Chinese brands, Tesla face off with BMW, VW, Mercedes at Munich show

Europe's most important auto show will provide insight into how successfully the region's established automakers can fight off a growing threat from Chinese rivals such as BYD and U.S. upstart Tesla.

The battleground is clear: electromobility, autonomous driving, fast-charging batteries with long ranges and user-friendly software features.

These will be the key themes of the IAA Mobility auto show in Munich (formerly held in Frankfurt), which has its press day on Monday, Sept. 4 and is open to the public from Sept. 5-10.

There will be nearly twice as many Chinese brands at the show this year as there were in 2021 when coronavirus travel restrictions kept away many exhibitors and visitors.

BYD and SAIC-owned MG Motor are seen by industry insiders as the main threat to European brands. BYD and MG are expanding step-by-step into Europe by targeting key markets and building up retail networks. Both companies are also looking to open factories in Europe.

Their strategies echo those of Japanese and South Korean automakers such as Toyota, Hyundai and Kia. The fact that there will be no Japanese or Korean brands at the show shines the spotlight even more strongly on Chinese newcomers.

Europe's giants are not standing still. Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Renault will debut their latest electric cars in Munich.

Tesla will also make a rare auto show appearance.

European supplier giants such as Robert Bosch, Continental and Valeo also face growing competition from Chinese competitors as well as U.S. tech giants in fields such as autonomous-driving, battery technology and software.

Qualcomm, Nvidia and Intel's Mobileye will be highlighting their latest technologies, alongside with Google and Amazon.

China's electric mobility showcase, the World New Energy Vehicle Congress, will be held as part of the Munich show on Sept. 6, the first time it has been staged outside China. BMW CEO Oliver Zipse and Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius are among the speakers.

Below are some key debuts.

AUDI

Audi will show a new display operating concept in its Q6 E-tron, which will be exhibited as a camouflaged prototype. The Q6 E-tron is the first of the brand's new generation all-electric cars. Audi will also show how the Q6 E-tron's PPE platform, which was co-developed with Porsche, will provide the technical foundations of future e-mobility products from the brand.

BMW

BMW's Vision Neue Klasse previews a near-production design study for a i4-sized all-electric sedan due in 2025. The concept has a design that has been “pared down to the essentials,” BMW said. Classic BMW features such as the Hofmeister kink on the rear pillar, the kidney grille and the so-called shark nose reverse-angled front end are retained but updated to give a more progressive look. To read more about the car, click here.

BYD

BYD, which released a video on August 9 calling for the country's automakers to "demolish the old legends," continues its push into European markets at the show. The company is giving a European debut to its Denza premium electric brand, a joint venture with Mercedes-Benz. The D9, China’s best-selling minivan, will “hopefully” be coming to Europe, said BYD's European head said. BYD is also showcasing new EVs from the BYD brand that it plans to launch in Europe including the Seal midsize sedan and Seal U midsize SUV. With those additions, BYD's European portfolio grows to six models.

CUPRA

The Tavascan, Cupra's first all-electric SUV that shares its MEB underpinnings with the Audi Q4 E-tron and VW ID4, will get a public outing. The VW Group brand will also burnish its performance credentials by showing the Formentor VZ5 BAT, a 385-hp limited-edition black-colored version of the Formentor compact crossover.

DONGFENG

The Chinese automaker is poised to sell vehicles in Europe including the M6 passenger van.

FORD

Ford will have an open-air booth at Munich's Königsplatz. The automaker is expected to highlight its latest battery-electric cars including the European market Explorer compact SUV, which is based of Volkswagen Group's MEB platform.

HIPHI

The high-end EV startup will show the Z GT sedan at the auto show grounds, while the X SUV and the Y sedan with gullwing rear doors will be on display at its new retail space, called the HiPhi Hub, at Munich airport.

LEAPMOTOR

The Chinese startup is in talks with VW Group to provide EV technology to VW's budget Jetta brand in China. The brand has launched the T03 minicar in Europe; the next model set for a European launch is the C11 SUV.

MERCEDES-BENZ

Mercedes-Benz will debut the Concept CLA Class full-electric car. The production version will be the first of the automaker's new generation of entry level compact cars based on the Modular Architecture (MMA) platform. It will have a range of more than 750 km(466 miles) under the WLTP test cycle. The E-Class All-Terrain, an off-road variant of the E-Class, will also debut, along with updated versions of the EQA and EQB electric SUVs.

MG

MG, which sold about 100,000 cars in Europe in the first half, will show the Cyberster full-electric sports car; the MG4 Electric XPOWER, a high-performance variant of the compact EV; and the MG Marvel R, an all-wheel-drive high-performance version of the electric SUV.

MINI

Mini is launching two new full-electric models -- the Cooper E/SE small hatchback and Countryman SUV.

The three-door Mini Cooper will replace the current battery-electric version of the Mini hatchback.The Cooper E and the higher specced SE version are based on an electric platform developed by the Spotlight Automotive joint venture between BMW and Great Wall. They will be built in China.

The Countryman has two variants badged E and the higher-specced SE ALL4. It has grown in size compared to the current combustion-engine model to move it into the compact SUV category from the small segment. It shares its platform with the BMW iX1 compact EV and will be built alongside the iX1 in BMW’s plant in Leipzig, Germany.

OPEL

Opel says its Experimental all-electric concept car gives a "clear vision" of the Stellantis brand's future design and technology direction. A production version could revive the brand's Manta name used on an Opel sports-coupe built from 1970 until 1988. The brand will also debut all-electric versions of the Corsa and Astra Sports Tourer.

POLESTAR

The high-performance EV brand will show the Polestar 2 midsize sedan and Polestar 3 large SUV in a city center display area.

RENAULT

Renault is revealing the new Scenic E-Tech, a full-electric compact SUV and a sister model to the Megane E-Tech that was launched last year. The Scenic E-Tech offers more than 620 km (385 miles) of range. That is enough to drive from Paris to Frankfurt on a single charge. 

SERES

Seres, which is the cellphone giant Huawei's EV brand, has begun selling two models in Europe, the Seres 5 midsize coupe SUV (known as the Aito M5 in China) and the smaller Seres 3 crossover.

SMART

The onetime Mercedes-Benz brand is now a 50-50 joint venture with Geely. At the Munich show Smart will give the #3 compact SUV a European debut.

TESLA

The EV maker will show a face-lifted version of the Model 3. The company will present its vehicles in an open-air booth at Munich's Königsplatz. Its participation in the Munich show comes after CEO Elon Musk said in May that the company will use traditional advertising for the first time.

VOLKSWAGEN

VW brand will launch a performance version of its upcoming small battery-electric car using its GTI badge. The brand is previewing the high-powered small EV at the show with the ID GTI concept.

VW's ninth-generation Passat gets a debut. The midsize car will be sold only as a station wagon as sedan buyers switch to SUVs and crossovers. The wagon is longer than the current car and has more cargo space. The new Passat has been designed alongside the upcoming Skoda Superb and will be built in the same VW Group factory in Bratislava, Slovakia.

XPENG

Xpeng's partnership with VW in China for EV technology instantly raised the automaker’s profile in Europe, where it has just started deliveries of the P7 midsize sedan. The P7 large sedan and G9, a midsize SUV, are on display. Xpeng said those two cars plus the G6 SUV it will enter the German and French markets starting in 2024.