Shanghai noon

Cars shining under the arclights at the Shanghai Motor Show.

Bang for your Buick
Buick has been making quick inroads into China. From its early days with the two generations old Corsa to the new American Buick sedans, they have been extremely successful in their endeavour, as they've moved into double digit marketshare figures and even usurping Volkswagen as the largest overseas player in China.

To build on its success, Buick will reveal the Park Avenue sedan and the Riviera concept. Built on the same platform as the Holden Caprice, the Park Avenue uses an elongated wheelbase. This has resulted in more space on the inside and more luxury features.

Powering the sedan are either a 2800cc or 3600 V6 producing 201 and 250 bhp respectively. The Riviera concept, on the other hand, is a two-door coupe designed in GM's Asian design studios.

It might bring forth Buick's new design direction as it moves into more world markets. GM hopes to one day sell 70 per cent of its cars in markets like Mexico, Brazil, China and India, up from the current 55 per cent.

Quo vadis?
The Audi Q7 has brought fame and fortune to the Ingolstadt manu-facturer. With more than 40,000 units sold in its first full year, the Audi's first proper SUV will now be joined by its smaller brother, the Q5.

Of course, we won't be seeing the actual production vehicle but a concept of what could be badged such.

To take the BMW X3 and Land Rover Freelander head-on, the Q5 will feature a lineup of petrol and diesel engine options and a price tag that will see it slot the five-seater between the A4 and A6 sedans.

Chinese lessons
A few years back when Chinese car companies started making their presence felt at auto shows, they were heavily criticised for copying existing designs and even doing a not so good job of it. But since Nanjing Auto purchased Rover and Chery Auto signed a deal with GM, the Chinese have been quick in learning their lessons.

By hiring American and European expertise, car makers like Geely and Chery have shown glimpses of having made the jump. Geely will preview a new coupe that somewhat resembles the Nissan Skyline GT-R and might be powered by a V6.

Two cars based on their M100 platform will also be previewed, but these are hybrids using methanol and an electric motor. Geely claims these are up to 20 per cent energy efficient.

Chery might give European car makers sleepless nights with its Shooting Brake concept. Resembling the Prius, the Shooting Brake concept is a Hyundai i30-sized hatchback with an overall design philosophy not very different from its European counterparts.

Chery might also use the platform spawned from the concept to make a push into developed markets such as Europe.