2008 Beijing Motor Show Highlights

Mercedes-Benz GLK

The German car company has had great success building luxury SUVs, and early next year it will take on the luxury compact SUV market with the all-new GLK. Making its world debut in Beijing, the GLK features a more chiseled, angular style somewhat reminiscent of the first Mercedes SUV, the G-Class. For the U.S. market the new model will be sold as the GLK350, sporting a 3.5-liter V6 engine putting out 268 horsepower. Available with two- or four-wheel drive, the GLK comes with a slew of standard features, including 19-inch wheels, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth connectivity and multiple airbags. A rear-seat entertainment system featuring two eight-inch screens, wireless headphones and an integrated dual-source DVD player will also be available. The GLK350 is expected to arrive stateside in January 2009 as a 2010 model.

View Pictures:  2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK

Buick Invicta

It was no big surprise that Buick would be making news at the Beijing Motor Show. After all, General Motors sells more Buicks in China than in any other country, including the U.S. The news in question was the world debut of the all-new Invicta concept. The large 4-door sedan features a bold grille with sweeping lines, giving the appearance of speed even when standing still. The high beltline and low roof give the Invicta the sleek lines of a coupe, and fit well with the 20-inch polished alloy wheels. Following Buick tradition, the Invicta features three portholes on each side, but instead of being placed on the fenders, they are located on either side of the hood. The Invicta gets Buick’s first direct-injected turbocharged engine, a four-cylinder powerplant that produces 250 horsepower. In no way is the Invicta a production car, but future Buicks will likely take many of the styling cues introduced on this sexy sedan concept.

View Pictures:  Buick Invicta Concept

Watch Video:  Buick Invicta Reveal

Chery Faira

Chery is one of the largest automobile producers in China, and boasted one of the largest stands at the Beijing show. The display’s center of attention (beyond the dozens of beautiful models showing off the cars), was the new Faira series of cars. An all new platform, the Faira series includes a 2-door hatchback, 4-door hatchback, 4-door sedan, compact SUV and sporty coupe and a convertible. All feature a fuel-efficient, clean-running 1.3-liter engine. Fit and finish looked good on the Fairas on display, and the many choices on one platform show the versatility of the brand.

View Pictures:  Chery Automobiles

Great Wall GWKULLA

About the size of a smart car, this cute 2-seater is still a concept but shows the direction Great Wall is taking to combat high fuel prices as well as bad air quality in Beijing. GWKULLA is an electric car with zero emissions and a range of about 65 miles. Though no details were provided about the battery technology, it did garner plenty of attention as it was driven up and down the stage periodically during the show.

Dongfeng Mengshi

Tucked away in a corner of the Beijing Motor show was a very familiar-looking heavy-duty SUV. Although it looks almost exactly like a Hummer H1, this is actually the Dongfeng Mengshi—Mengshi is Chinese for “Warrior.” We’re uncertain as to the relationship with Hummer and General Motors, but the spokesperson for Dongfeng told us the vehicle is based directly on the Hummer, and that it would first be built for military use and eventually become available as a civilian vehicle. That scenario sounds very familiar.

Guangzhou Honda LI NIAN

The LI NIAN concept received a lot of attention at the Beijing Motor Show, and not just because of its bold design. LI NIAN will be a new brand created by Guangzhou Honda, a production and sales joint venture in China. The concept on display gave an idea of the direction the brand will take when it brings out its first production car in 2010. Guangzhou Honda receives support from Honda in Japan, but the idea behind the LI NIAN brand is to create products designed specifically to meet the needs of the Chinese customer. With this partnership Honda became the first foreign automaker in China to develop products under an original brand of a local joint venture company.

Message Board: Is it only a matter of time before there are Chinese-made vehicles on American roads?

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