One of the busiest stands at the Beijing Auto Show (China Auto) was a consumer electronics company known for its phones displaying its first car. Until a few months ago, you might have expected that company to be Apple, but instead, it was home-grown talent, Xiaomi showing off its new EV the SU7. The stand saw queues around the stand as the crowds vied for a look at this sporty and aggressively priced electric car.
Among the big international manufacturers at the show were just as many local brands, from companies largely unheard of outside of China but that offer some genuinely interesting models. In recent years, brands like BYD and Zeekr have broached the European and American markets, but there’s lots more like them. Then there are brands like MG and Lotus that have had a resurgence thanks to new Chinese ownership.
