Shanghai motor show dazzles

The Shanghai motor show is probably one of the only shows of its kind to have grown so rapidly. A representative of an auto culture that relied heavily on duplication, the motor show is now the growing platform for some original and serious technology and design. This year played host to a lot of brands, some new, some old and all of them with something incredible to show.

The quality and overall standards of the show have improved drastically over the past few years. China is a booming auto market, with almost 24 million cars sold last year. Local car makers are enlisting talents such as Geely, Pininfarina and Alfredo Stola to give their models the extra edge, and it's certainly working.

Lynk & Co 01

This year's highlights would have to be Lynk & Co’s new production-ready 01, the mighty Renault R.S. 2027, Audi’s new E-tron Sportback concept and the MG E-motion for their sheer uniqueness and incredible presentations.

Audi E-tron Sportback

Over the past few years, the Chinese market has seen an impressive increase in demand for the 4x4s as buyers are attracted by their easy maintenance and European styling. A C-segment Jianling SUV with crisp styling and attractive interior costs the equivalent of £16k (around Rs 16 lakh), at least £10k cheaper than a similar SUV in the UK. For Skoda, China is its biggest market. “The drive in China for EVs is stronger than in Europe, for a couple of reasons, and we are both pushing for cleaner air and lower emissions," says Bernhard Maier, Skoda’s boss. It plans to sell at least double sales to 600k units by 2020. Even though China is known for its electric cars, they aren't that popular on the roads yet.