Autobots Association Media, Focusing on the evolution of the auto travel industry chain

Author: Zheng Wen

As the Guangzhou Auto Show draws near to a close in 2021, the auto industry is pushed to a new high.

The first batch of new car makers still maintains a strong presence.

Meanwhile, new brands continue to emerge, bringing visual impact and technological advances.

Traditional car companies are not sitting still, as luxury brands sound the trumpet of counterattack, and conservative Japanese brands launch their own counteroffensive.

Of course, some brands marked the end of the fuel era with their last gasoline-powered car, paying tribute to the fuel era.

Each car company creates the future according to its own understanding, shaping the automobile culture of each era.

Although the automobile industry has gone through more than a century, it still should call out that it is forever young and passionate.

There were plenty of highlights at this year’s Guangzhou Auto Show, and we have selected some of the heavy-duty models to take stock of the trends in the industry.

XPeng G9

XPeng’s new flagship SUV, XPeng G9, made its debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show. As the fourth model from XPeng, the G9 fills a gap in its product lineup for mid-to-large sized SUVs.

The G9 uses the X-EEA3.0 electronic and electrical architecture, with high-level fusion hardware architecture of central supercomputing and regional control, which can support higher-performance chips, and more advanced intelligent assisted driving and a more powerful smart cockpit. It will also be the first mass-produced car to support the XPILOT4.0 intelligent assisted driving system.

From the continuously iterated product line, XPeng has further strengthened its intelligent platform and power system in the market experience, all of which are presented in the G9. Its arrival has directly put market pressure on its competitors.

Salon Mechadragon

If you ask which car model is the talked-about model at this year’s Guangzhou Auto Show, undoubtedly the answer is the Mechadragon.

The new brand Salon Motors brought its first car model, Mechadragon, to the Guangzhou Auto Show, announcing a pre-order price of 4.88 million yuan, limited to 101 units globally, and sold out within a few hours after the pre-order began.

From a design perspective, the Mechadragon is aptly named, drawing inspiration from the world of mechas to create an image with a strong mecha warrior temperament. The car model has almost no rounded and straight lines, using sharp lines to outline a strong sense of battle, and the diving-style front face is also highly aggressive.In terms of technological strength, Mechadragon uses a Qualcomm high-performance 8155 chip, DMS+OMS dual in-car cameras, 4 independent sound zones, and a 7-screen interactive system to create an intelligent cockpit interaction system. With the support of the Captain-Pilot intelligent driving system, Mechadragon can achieve end-to-end intelligent assisted driving for “high speed + city + parking + interconnection” in all scenarios. The CLTC working condition endurance reaches 802 kilometers.

As a new brand, Salon enters the market from high-end models, which conforms to the strategy of “not making a sound but creating a great stir”. Although the sharp style of Mechadragon may not satisfy everyone, it may still be a good move. From the perspective of traffic, it has already achieved a victory at the first battle.

BMW iX

At the Guangzhou Auto Show, BMW released the new BMW iX xDrive50 model, with an official guide price of 846,900 yuan, the same price as X5.

As a representative work of the second stage of electrification transformation, BMW iX has put into production cutting-edge technology previously hidden in BMW’s global research and development center. For example, the self-healing intelligent front grille, Shy Tech invisible technology, olive leaf tanned leather interior, and a brand-new electronic electrical architecture, all of which show BMW’s attitude. BMW iX seems to have no intention of anchoring to current mass models.

BMW iX Drive50 is equipped with the fifth-generation BMW eDrive electric power drive technology, with dual motors releasing a maximum output power of 385 kilowatts, a peak torque of 765N·m, and the zero-to-100 kilometer acceleration as fast as 4.6 seconds. The CLTC endurance can reach up to 665 kilometers.

Toyota bZ4X

A major milestone of this Guangzhou Auto Show is that Japanese companies have also put down their stubbornness. Toyota unveiled its first pure electric bZ4X. “bZ” means to achieve the value of “beyond zero” zero emissions.

The new car is built on a BEV exclusive platform based on the e-TNGA architecture, positioning it as a midsize SUV with WLTP endurance of 500 kilometers. The new car will officially go on sale in early 2022.

In terms of appearance, the new car departs from the stable design style of the previous Toyota family and begins to take a more aggressive design route. The entire front face has a strong sense of the future, and the muscular lines on the hood, combined with the downward-sloping lines behind the C-pillar, create a strong sports atmosphere.The interior has also undergone a brand-new change, with a spaceship-style cockpit layout, combat-style floating instrument panel, sporty semi-spoke steering wheel, and a large floating central control screen, all telling consumers that Toyota can also be radical.

The Toyota bZ4X has a body size of 4690/1860/1650mm and a wheelbase of 2850mm. Thanks to the exclusive platform under the e-TNGA architecture, the Toyota bZ4X has 1000mm of rear legroom. In addition, the new car also uses technology such as wire-controlled steering technology that can greatly reduce the steering angle and a solar panel roof that can travel 1800 kilometers.

Honda e:NP1

As the first pure electric vehicle model of the Honda e:N series, the e:NP1 also made its debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show and is expected to be launched in the first half of 2022.

As one of Honda’s new electrification strategy debut models, the e:NP1, which is built based on a brand-new electric platform architecture and an intelligent ecology system, has become the focus of the entire exhibition.

In terms of appearance, the new car adopts a closed-type grille with a lighting Honda logo and slender headlights. The side adopts a sleek design with a straight waistline, while the rear uses a through-type taillight design, making the whole car look very youthful.

In terms of power, the e:NP1 is developed based on the e:N Architecture F structure, with a front-wheel-drive motor layout. Equipped with a maximum power of 134kW and 150kW motors, the zero-to-100-kilometers-per-hour acceleration takes about 8 seconds, and the long-endurance version will have a range of over 500 kilometers.

Cadillac LYRIQ

Cadillac has brought a mid-to-large-sized pure electric SUV, the LYRIQ, and announced the pre-sale price of the first launch model, the rear-wheel-drive long-endurance luxury version, at 439,700 yuan. It is expected to be officially delivered in mid-2022.

The LYRIQ is built on General Motors’ Ultium Platform for BEVs. It has a body length of 5003mm, a wheelbase of 3094mm, and a body height of only 1637mm, giving this mid-to-large-sized pure electric SUV a low and sleek body posture.# LYRIQ

LYRIQ combines heritage with innovation in its design. The closed grille utilizes many LED light strips, which, together with the flow of cascading LEDs in the headlights, create a dynamic light language effect. The taillights feature a split design, with the L-shaped upper taillight spanning from the D-pillar on the side of the vehicle to the rear, while the iconic vertical Cadillac taillight is placed on either side.

In terms of power and range, the first release of the long-range luxury model with rear-wheel drive is equipped with a rear electric motor with a maximum power of 255 kW and peak torque of 440 N·m, with a range of over 650 kilometers based on CLTC conditions.

Voyah MPV Dreamer

The Voyah brand unveiled its new MPV Dreamer at the auto show, which is based on the ESSA architecture and is still equipped with a pure electric + range-extender hybrid powertrain like the Voyah FREE.

As a luxury MPV, the Dreamer adopts a luxury yacht design concept to create a model that excels in luxury, comfort, intelligence, performance, safety, and more.

The seating experience in the Dreamer’s cabin is particularly refined, with not only an air suspension system but also CDC electronic-controlled dampers with magic carpet functionality. The second row of seats is a zero-pressure first-class functional seat with 12-way power adjustments, as well as massage, heating, ventilation, and one-key reset functions. The car is also equipped with an intelligent air quality monitoring and purification system, sterilization and fragrance system, and more.

All of these features are aimed at making a push into luxury.

GL8 Concept Car

With the expansion of the MPV market and many automakers now targeting these market needs, the MPV has become a popular sub-segment. As the big brother of MPVs, Buick’s GL8 unveiled its new concept car at the Guangzhou Auto Show.

Visually, this concept car is completely different from the GL8. It features a brand new front-end design, dual-color body, V-shaped hood design, wing-style light traces, and a linked integrated ripple matrix grille, giving it a very imposing presence. The concept car is also larger in size, and may potentially take the top end of the luxury MPV market in the future.In terms of the interior, the cabin design is more avant-garde and stylish, adopting a four-seater layout with two independent seats in the back. The floating front seats can be folded backwards to become a movable table, and the sleeping seat in the back can fully lay flat. The concept car’s cabin features a panoramic retina screen as the center, creating an interactive multi-dimensional space for the whole vehicle.

This MPV market has been the undisputed benchmark in the past, and perhaps it will continue the myth belonging to it.

Mercedes-Benz EQA/EQB

At the Guangzhou Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz also added new members to the EQ family: EQA/EQB, with official prices of 365,800 yuan and 437,800 yuan respectively.

EQA is built on the MEA EVA II platform and uses the EQ family’s design language based on GLA. In terms of the interior, the dual screens and air conditioning vents are both very Mercedes-Benz. At the same time, the MBUX intelligent interactive system is also not absent. The model is equipped with front and rear dual motors with a maximum total power of 220kW. CLTC endurance mileage is 537km.

Compared with EQA, EQB is not only larger in size, but also has a more square overall design. The power, endurance mileage, and EQA are similar, and there are seven-seat versions of EQB to choose from.

Lotus Emira

Under the tide of pure electric vehicles, the British sports car brand Lotus’s last fuel sports car Emira made its debut. The FIRST EDITION first release price in the mainland is 858,000 yuan.

The overall size of the vehicle is 4412/1895/1225mm with a wheelbase of 2575mm. The absolute low stance endows the Emira with better body stability, lateral tilt limits, and clearer road perception.

Emira uses Lotus’s new sports car architecture, inheriting Lotus’s classic mid-rear-wheel drive layout. This version is equipped with AMG’s M139 2.0T turbocharged engine, matched with an 8-speed wet dual-clutch transmission, capable of bursting out 400 horsepower. Equipped with front and rear four-piston AP RACING calipers, the OEM exhaust valve opening continuous variable can provide a pleasant exhaust sound.

It is worth mentioning that in addition to retaining pure driving pleasure, it also provides a touch screen, digital instrument panel, KEF stereo, and Carplay intelligent vehicle system.# “The Last One”

The phrase “the last one” carries a certain sentiment in the heart, and “sentiment” is a must-have in car culture. There is always a group of retro-style old-school enthusiasts, sticking to their initial heartthrobs.

Geeks have their own beliefs, and sentiment has its power.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.