Car Companies Clash at the 2024 Chengdu Auto Show: BYD Takes an Entire Hall, Chery Showcases 35 Models In 2024, competition among car companies intensifies. Only four months remain until year-end evaluations. With the arrival of the golden September and silver October, major car brands ramp up efforts. The upcoming Chengdu Auto Show highlights this fierce competition. Over 130 car companies will exhibit more than 1,600 vehicles at the show. BYD makes its debut in a dedicated hall. BBA sets up a huge booth. Ford brings an outdoor lifestyle experience to the show. Chery, Great Wall, and SAIC showcase their entire brand lineups. The event promises a vibrant display of automotive excellence. BYD dominates a hall with the launch of its new MPV. According to the China Automobile Association, from January to July 2024, Chinese brand passenger cars sold 8.742 million units, a 21.6% increase. These sales account for 62.6% of total passenger car sales. BYD leads the pack with 1.9554 million units sold, a 28.83% increase. In response to the vast consumer market in Southwest China and the first major A-level auto show of the second half, BYD invests heavily by renting an entire exhibition hall. The Dynasty series, Ocean series, Yangwang, Fangchengbao, and Tengshi models will all be on display. BYD will also unveil several new vehicles, including its new MPV. The highly anticipated 2025 Song L EV will officially launch at the show, and the Seal 06 GT will make its first live appearance.
Xiaomi Auto makes a splash with the arrival of the “Traffic Manager.” The Xiaomi SU7 showcases its full color range. At the Beijing Auto Show in April, Xiaomi Auto generated significant buzz. Founder Lei Jun attracted massive attention. At the Chengdu Auto Show, Xiaomi Auto will again be a focal point. During the event, the Xiaomi SU7 will debut in nine colors. These include Bay Blue, Elegant Gray, Olive Green, Dawn Purple, Lava Orange, Basalt Gray, Meteor Blue, Pearl White, and Diamond Black.
Xiaomi’s SU7 launched only four months ago. It has delivered over 40,000 units. This makes it the fastest-growing new car brand in terms of delivery. Before the Chengdu Auto Show, Hongmeng Intelligent released the new Wenjie M7 Pro. This marks the debut of the first coupe SUV, the Zhijie R7. At the Chengdu Auto Show, Hongmeng Intelligent will showcase the Wenjie M5, M7, M9, Xiangjie S9, Zhijie S7, and Zhijie R7. Before the show, Hongmeng Intelligent held its first new product launch. The Wenjie M7 Pro officially launched with a price range of 249,800 to 289,800 yuan (40780$). The new M7 Pro features the ADS basic intelligent driving system. It can achieve advanced functions like high-speed navigation NCA and urban LCC+ without needing lidar.
On the same day, Hongmeng Zhixing unveiled its first smart coupe SUV, the Zhijie R7. During the auto show, these two new cars will be on display. They will be a major highlight of the event.
According to data from Hongmeng Zhixing, its brands performed well in the market. AITO delivered 400,000 units of the Wenjie in 2 years and 5 months. The new Wenjie M5 surpassed 20,000 units in deliveries. The new Wenjie M7 became the top-selling SUV with over 300,000 units sold, reaching a total of 240,000 orders. The Wenjie M9 became the best-selling luxury car with over 120,000 units delivered. The flagship sedan, the Enjoy S9, achieved over 8,000 orders in just 20 days after launch. SAIC’s new energy vehicles are gaining momentum with the debut of the Zhiji LS6. For SAIC, 2024 presents many challenges. From January to July, SAIC Group’s deliveries reached 2.452 million, a decline compared to previous years. However, its new energy vehicles still performed well, with 619,000 units delivered, a 25.2% increase year-on-year. To address this, SAIC is increasing innovation and new product launches in this sector. On August 23, Zhiji announced that the new LS6 will officially launch at the 2024 Chengdu International Auto Show and will begin nationwide pre-sales. The LS6, nearly 5 meters long, can easily turn around on narrow roads. Its innovative “crab mode” allows it to move sideways, helping new drivers tackle challenges like parallel parking.
The joint venture brand SAIC Volkswagen ID. family will also appear at the auto show. New members ID.3 Smart and ID.4X Smart will debut in a fresh look. The new cars feature significant upgrades in smart technology, including smart cockpit and smart driving. Additionally, the highly anticipated “big toy” ID. Buzz will also make an appearance at the Chengdu Auto Show.
Great Wall Motors showcases five brands together. The 2.4T off-road cannon officially launches. Great Wall Motors presents its brands: Great Wall Cannon, Haval, Ora, Tank, and Wey. All brands focus on the new energy sector. The exhibition covers over 3,500 square meters, setting a record for domestic brands. In new vehicles, the “global high-performance off-road pickup” 2.4T off-road cannon launches. The global long-range high-performance luxury pickup—Shanhai Cannon Cross Edition—starts pre-sales. Great Wall Cannon releases two models, leading with superior global performance and boosting the value of Chinese pickups.
The Shanhai Pao RV debuts alongside the new Shanhai Pao N2 chassis. This chassis features high load capacity, strong power, excellent off-road capability, and luxury. It meets the modification needs for RVs, fire trucks, and rescue vehicles. Chery Group showcases 35 major models. The four brands—Chery, Exeed, Jetour, and iCAR—launch new vehicles at the auto show.
Chery will unveil the mass-produced concept car, the Fengyun E05. Jietu will start pre-sales for the Shanhai L7 model. The new member of the Ruijun champion family, the all-new Ruijun 8 PLUS, will also launch its pre-sale. Xingtu will showcase the Yaoguang C-DM electric four-wheel drive and the Xingjiyuan ES/ET for a premium new energy experience. iCAR will present the iCAR 03T and iCAR V23 among other key products. As the “technology leader,” Chery will display various tech exhibits. The Panshi body, C-DM disassembly display, Kunpeng 8AT exhibit, four-wheel drive exhibit, and ecological exhibits will all appear. BBA will set up an enormous exhibition area. BMW will showcase a record number of new cars. As domestic brands rise, joint venture brands see declining sales. Luxury brands also face significant challenges. In the Southwest market, strong demand for luxury cars persists. Last year, Chengdu ranked third among the top ten cities for luxury car sales, following Shanghai and Beijing. This makes the Chengdu Auto Show a key battleground for luxury car manufacturers. During the Chengdu Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and FAW Audi will each occupy over 3,000 square meters. BMW Group will bring 13 new models under the BMW and MINI brands, setting a record for new car displays at the Chengdu International Auto Show. The new BMW 3 Series family will fully refresh, and the new BMW 4 Series four-door coupe will debut. The all-new BMW 530i and the limited edition BMW X5 Black Flame will also be showcased.
Mercedes-Benz will showcase all its brand models. The new Mercedes-AMG EQE 53 4MATIC+ SUV will launch. The new Mercedes-AMG G63 and the new Mercedes-Benz G 500 will debut. The new smart #5, which premiered globally on August 28, will also appear at the Chengdu International Auto Show.
Compared to BMW and Mercedes, Audi released little information before the auto show. However, Li Fenggang, deputy general manager of FAW-Audi, announced that FAW-Audi will introduce the new Audi A5. They will extend it as per tradition. The extended FAW-Audi A5L will debut at the 2024 Chengdu Auto Show. In addition to the BBA brands, luxury brands like Lincoln, Lexus, Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo, Cadillac, and Genesis will also participate. GM’s high-end imported vehicle and lifestyle platform, Daolangge, will make its debut at the Chengdu Auto Show. Ford will bring outdoor lifestyle to the auto show. As outdoor activities grow in popularity in China, cycling, camping, hiking, and skiing attract more enthusiasts. Self-driving trips have become a key way for people to enjoy outdoor life. Ford, a pioneer in promoting outdoor camping lifestyles, will showcase its entire product lineup during the Chengdu Auto Show. They will highlight various outdoor activities and provide a comprehensive outdoor vehicle experience.
At the Chengdu Auto Show, the all-new Ford Explorer will debut. The entire lineup will see upgrades in performance, intelligence, and luxury features. The Ford Bronco will introduce new exterior colors and OTA upgrades, offering users a fresh outdoor experience. The professional-grade Ford Ranger, high-performance Ford F-150 Raptor, and the new generation Ford Mustang will also appear, creating a strong family of off-road products. In addition to these brands, other new energy brands like Li Auto, NIO, Leapmotor, Xpeng, Avita, Zeekr, Jihu, Haobo, Neta, Deep Blue, Lantu, and Ruylun will fiercely compete in technology and innovation. The Avita 07 will have its global debut at the Chengdu Auto Show. Leapmotor will showcase the C16 and 24 models. Lantu will present the new Lantu Dreamer and Lantu Zhi Yin, two major products. Overall, the Chengdu Auto Show is full of competition and hope. The determination to succeed and the pursuit of progress drive the quality changes and growth in the Chinese auto market.