Pictures From The Chengdu Motor Show. The What?

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

“A model poses beside a car by Beijing-Hyundai during the 15th Chengdu Motor Show (CDMS) in Chengdu City, southwest China’s Sichuan Province,” writes China’s state-owned Xinhua news agency under a spread that is long on long legged girls and short on cars. Well, we aren’t Xinhua.

You will be immediately familiar with the toothy grin. But have you ever heard of the Chengdu Motor Show? That annual affair in the city of 14 million in China’s Southwest is gaining in importance as the car industry reaches into China’s vast hinterlands and to demographics that just yesterday were thought to live under a rock. The Chengdu show is the perfect stage to show off cars that appeal to China’s masses of all strata.

TTAC didn’t go to the show. We will be in Chengdu next week as guests of the Global Automotive Forum, and three days of spicy Sichuan cuisine is enough. Our friend Tycho de Feyter of Carnewschina has a solid handle on the show anyways.

Ford announced only two days ago that the Lincoln brand would come to China in 2014. Today we see three Lincolns arriving at the exhibition hall for the Chengdu Auto Show.

The Chevrolet Malibu 1.6 Turbo has been launched on the China auto market, priced at 209.900 yuan ($33,000).

The 1.6 turbo comes with 180hp and 235nm, mated to a 6-speed manual.

The monster Cadillac CTS-V Coupe was officially launched on the China auto market during the first day of the Chengdu Auto Show. Price is set at 1.28 million yuan or 202.000 USD. The CTS-V Coupe is powered by a 6.2 liter supercharged V8 with 556hp and 747nm. Cadillac already sells the CTS sedan in China but only with the 3.0 and 3.6 V-sixes.

The star of the show is the new Jetta. Two were seen driving around in downtown Chengdu on the day before the show – without license plates. The new Jetta replaces the ancient Jetta MK2, which coincidentally can be seen right behind the two new cars.

This is the new Volkswagen (China) Jetta debuted earlier today and will be launched in China before the end of this year.

Despite other rumors from Brazil (that got lost in a tempest in the Oriental tea pot), the new Jetta swill definitely be based on Volkswagen’s PQ25 platform which also underpins the new Volkswagen Santana which is expected to debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November.

The new Jetta will be made in China by the FAW-Volkswagen joint venture, it will be produced in Changchun and in a new factory in Chengdu. Engines: 1.4 with 89bhp or a 1.6 with 109bhp, mated to a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic.

A new arrival from Germany: The Mercedes-Benz B-class. The B-class is imported, there are no plans yet for local production. Prices start at 278.000 yuan ($44,000) and end at 328.000 yuan ($52,000). Two engines: B180 with 122hp and the B200 with 156hp. The first B’s will be delivered to customers late next month.

For more Chengdu coverage, head over to Carnewschina. They will be on it all week.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Willman Willman on Sep 01, 2012

    I see the girl in the first picture is in charge of greeting the Italian delgation.

    • CRConrad CRConrad on Sep 10, 2012

      Naah; shouldn't her left hand be cupping her right elbow in the palm for that gesture? Supporting it on the back of the hand seems... sloppy.

  • PrincipalDan PrincipalDan on Sep 01, 2012

    Six speed manual in a MALIBU! I don't care who owns GM, it is officially a Chinese company now.

  • EBFlex China can F right off.
  • MrIcky And tbh, this is why I don't mind a little subsidization of our battery industry. If the American or at least free trade companies don't get some sort of good start, they'll never be able to float long enough to become competitive.
  • SCE to AUX Does the WTO have any teeth? Seems like countries just flail it at each other like a soft rubber stick for internal political purposes.
  • Peter You know we’ve entered the age of self driving vehicles When KIAs go from being stolen to rolling away by themselves.
  • Analoggrotto TTAC is full of drug addicts with short memories. Just beside this article is another very beautiful article about how the EV9 was internationally voted by a renowned board of automotive experts who are no doubt highly educated, wealthy and affluent; the best vehicle in entire world. That's planet earth for you numbskulls. Let me repeat: the best vehicle in the world is the Kia EV9. Voted, and sealed, and if you try to deny it Fanny Willis is ready to prosecute you; but she will send her boyfriend instead because she is busy.
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