China is the only major auto market still growing despite the global economic slowdown, and in the past few months the number of sales in the country has outstripped sales in the U.S.
That’s prompting auto makers including Daimler AG, General Motors Corp., Toyota Motor Corp. and Porsche Automobil Holding AG to think of China not as an emerging market but, increasingly, the industry’s central battleground.
Several car makers are unveiling new models in Shanghai. Daimler is showcasing a new version of its S-class S65 AMG, a luxury car with a 612-horsepower engine. The car can go from 0 to 100 kilometers (62 miles) an hour in 4.4 seconds. Sports-car manufacturer Porsche on Sunday debuted its four-door Panamera.
BMW AG, another German producer, is also having a world premier of a new model of its 7-Series sedan in Shanghai.
Toyota, meanwhile, has brought to Shanghai a “concept” plug-in electric hybrid car, which the company said it might sell in China on a trial basis in the near future.
GM executives said the company plans to launch its futuristic hybrid, the Chevy Volt, in China by 2011.
Honda’s Mr. Hyogo noted that Chinese makers will have to stop cutting corners “in areas such as the environment, safety and intellectual property” to create an industry that deserves to be called a leading global player.
“The Chinese government must recognize that China is becoming a major global market and lead the country to become an automobile superpower in the truest sense,” Mr. Hyogo said.
China’s auto industry may soon emerge as a significant export base for foreign car makers such GM and Nissan.
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