Munich IAA show: Best of the Chinese brands

MUNICH -- Chinese brands drew lots of attention at the 2023 IAA Mobility show in Munich, with sprawling booths, flashy presentations and displays of mostly electric models from minicars to luxury passenger vans. Not all the cars at Munich will be coming to Europe – some were here purely to show off design and technological prowess –  but there were enough new-to-Europe models to intrigue potential buyers.

These were the top Chinese debuts:

BYD Seal

BYD, which rivals Tesla as the top global seller of full-electric vehicles, launched the Seal, a midsize sedan aimed directly at Tesla and Volkswagen, and the Seal U, a midsize SUV.

The Seal sedan is priced at 42,990 euros in Germany for the base model, with an all-wheel drive version at 50,990. It’s based on BYD’s E-Platform 3.0, which features the in-house low-profile “blade” battery, integrated power electronics and “cell to body” construction, meaning that the battery is a structural part of the vehicle.

But where the Seal stands out is in its sleek styling and quietly luxurious cabin, with soft touch materials and BYD’s central screen that rotates from horizontal to vertical.

BYD's design chief Wolfgang Egger, a German native who previously worked for Alfa Romeo, Seat and Audi, said he took inspiration from the ocean for the Seal’s design, pointing out its flowing lines.

Leapmotor C10

Leapmotor, a little-known Chinese startup that has drawn attention for potential technology tie-ups with VW Group and Stellantis, showed its first model designed for global sales, the C10 midsize SUV. Price and European launch date weren’t revealed.

The C10 is the first model on Leapmotor’s new LEAP3.0 architecture, which includes a structural battery pack, Qualcomm Snapdragon “smart cabin” technology, and an oil-cooled electric drivetrain. The C10 will be available as a full-electric vehicle or with a small range-extender hybrid (a configuration popular in China.)

Denza D9, Dongfeng Forthing U-Tour V9

“9” seems to be a common denominator for luxury passenger vans, a market currently dominated by the Mercedes-Benz V-Class in Europe.

Denza, a joint venture of BYD (90 percent) and Mercedes (10 percent), showed the D9, an elegant seven-seat van available in plug-in hybrid or full-electric versions

Dongfeng – a joint venture partner with many foreign brands in China -- used the Munich show for the global launch of the U-Tour V9 from its Forthing brand.

The V9, available with a plug-in hybrid or non-hybrid gasoline engine, has an unusual 2+2+3 seat layout, with four captain’s chairs wrapped in tan leather.

MG Cyberster

This full-electric roadster was first revealed in a video at the Shanghai auto show in spring, and it made an appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July. But Munich was its first exposure on mainland Europe.

With doors that scissor upward, a low nose, rear Kamm tail aerodynamic design and arrow taillights, the Cyberster is positioned as a “game changer” for the brand, now a part of SAIC, as the first deliberate link to MG’s past as a maker of small, affordable sports cars. It arrives in Europe in the summer of 2024.

Zeekr 001, Polestar 3, HiPhi Z

Eagle-eyed attendees could find a number of key models lurking on suppliers' stands or in the test-drive area.

Among them were the Zeekr 001, an electric four-door GT with about 600 km (373 miles) of range from the upstart Geely brand; the Polestar 3, a large SUV that rides on the same Geely SEA architecture; and the HiPhi (“hi-fi”) Z, a full-electric rival to the Porsche Taycan and Audi E-Tron GT that lists for 105,000 euros.

Bloomberg contributed to this report