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Mazda CX 4 ・ Photo by Mazda USA
The biennial Beijing Auto Show recently opened for the press, and Autobtyel experts were quick to get their eyes on the latest news from overseas. The lowdown: Much as here in the United States, demand for crossovers and SUVs is surging in China, and so are company efforts to meet that demand. Thus, there were plenty of those kinds of vehicles on hand in Beijing, including a number that will either come to the United States as-is, or influence future products.
The Acura CDX is a compact crossover that was “designed primarily for the Chinese market,” according to Honda, but likely previews a new U.S. entry that would slot under the current Acura RDX. After all, that would put the CDX in a quickly growing segment that already has attracted entries from the likes of Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Buick. Power for the CDX showing at the Beijing Auto Show comes from the 1.5-liter turbocharged engine introduced for the 2016 Honda Civic, in which it makes 174 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque. Also notable are the CDX’s eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, Jewel Eye LED headlights, new-style Acura grille and overall size. Although the CDX shares hardware with the Honda HR-V, the Acura vehicle is 177 inches in length and rides on a 102.8-inch wheelbase, while its corporate cousin is a noticeable 8 and 2 inches shorter in those measures.
The (former) Zoom-zoom brand also added to its crossover lineup at the Beijing Auto Show, premiering the Mazda CX-4. It’s not, however, meant to fit between the Mazda CX-3 and Mazda CX-5. Indeed, the CX-4 is a few inches longer than the CX-5, but combines that with a similar reduction in height to create sportier, more coupe-like proportions that emphasize the company’s focus on driving dynamics. Yet the CX-4 also maintains 7.8 inches of ground clearance—and offers Mazda’s i-ACTIV all-wheel-drive system—to keep its crossover/SUV credentials. Motivation for the Mazda CX-4 is provided by the brand’s capable 2.0- and 2.5-liter SKYACTIV engines; six-speed manual and automatic transmissions are supplied for the former, while the bigger powerplant is paired solely with the automatic. For efficiency’s sake, Mazda’s i-ELOOP regenerative-braking technology will be available to deliver a fuel-saving electrical energy boost, and the CX-4 also will showcase Mazda’s i-ACTIVSENSE driver-assistance measures.
Photo by Mazda USA
Buick has long been one of the most popular luxury brands in China, and the world debut of the Buick LaCrosse Hybrid Electric Vehicle at the Beijing Auto Show is an example of how the company keeps on the cutting edge in that country. The LaCrosse Hybrid benefits from of all of the upgrades of the next-gen 2017 model, which is slated to go on sale in the United States this summer, complete with concept-car styling, Buick’s top infotainment and safety technologies, and a premium, yet performance-oriented, driving experience. The difference-maker for the hybrid is, obviously, in the powertrain, where Buick engineers have installed both a 1.8-liter engine with spark-ignited direct injection and a 1.5 kWh high-performance lithium battery. Per Buick, that results in a 35-percent drop in fuel consumption as compared to the LaCrosse e-Assist model, which would work out to EPA ratings of about 34 mpg city/48 mpg highway/39 mpg combined.
Photo by General Motors
The Lexus IS premium compact sedan was significantly refreshed for its Beijing Auto Show appearance, gaining a sharp new appearance itself. Perhaps most prominent are the car’s deeply sculpted front air ducts, now framing a reshaped Lexus “spindle” grille, but there’s also a more sharply defined side character line that helps give the car a sleeker, lower road presence. A new standard wheel design debuts as well, featuring a 10-spoke configuration and bright machined finish. Lexus further builds on the athletic promise of the IS with revisions to the F SPORT model, like functional brake ducts for enhanced cooling. Also cool: the car’s new rectangular-shaped, chrome-tipped exhaust tips and two new exterior colors, Deep Blue Mica and Graphite Black Glass Flake. In the cabin, changes include a 10.3-inch multimedia display screen—2.7 inches bigger than in the previous IS—and “enter” buttons to simplify using the car’s Remote Touch Interface controller.
Photo by Lexus
The four-rings brand brought two new sports cars to the Beijing Auto Show: high-performance “RS” variants of the Audi TT coupe and TT roadster. Both are backed by a new 2.5-liter, five-cylinder engine with Audi’s TSFI turbocharging and direct-injection technologies, and that unit yields an impressive 400 horsepower and 354 lb.-ft. of torque. Even better, it also posts a 0-60 time under 3.7 seconds for the coupe and below 3.9 seconds for the convertible. Audi limits the top speed to 250 km/h (155.3 mph) in either case—though, “upon request,” the brand will recalibrate engine settings to allow the cars to reach 280 km/h (173.9 mph). Naturally, the TT RS twins also ride with standard quattro all-wheel-drive systems for great grip during enthusiastic operation. And even if enthusiasts won’t find a manual transmission, the standard S tronic automatic “shifts at lightning speed.”
Photo by Audi Media Services
Porsche used the Beijing Auto Show to continue to rationalize its entry-level, mid-engine roadster and coupe lineup. The brand had started by thoroughly updating the convertible as the 718 Boxster—in honor of an influential Porsche race car from the late 1950s—and that included the debut of new, four-cylinder turbocharged engines in Porsche’s hallmark “flat” piston configuration. Now, in China, the Porsche team has applied the same engineering and design principles to the Boxster’s closed-cabin counterpart. That car, the Porsche 718 Cayman, carries the same powertrains as the Boxster, and boasts the same 0-60 times, too. With the standard 2.0-liter turbo that makes 300 horsepower and 280 lb.-ft of torque, that would be 4.5 seconds; moving up to the 2.5-liter unit in the Cayman S ups outputs to 350 horsepower and 309 lb.-ft. of torque, lowering 0-60 acceleration to 4 seconds in the process. The new Cayman is coming in late November.
Photo by Porsche
People get to see some true concept vehicles at this year’s Beijing Auto Show as well. For example, Infiniti’s QX Sport Inspiration is a design study for a future midsize SUV from the brand, relying on a new approach to style that’s termed “Powerful Elegance.” Among the cues called out by Infiniti are a new take on the brand’s double-arch grille, which is complemented by “human-eye” headlamps, and a revised “crescent-cut” rear roof pillar that modernizes a traditional Infiniti style touch. The surfaced, muscular flanks of the QX Sport Inspiration also attract attention, with a bold character line flowing out of the vehicle’s headlamps and streaking rearward, to where blade-shaped taillamps finish the look. The interior is distinguished by a handcrafted appearance, a driver-centric layout, and a sophisticated black-and-white color scheme that contrasts darker shapes, purposely designed to look like body armor, with “the soft and gentle forms of the brighter white surfaces.”
Photo by Infiniti Media
VW’s long-awaited full-size crossover crept a little closer to production with the reveal of the Volkswagen T-Prime Concept GTE at the Beijing Auto Show. But if you’re waiting for something more mainstream than the Tiguan or Touareg, this won’t necessarily be it. Instead, this concept is a plug-in hybrid that seats four in premium, high-tech luxury, highlighted by an all-digital display setup; it visually unifies the driver’s virtual instrumentation and the infotainment screen in one flowing piece, somewhat similar to the virtual cockpit available from VW’s upscale Audi division. The advanced plug-in powertrain then provides an all-electric driving range of 31 miles, a fuel-consumption rate of 29 mpg in standard drive mode, and the ability to hit 87 mpg in its electrically assisted GTE setting. And that’s with permanent 4Motion all-wheel drive. Yet because VW also values sportiness, the T-Prime touts 375 horsepower, 516 lb.-ft of torque, and a 0-60 time of 6 seconds.
Photo by Volkswagen
The all-new 2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class successfully launched in the United States with a flagship’s worth of features and full-size dimensions, so it’s approximately a foot shorter than the brand’s actual flagship sedan, the S-Class. It’s the space between the two where Mercedes’ Beijing Auto Show premiere, the long-wheelbase E-Class, comes into play. Mercedes engineers increased the length of the standard E-Class by 5.5 inches to develop the new model, with the goal being to provide rear-seat passengers with a VIP-style travel experience. Additionally helping that regard is an infotainment touchpad mounted in the rear-seat armrest. As to a possible U.S. appearance, this is another entry explicitly targeting the Chinese marketplace, but it also would fill the same hole in the U.S. lineup mentioned above, between the regular E-Class and the S-Class.
Photo by Daimler Media
Sure, the smart fortwo is usually thought of as a fuel-efficient city car, yet it also makes for an unexpected choice as a rear-wheel-drive performance coupe. Consider: With Smart’s BRABUS tuning partners working their magic, the fortwo enjoys a 20-horsepower spike and an extra 25 lb.-ft of torque. A BRABUS sport-tuned suspension is standard to optimize the Smart car’s nimble dimensions, and it’s matched with a BRABUS exhaust system designed to minimize backpressure. Even steering and transmission performance are improved, thanks to Direct-Steer variable-effort technology and a revised six-speed “twinamic” dual-clutch gearbox. Finally, for the ultimate in Smart driving excitement, the brand also announced a BRABUS Xclusive line of accessories at the Beijing Auto Show, offering sport seats with perforated Nappa leather, an exclusive instrument panel and dashboard setup, and assorted floormats and badges.
Photo by Daimler Media