325mm long, the ES9 is described as as 'Pioneering Landjet' and has lots of high-tech features and aims to mix it with some of the luxury brands.
9. Geely EVA Cab Robotaxi
Forget the Tesla Cybercab. Electric car giant, Geely, has launched its AI-powered, fully autonomous Robotaxi. Designed from the ground up as an all-new, driverless electric taxi, the prototype car that was shown at Beijing 2026 is expected to be in production and offering driverless ride hailing services in 100 cities around the world by 2030.
What are the trends so far?
There are lots of new brands at the Beijing motor show that weren't even in existence at the last show here two years ago. Leapmotor founder Jiangming Zhu told European media that he didn't think all of the Chinese brands would make it, unless they were able to control their supply chains and control costs. Like his company is doing, of course.
The MPV continues to stage its strong comeback – suddenly the EV format works for a spacious large family wagon, and lots of the Chinese manufacturers are introducing their own versions that don't have the baggage of old family cars that we all got sick off in Europe a decade or two ago.
The Chinese are still committed to electric as well, with Leapmotor's Mr Zhu saying that the Chinese carmakers had an inherent advantage in an electric world because of the volumes involved in the country, the fact that all the electric stuff is built in China already and that the nation's carmakers committed to the technology early on.
