- 2 days ago
I’ve just returned from the Beijing Auto Show 2026, and one thing is certain: the Chinese automotive industry is a completely different dimension of "creative freedom." With halls twice the size of anything in Europe, crowds of livestreamers at every booth, and more brands than I can possibly remember, it was quite the trip. In this video, I’m taking you on a tour of the most impressive, unusual, and downright bizarre premieres I found in Beijing.
From rugged iCar crossovers to luxury Jetour SUVs that can literally float on water, and a Chinese interpretation of Audi that’s causing quite a stir—Beijing 2026 is a festival of "what on earth is that?". We also dive into the EREV (Range Extender) craze. Is a 1.5L generator really the solution to all our problems, or just a repetitive template for every single SUV?
In this video:
• The Festival of Clones: Why do so many new models look like a Range Rover, a Defender, or a Porsche Taycan?
• EREV Dominance: From small crossovers to 3-ton monsters—why is there almost always a 1.5L engine under the hood?
• BYD & Friends: A look at the latest from Denza and Fangchengbao, including the Ti7.
• Luxury & Absurdity: From gold-trimmed Auxun va
From rugged iCar crossovers to luxury Jetour SUVs that can literally float on water, and a Chinese interpretation of Audi that’s causing quite a stir—Beijing 2026 is a festival of "what on earth is that?". We also dive into the EREV (Range Extender) craze. Is a 1.5L generator really the solution to all our problems, or just a repetitive template for every single SUV?
In this video:
• The Festival of Clones: Why do so many new models look like a Range Rover, a Defender, or a Porsche Taycan?
• EREV Dominance: From small crossovers to 3-ton monsters—why is there almost always a 1.5L engine under the hood?
• BYD & Friends: A look at the latest from Denza and Fangchengbao, including the Ti7.
• Luxury & Absurdity: From gold-trimmed Auxun va
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MotorTranscript
00:00hello and welcome to the special episode of drive through drive through april 2026
00:04today i'm at the beijing auto show i also spent a couple of days in china
00:08so i have a lot for you regarding cars and not just cars
00:33yes i just returned from the beijing auto show a very interesting trip great experience and
00:38plenty to talk about in this and future episodes the halls where the event took place have a total
00:45area of almost three times of the pal expo where the geneva motor show used to be held so i
00:51pity
00:51ginny buckley of electrifying whom i've seen wearing hills now full disclosure my trip to china was
00:58organized and paid for by byd whose cars and tech will also be featured in this episode and now
01:03let's dive into the deep end because i've never heard of most of the brands and models i saw at
01:10the show now i'll be presenting stuff that picked my interest in the order i saw it the first thing
01:16that i noticed were something i called sales fluencers the chinese sell a lot and quickly
01:24online every booth was packed with people live streaming the premieres and answering questions
01:29from prospective buyers at the icar booth i saw the v23 and v27 crossovers slash suvs the cherry owned
01:39brand offers the v23 ev with a battery capacity of approximately 50 to 80 kilowatt hours and the v27
01:47range extender model with a 1.5 liter engine and 34 kilowatt hour battery now the serious hybrid or
01:54range extender is going to be a recurring theme here the v23 is roughly the size of the skoda kamik
02:02and the v27 is likely to be the size of the xc90 although it doesn't look as big and yes
02:08information
02:08on chinese cars at the auto show is scarce and due to the language barrier difficult to confirm
02:15prices in china are around 13 000 euro for the v23 and 26 000 euro for the v27 of course
02:23if either of
02:24these models were to come to europe the price would be two or three times higher next up was the
02:31exceed
02:31spelled wrong it's another cherry owned brand where in addition to a generic looking concept they also
02:39showcased generic large suvs that i can't tell if they are the same or two different models and the
02:45ex-7 which can be either an ev or an e-rev the petrol engine acting as a generator is
02:53take a wild guess
02:54a 1.5 liter unit exceed ex-7 recently launched in poland as the excellent excellent et
03:04and it costs at least 80 000 euro in china the price is less than half of that i wandered
03:10around
03:10the jet or booth for a while it's also owned by cherry besides the t2 a review of which you
03:17can
03:17already watch on my channel there were a few models were unlikely to see in our part of the world
03:22for
03:22example the f700 and the g700 these are plug-in hybrid models with two liter combustion engines and
03:29batteries with a capacity of about 34 kilowatt hours the suv is about 520 centimeters long and the pickup
03:36is even longer both have around 900 horsepower the suv costs around 43 000 euro and it's one of those
03:45chinese cars that can float on water there was also the jet or t8 which looks a bit like a
03:52range
03:53rover or a land rover defender and there's more cars like this to come in this episode
03:59at this point i took a break from the chinese premiers and went to see what the european
04:04brands were showing for example bmw launched the refreshed 7 series bmw was one of the few european
04:11brands not to showcase at least one of its historic models mercedes on the other hand leaned into its
04:18heritage heavily even though the chinese visitors may have missed the significance of some of the models
04:24on display they were much more interested in the sl roadster and the chinese speaking representative
04:30of the stuttgart-based car maker
04:45the luxe seed r7 coupe looks like a tesla model y and the station wagon version looks like a perfect
04:52excuse for ev fans to wax lyrical about how they are always well rested
04:57having camped by the charger i'd rather get to my destination and sleep in a proper bed which is why
05:04i was more interested in the luxe seed v9 the r7 is a facelift can be had as an ev
05:11or an e-rev
05:12with a 1.5 liter engine while the v9 is an e-rev
05:16with who would have guessed a 1.5 liter engine the xbank gx is another range rover lookalike and
05:26it's similar in size to a range rover of course it's available as an ev or an e-rev with
05:33a 1.5 liter
05:34engine price around 51 000 euro in china at this point i'll give you a break from the 1.5
05:42liter e-rev
05:43suvs which weigh close to three tons this byd sea lion 5 is a plug-in hybrid and it's a
05:50humble
05:50facelift just sitting there in the back of the booth unfortunately probably we won't be seeing
05:56it in europe at least for now allegedly the boot is too small for a car this size i think
06:01byd just
06:02doesn't want it to cannibalize the auto 2 dmi which i will be reviewing soon so why not subscribe to
06:09be
06:09up to date also channel members will get to watch this review early and without ads denza which is
06:16also part of byd launched among others the z roadster which will be even more expensive than the z9 gt
06:25there was also a flash charging demo flash charging is byd super fast charging which will require
06:30a new charging network but more on that in a couple of weeks in the episode about my visit to
06:36china and
06:36the byd factory the one which is the size of san francisco kind of now fang chang bao is another
06:44byd brand among the models on display at the booth was the ti7 which will come to europe as the
06:51byd ti7
06:52it is an ev or an e-rev with is it a 1.2 liter pure tech no it's a
06:591.5 more on that car in the byd
07:03episode let me just say that it's similar in size to the icar v27 which i started the episode with
07:09and its price in china is around 21 000 euros so expect 40 to 50 grand when it lands on
07:15the old
07:15continent bayic is a brand known in some european countries for its beijing five and seven crossovers
07:23their stand was located right opposite mercedes and the cheeky buggers launched a rather g-wagon inspired
07:31beijing bj81 judging by the sound the doors made when opening it it was a very early pre-production
07:40example bike security briefly tried to block access but quickly gave in to the phone wielding european
07:46suits from across the aisle rumors are circulating that it's an e-rev with a 1.5 liter engine under
07:53the
07:53bonnet next up is the bike b70 also known as the city hunter this is yet another model that looks
08:02suspiciously similar to something between a defender and a range rover and from the rear there's also a
08:07bit of lexus lx at least i think so now little is known about it except that it may share
08:14components
08:15with the bj81 which could mean it's an e-rev with a 1.5 liter engine golden but modest as
08:23we say in poland
08:24that should be the slogan of auksun the company that makes mercedes-benz v-class look more obnoxious
08:31than its maybach variants
08:36i've been to like eight holes and i thought okay that's it i can relax now and then i came
08:40here and
08:43oh me
08:46if you want something that looks like a porsche tycan but has 970 horsepower the avatar 06 t
08:53is the car for you it can be rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive and it is available with
08:59two or
08:59three electric motors claimed ranges between 650 and 740 kilometers the 0 to 100 kilometers per hour
09:05time in the most powerful variant is just 2.8 seconds and the most expensive configuration
09:11in china costs around 35 000 euro the manufacturer's website also lists an e-rev though it isn't
09:20explicitly stated i suspect it could be a 1.5 liter generator the aistaland gt7 is a joint venture
09:29between gak and huawei aside from the extra few centimeters in length and wheelbase it doesn't look
09:34much different from the avatar 06 t it also features two or three electric motors and may be available
09:41as an e-rev i didn't dare ask about the engine i also passed by the porsche booth where the
09:50cayenne
09:50coupe debuted it looks like a chinese interpretation of the tycan it's like that movie inception where they
09:57were going deeper and deeper in only here someone seems to want to be more like its competitor
10:05anyway the most interesting thing in the cayenne is the sharply curved infotainment screen which i
10:11haven't seen on any of the chinese cars at the show yet i also passed by several of those people
10:19carrying autonomous i guess drones but the pioneer inkflink l600 caught my attention i had a nice chat
10:27with the company representative he claimed the autonomous drones make great headlines but aren't as
10:32great in real life the aircraft presented here is intended to serve as a shuttle transporting
10:37passengers for example from the airport to the city center like the drones the l600 can take off
10:44and land vertically but uses wings during flight and it's a hybrid in flight it uses internal combustion
10:50engine engine and electric motors for takeoff and landing the mazda cx60e debuted across europe
10:57and in china it is called the ez60 and yeah it's all right this is the buick elektra concept
11:07and this is what the production buick elektra e7 looks like need i mention it's a 1.5 liter erev
11:15but at the buick booth you can also see the very elegant avenir family van which has nothing in
11:22common with the u.s model by the same name in china this van is also known as the gl7
11:28and casa
11:29not an erev but a ph ev if this was a drinking game and i had to down a shot
11:36every time i say
11:381.5 liter engine i don't think i would get to the end of this episode anyway it's easy to
11:44get lost in
11:44all this because next to the gl8 van is the ls8 suv van kind of thing from im unfortunately the
11:55model name has nothing to do with the legendary v8 from gm even though its manufacturer saik
12:02collaborates with the american company the im ls8 is of course an erev with a 1.5 liter engine
12:08but i really like the retro version they cooked up for the show and just to be clear all these
12:15erevs
12:15aren't just some half-baked projects we're talking about cars with battery capacity of several dozen
12:20kilowatt hours and in case of the im ls8 with an 800 volt architecture that allows very fast dc charging
12:29and right next to it is the ugliest car i saw at the show the im ls6 but as they
12:37say
12:37beauty is in the eye of the beholder i'm sure someone thinks the voya taishon x8 is an attractive
12:43vehicle it certainly looks better than the voya free a review of which you can watch on my channel
12:50the x8 has up to 666 horsepower from a plug-in hybrid powertrain with a 1.5 liter engine
13:00and this is the most interesting thing i saw at the maxus booth the roe 07 concept looks like at
13:09least two other cars i've already shown and another two i'll be showing let me know in
13:13comments what do you think this looks like i've seen the m hero last year at a car show in
13:20poland
13:21it's one of those cars that shouldn't exist but i'm sure there is someone rich enough to buy one
13:26anyway you can choose between an e-rev with a 1.5 liter engine and a 66 kilowatt hour battery
13:32or a
13:33full-on ev with a nearly 143 kilowatt hour battery more than 1000 horsepower 800 volt architecture
13:40over three tons and a price of around 90 000 euro double debt for europe the epicland x9 looks very
13:49similar to the wuling huajing s the latter is a plug-in hybrid with a 1.5 liter engine and
13:55a 31 or 42
13:56kilowatt hour battery its electric range is approximately 150 kilometers it's 525 centimeters
14:02long it weighs approximately two and a half tons price approximately 21 000 euro in china hongxi which
14:10means red flag is a brand that until recently specialized in luxury limousines for the chinese
14:16dignitaries now it's expanding its portfolio with premium models for customers of all ages and more
14:23modest budgets there are crossovers sedans drones and off-road vehicles for example the e h7 which looks
14:30and has similar specs to a tesla costs around 35 000 euro in china information about the model
14:37described simply as the hongxi off-road is scarce it's supposed to be very powerful it has a body on
14:44frame four electric motors three locking differentials and a zero to 100 kilometers per hour time
14:49of four seconds it appears to be a plug-in hybrid as it has a charging port on one side
14:54and a fuel filler
14:55on the other the audi stand was divided into two sections the audi with four rings and the audi with
15:04four letters the latter is the version for china i suppose the chinese don't recognize the four rings
15:11logo just as they probably don't know why is this yellow piece of junk taking up space on the stand
15:18the audi in all caps e5 sportback is a model produced by psych volkswagen for the chinese market it's based
15:25on the same im ls6 which i just said was the absolute ugliest car i've seen at the show but
15:33as you often
15:34tell me in the comments slap an audi badge on a shit car and i'll start waxing lyrical about it
15:40and i guess
15:41you're right 775 electric horses 100 kilowatt hour battery a 0 to 100 kilometers per hour time of 3.6
15:48seconds price in china is around 35 000 euro which is the same as a mid-spec audi a1 sportback
15:55in europe
15:57volkswagen is an institution in china and there is no better volkswagen than the b5 passat
16:02tdi of course but not in china they love the jetta so much so they made it a separate brand
16:08at the volkswagen stand there were some familiar looking models albeit in extended wheelbase form
16:15interestingly there weren't many electric cars and the id series models looked like something
16:21that comes from cupra in europe toyota showed an adventure prepped rav4 review of the euro spec
16:28rav4 is coming soon as far as i know the press cars in poland are being registered as we speak
16:34now
16:35there was also a bz7 which is probably like an electric camry it's manufactured by gak toyota
16:41joint venture the car shares its components with the hype tech a800 the depal g318 is another large e-rev
16:53with a 1.5 liter engine this model competes with the likes of the icar v27 fangchengbao ti7 and the
17:00jetur t2
17:01i like that the obligatory two screens are integrated into the dashboard if someone gave me one yeah i'd
17:08drive it the volvo xc70 you see here has nothing in common with the lifted station wagon that was once
17:16offered in europe it's a model for the chinese market and a plug-in hybrid with a 1.5 liter
17:22engine
17:22it's roughly the size of the ex60 which is just debuting on the old continent and it costs about
17:29half as much the rocks adamas is a facelifted rocks 01 or polstones 01 i've seen some pre-facelift models
17:38driving around dubai and from a distance they look like a land rover defender of course it's an e-rev
17:43with
17:43a 1.5 liter engine and a 44 or 58 kilowatt hour battery the interior is the same as a
17:4990 of cars i've seen
17:50two screens and a nearly identical interface now i was impressed by the nissan stand not only because
17:58of the souped up navara but also because of the nx8 crossover which can be an eevee or an e
18:06-rev with a
18:061.5 liter engine it's like a larger nissan leaf and i really like it and if the chinese wanted
18:13to import
18:14nissans like this into europe instead of say omoda or 14 that probably encounter less resistance
18:22the hyundai ioniq v yes v not the roman numeral 5 is another car built exclusively for the chinese market
18:31and i have a feeling it would find more buyers in europe than the denza z9 gt for more than
18:38100k
18:39this is what the tesla model 3 would look like if elon musk decided to apply the cyber trucks design
18:46language to the rest of the model range and finally the firefly a model named this year's world urban car
18:53at the world car awards by the way did i mention i'm a wca juror anyway i think we need
19:02more cars like
19:02this instead of three-ton suvs and which of these cars did you like the most did you see any
19:09similarities
19:10or differences that stand out to you let me know in the comment section below i will come back to
19:17auto
19:17china and i will also talk more about chinese cars in one of the future episodes so stay tuned for
19:24that
19:24meanwhile that's all i have for you today thanks for watching and i'll see you in the next one
19:30if you like my sarcastic down-to-earth and possibly mildly amusing car reviews join me every friday 3pm
19:38central european time and don't forget to subscribe and like this video as it helps me with the youtube
19:44algorithm thanks for watching and i will see you in the next one
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