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Meinungsbeitrag

Auto Mechanika 2024: China is coming - more massive than ever!

Our tour in Hall 12.1 confirmed: China's automotive industry is picking up speed – with entirely new design and construction details of its own, often joyfully color-coordinated. In every shade except gray!

The colorful Avatr 07 is just an example of many new detailed innovations that Chinese manufacturers in the automotive sector now dare to implement. | Photo: G. Soller
The colorful Avatr 07 is just an example of many new detailed innovations that Chinese manufacturers in the automotive sector now dare to implement. | Photo: G. Soller
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Gregor Soller

According to Dr. Ralf Kaiser, who is currently responsible for communication and marketing at BYD, the conquest speed of Chinese brands is still slow but persistent. And our tour through Hall 12.1, which resembled a small Beijing Motorshow, showed that Chinese manufacturers are now tackling the issue of design and innovations on their own.

Especially at Avatr, the premium subsidiary of Changan and CATL, they went all out: under the windshield, the avatars can communicate with the surroundings via display. Inside, there are new ideas for door panels with elegant buttons to open and hidden, visually integrated handles to close.

And in terms of color, Hongqi and BYD are also turning quite a bit on its head: large-scale rose-beige upholstery and steering wheels? Or even lavender or pastel purple interiors? Of course, why not, we ask ourselves as old-fashioned colorful designers – it's wonderful to see this fresh bravery!

This also applies to dramatically angular steering wheels, which are hopefully direct enough, and new display graphics, razor-sharp. And often we saw a central rotary push button – I-Drive says hello!

For this, the Avatr 12 or Polestar 4 forgoes the rear window and offers a total of three camera mirrors. The sun visors are sometimes made of tinted plexiglass at the bottom, and the seats are also being newly reinvented and resemble elegant lounge chairs rather than black car seats. And yes, they are comfortable to sit in.

Even though not everything is always well-received, as David Green, Head of Strategy at Lynk & Co., explains to us. Indeed, in Europe, they are sticking with the 01 model first introduced in 2016, which has now been slightly refreshed. Green actually oversees the website where people can express what they like and what they don't. And the feedback was crystal clear: performance, craftsmanship, quality, everything is great! But the infotainment and the blue color on the wheels – and the fact that it only came in blue and black – that didn't go over well at all. That's why Green is replacing the blue with the option for a fresh green and swapping the dual-color seats, which are partially made from fishing nets, for boring faux leather – albeit with yellow-green accent stitching. It's a pity that Europe doesn't embrace as much color as China – which would do us good in every way!

What does this mean?

No, China won't wait anymore and will increasingly continue to develop the car itself. And bring its own innovations to the market. Where this can lead is seen in toys and model cars: When an acquaintance wanted to have a prototype of an inflatable sled vest made, all German companies that produce inflatable animals and furniture declined: They only distribute the products now. Production has been in the Far East for years and has been continually developed there. With the knowledge of how to make a simple inflatable swim ring or beach ball as cheaply or as high-quality as possible, they can no longer help!

Translated automatically from German.
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