21 Nov 06
Dieter Zetsche, DaimlerChrysler chief executive, said talks were being held with several potential partners with a view to building small cars in China. Meanwhile, he has high hopes for the DaimlerChrysler range now that the E-Class is being built locally.
'We expect volume to increase threefold in the next three years,' he said at the show.
Step outside the crammed show halls and you can see why he's so optimistic. The streets of Beijing are bustling not with rickshaws, but with proper cars. Chinese buyers don't want little hatchbacks - although there are plenty of them - what they want is the biggest saloon they can afford, or a chunky SUV.
Here, as if we're in a parallel universe where everything is the same but with a twist, the VW Santana has never died; rather, it has helped Volkswagen - in partnership with SAIC - lead the market for 20 years.
The new Passat over there? That'll be the Magotan; the Passat badge is saved for the old model, but now wearing the new VW family grille. The Jetta is called the Sagitar. GM favours the Buick badge, not just for big saloons but also for its neat new hatchback, the Excelle, which the UK knows as the Chevrolet Lacetti.
It's all a little odd, but it's no joke. There are many safety and pollution issues in China, but the industry is experiencing stellar growth. There's a confidence here that makes the Big Three's woes in Detroit and Europe's migration of production to the old Iron Curtain countries look very, very last century. This is the future.
