Global Carmakers Woo Chinese Consumers at Shanghai Auto Show

Concept cars, global launches, indigenous brands and electric vehicles are all set to grab the attention of Chinese consumers during the Shanghai Auto Show.

Top automakers globally are focused on China, the world’s largest auto market.

Car sales there rose by a third last year to 13.8 million units.

Volvo launched its new luxury car, the Concept Universe, on the first day of the show.

[Stefan Jacoby, CEO, Volvo]:
„This is just a glimpse where we see the future of Volvo cars. Again, this is a concept car, it’s called Concept Universe. It is a glimpse in which language we want to go in respect of our design.“

U.S. carmaker Ford is planning to increase its presence in China.

Ford’s CEO in China says he expects the Chinese auto market to grow significantly in 2011.

[Joe Hinrichs, CEO, Ford China]:
„In China, we’re expecting a five to ten percent growth this year. What we saw on the first quarter was consistent with that. For us, it’s a sustainable level of growth, it’s predictable and we think it’s the right level of growth for the future.“

Another U.S. automaker, General Motors, plans to introduce around 60 new and upgraded models in China over the next five years.

[Kevin Wale, President, GM China]:
„This is a big launch for us. It’s a big segment of the market, and we think that we are bringing something unique to the market for China.“

Carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen unveiled its new DS5 premium five-seater car on Monday, ahead of the Shanghai Auto Show.

Citroen hopes that the DS5 will lure younger customers in China.

The show runs through the 28th.

Foto: NTD