Premiere showroom

Editor's note: Foreign and domestic automakers are showcasing a record 1,125 models at the Beijing Auto Show. Some 120 vehicles are making their global premieres. China Daily has highlighted nine models for our readers.

Audi A4 allroad quattro

Audi A4 allroad quattro will have its first show in Asia at the Beijing Auto Show.

As a new member of the Audi lineup, the allroad quattro blends the practicality of the Audi A4 avant travel sedan and control of Audi Quattro's full-time four wheel drive.

Equipped with a 2.0 TFSI engine that was honored as "best engine of the year" last year and a seven-speed tronic transmission, the allroad quattro generates peak power of 155kW and top toque of 350Nm. It only takes 6.8 seconds to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h. Every 100 km the car uses just 7.2 liter of fuel.

New Volkswagen Lavida

Shanghai Volkswagen's new Lavida will make its world premiere at the ongoing Beijing Auto Show.

Inheriting Volkswagen's exterior features, the new Lavida's wheelbase will be extended to 2,650 mm from the existing 2,610 mm, to better cater to the demands of Chinese customers who prefer a spacious passenger compartment.

The new Lavida will carry a 2.0-liter engine that is also equipped in the existing Lavida model, and will provide two variants of a 1.6 liter and a 1.4 liter TSI, providing five-speed, six-speed and seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission as options.

Reports say the new model will go on sale this June, pricing between 110,000 yuan and 160,000 yuan.

Dongfeng Yulong Luxgen second-generation CEO

Luxgen, a wholly owned brand of the Taiwan-mainland joint venture Dongfeng Yulong, will make the world debut of its second-generation CEO model at the Beijing auto show.

With a length of over 4.8 meters, the new CEO is tailored for mainland customers. It is inspired by the first-class cabin on a plane, using selected leather to build luxurious electrically adjustable seats. The spacious passenger compartment is separated from the front seats by intelligent LED screens. The luxury sedan also offers passengers tailored information like news and trip planning along the way.

Luxgen will also bring the Luxgen 7 SUV that will soon hit the market and the electric concept car Neora to the auto show.

Citroen Tubik

Citroen's environmentally friendly luxury concept car Tubik will make its Asia debut at the auto show.

The Tubik's exterior design stems from the one-box MPV design, or so-called "H shape" Citroen. It has asymmetrical doors and a large colorless panorama sunroof.

The rear of the car has a hidden spacious boot that can hold all passenger luggage and other items. The interior is a bit subdued, but only just. The passenger compartment is like a cocoon, providing passengers with a moving private space as they make their way to their destination.

The Tubik uses Citroen Hybrid 4 technology and discharges the same amount of CO2 as traditional small-sized cars.

Range Rover Evoque Special Edition with Victoria Beckham

Highlights from Land Rover at this year's show include the world premiere of the Range Rover Evoque Special Edition with Victoria Beckham.

An exclusive line of just 200 vehicles will be available globally from November. Chinese customers will receive the first deliveries after the auto show.

Its quintessential British luxury is a hallmark of both the Land Rover and Victoria Beckham brands, an impression further heightened through the use of the finest quality materials and craftsmanship, which highlight the already ultra-premium interior ambience of the Evoque.

Powered by the lightweight and all-aluminum 240PS 2.0-liter engine, the Range Rover Evoque Special Edition will be hand-finished.

Chery @ant

Chery's new energy concept vehicle - Chery @ant - will make its world debut at Auto China 2012, representing the automaker's notion of "exploring future human being's lifestyle".

Seen in its name, the "@" is a concept from the Internet, representing information sharing of the future. The concept model's vivid shape shows the vehicle's agility - its simple structure and small size enable it to move freely even in a traffic jam.

Combining new energy and information technologies, the oil-electric hybrid car is a brave and unprecedented mobile solution.

Skoda Mission L

Mission L - Skoda's concept car that had its world premiere at last year's Frankfurt auto show - will meet the Chinese audience for the first time at the Beijing Auto Show. Its exhibits Skoda's latest design ideas, and embodies the brand's charm and history.

Its exterior surface is brilliantly cut, and the inspiration of front lamp and fog lamp comes from the lucky clover. Sharp lines of the lamps take the form of crystal, showcasing the exquisite Czech glass-cutting craftsmanship of Skoda's home country.

The rear lamp looks like the letter "C" and is surround by an eye-catching ring of shining red lights. The interior design took many of its inspirations from crystals. It is both elegant and highly functional. The concept car is expected to be Skoda's biggest highlight at the auto show.

Volvo V40

Swedish automaker Volvo's V40 will have its Asia premiere at the Beijing Auto Show.

The T5 petrol engine on the new five-door hatchback produces 187 kW of power, making the car accelerate from 0 to 100 km in 6.7 seconds. It boasts CO2 emissions of 94g/km.

Jeremy Lin, the Asian-American basketball star and Volvo's new brand ambassador will show up at V40's news conference at the auto show.

Toyota Funvii

This concept car model just made its world debut at the Geneva auto show this March and will have its Chinese premiere at the Beijing Auto Show.

The whole car body and its interior are large screens. Driver could change the color and pictures on the screens as they want. Instant messages can also be shown on the car surface.

Using virtual-reality technology, the navigation system can communicate with the driver and provide navigation information along the way.

The concept car is also linked to nearby vehicles and basic facilities, thus can detect vehicles that cannot be easily seen on the crossroads.

(China Daily 04/23/2012 page38)