Auto Shanghai 2025, also referred to as the Shanghai Worldwide Car Exhibition, kicked off earlier this week and we’ve already been handled to a raft of thrilling new mannequin reveals!
From rough-and-tough off-road SUVs to plug-in hybrid (PHEV) utes and electrical sports activities automobiles, the twenty first working of the biennial Chinese language motor present since 1985 has had all of it and there’s nonetheless lots to come back.
Followers of the Toyota Prado shall be keeping track of the Geely Galaxy Cruiser, an electrified 4×4 that may very well be among the many six ‘new vitality’ fashions Geely has promised for Australia within the subsequent three years.
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Then there’s the Nissan Frontier Professional, an all-new PHEV ute to tackle the likes of the BYD Shark 6 and Ford Ranger PHEV.
Zeekr continues to wow crowds, this time with the 9X massive SUV. It appears to be like like a Rolls-Royce Cullinan, however the bones are undeniably Zeekr – a plug-in hybrid powertrain, air suspension, greater than 380km of electrical vary, and a 0-100km/h time of three seconds.
We may go on, however you get the image. There’s quite a bit happening in Shanghai this week, and listed here are our favorite reveals thus far.
Tell us your decide within the feedback under!
Marton Pettendy: Nissan Frontier Professional
Nissan’s new Mitsubishi Triton-based Navara continues to be not less than a 12 months away from Australian showrooms, however this all-new plug-in hybrid dual-cab revealed in China this week may complement it properly.
With a plug-in hybrid powertrain that slams out 300kW of energy and 800Nm of torque, and gives 135km of electric-only driving vary, it may grow to be Nissan’s Australia’s reply to the favored BYD Shark 6, GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, and the upcoming Ford Ranger PHEV.
Armed with an all-new look and superior powertrain tech, it couldn’t solely present Nissan with a two-pronged assault within the booming native ute market, however grow to be a useful asset to assist it meet the federal authorities’s bold new emissions targets – whether or not or not the subsequent Navara brings hybrid in addition to diesel energy.
James Wong: Lexus ES
Get misplaced haters – I reckon the new-generation Lexus ES is a vibe, and a welcome departure from the frumpy design of the present mid-size luxurious sedan. The facet profile and the rear-end particularly are to die for.
The silvery color of the unique launch photos didn’t do the brand new ES justice; try the ES500e in bronze, which is far nicer and with sportier wheels it appears to be like fairly imply.
I believe the 2026 Lexus ES is a giant sign from the Toyota and Lexus manufacturers too, given the TNGA-Ok structure has mainly been re-engineered to accommodate each hybrid and electrical powertrains.
Additionally props to Lexus Australia for placing its hand up for each of them from launch. Although the all-wheel drive variations are but to be confirmed for native launch, there needs to be an ES for everybody – supplied you need a hybrid or EV luxurious sedan.
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William Stopford: Zeekr 9X
In China, the home manufacturers have considerably upped their sport over the previous a number of years, to the purpose the place patrons there are abandoning American, European, Japanese and Korean manufacturers in important numbers.
It was nice, then, to see the likes of Lexus, Mazda and Nissan struggle to stay related in China, with every revealing spectacular new automobiles – a few of these not doable with out the intensive help of Chinese language joint-venture companions.
My colleagues have all praised these new Japanese-brand automobiles already, so given I’m among the many final to produce my reply I’m going to go along with one thing from a Chinese language model.
We haven’t seen the inside but, however the Zeekr 9X is glitzy, gaudy, gauche and but surprisingly charming. Beneath the slab-sided bodywork is an intriguing powertrain, the primary hybrid from what has all the time been an EV model.
It contains a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 205kW of energy, mated with a 290kW entrance electrical motor and a 370kW rear electrical motor, with a claimed electrical vary of greater than 380km and a 0-100km/h time of three seconds.
It rides on air suspension, too, and options 5 LiDAR items.
The Chinese language manufacturers haven’t solely matured, they’ve flourished. It’s exceptional how not too way back, Chinese language manufacturers had been promoting blandly styled, cheaply constructed automobiles with outdated tech both licensed or reverse-engineered from overseas manufacturers.
Now, the likes of Audi and Mazda are leaning closely on Chinese language carmakers to develop and produce new fashions, and the overseas manufacturers that had been as soon as capable of take the Chinese language market with no consideration are struggling to maintain their heads above water. This sea change is exemplified by automobiles like, amongst others, the Zeekr 9X.
Josh Nevett: GWM V8
Engine downsizing is rife throughout the trade as producers race to fulfill tightening emissions requirements, threatening the very existence of the mighty eight-cylinder.
So it got here as a shock when GWM ripped the covers off a brand new V8 in Shanghai this week, and it looks as if an epic feat of engineering.
Supported by twin turbochargers and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) expertise, the box-fresh V8 powertrain will supply a number of selectable personalities, from silent electrical metropolis driving to exhilarating freeway efficiency.
And after greater than three years of growth, the brand new V8 is now into account for a wide range of fashions to be offered in China and export markets together with Australia.
Amongst these touted for manufacturing is a V8 model of the Tank 300, a risk that has me uncharacteristically excited for a brand new SUV.
The Tank 300 has made its title as a cut-price various to our favorite off-roaders, and I believe it has much more allure than lots of the SUVs hitting our market at current.
Add a robust and environment friendly V8 to the combo and GWM could be onto a winner. Let’s simply hope the decision-makers in China agree.
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Max Davies: Lexus ES
I reviewed the Lexus UX300e round six months again, and although it has flaws I completely loved the small electrical SUV.
It was my first extended expertise in any Lexus car, and one thing about its match, end and the way in which it drove completely offered me on the thought of Japanese luxurious motoring. There are three predominant points although, beginning with the ridiculous price ticket.
The second is the actual fact it’s a reasonably unassuming SUV that wasn’t constructed to be electrical, and the final is that it has far an excessive amount of energy to place by way of solely the entrance wheels. It received me considering although – a totally electrical, rear-wheel drive, ES-size Lexus sedan would absolutely be wonderful. Why don’t they only construct one?
Nicely, it appears they now have. The brand new ES appears to be like prefer it ticks all these bins besides being rear-drive, which I’m keen to forgive as a result of Lexus may even make the automotive out there with all-wheel drive for the primary time ever, hopefully in Australia too.
Particularly, the ES500e is the one I’m most excited for. It’ll supply a great deal of energy and – hopefully – a good real-world driving vary. And though it’s additionally prone to value a bomb, it has the design to match – each inside and outside.
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