More than a thousand cars from nearly as many companies made their debut ahead of the 2017 Shanghai auto show on Wednesday, reflecting the latest in technology and intelligent design.
A total of 1,400 cars from multinational automakers hit the floor at Auto Shanghai 2017, known officially as the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition.
This year, big names in the industry including Volkswagen, Toyota, and BMW are highlighting electric vehicles and self-driving cars, hoping to bring the future of automobiles to the large Chinese market.
"Generally, the automotive industry in China will be fully connected, will be more and more pure-driven electric and as well in the long term with more autonomous driving," said Dr. Jochem Heizmann, the president of Volkswagen Group China.
Chinese auto manufacturers are also bringing innovation to the table, with Changan launching a car equipped with nifty tech such as intelligent voice interaction, remote control, and wireless charging. The company, and many others, wants to appeal to popular tastes as well as niche consumers.
"I think the consumption of the new urban youth and the new technology can generate new consumer demands, which will promote the Chinese auto industry to diversified and multi-layer development with a new direction," said Wang Jun, vice president of Changan Automotive Group.
Auto Shanghai 2017 will be open to the public from Friday to April 28, and is expected to attract about a million visitors.
