Imported cars on show in Beijing

By Chen Xiaomin

Hundreds of people flocked to the Beijing Exhibition Center today to check out more than 100 types of foreign cars available for sale in China.

The first ever Imported Auto Expo Beijing 2009, a five-day show, attracted 24 different manufacturers.

“The expo provides a platform for overseas carmakers to get a better idea about which kinds of cars fit into China’s market, thus make the right development strategy,” said Wang Du, vice secretary-general of China Automobile Dealers Association, the show’s organizer.

The car companies presented their vehicles in different ways.

Land Rover used an outdoor driving range to show off their vehicles including the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Discovery 3 and Freelander 2, using some roadblocks to show maneuverability.

Mercedes-Benz parked its new E300 at the entrance of the exhibition hall.

Kia Motors introduced three new models of SUV 2009 Sorento, which were introduced by company spokesman Liu Ye, a Chinese actor.

Hyundai’s exhibition stand attracted crowds of people waiting for autographs from notable Chinese actor and director Jiang Wen.

BMW, Rolls-Royce, Mini, Smart, Jeep, Maybach, Ferrari, Maserati, Volvo, Jaguar, Porsche, Audi, Lexus, Acura, Subaru and Infiniti also attended.

“Though the ticket price is as high as 50 yuan ($7.32), we sold nearly 200 tickets in three hours. The number is bound to multiply during the weekend,” said Wang Qifang, a ticket seller.

Besides paid visitors, many at the show were VIPs and other invited guests.

“We are here to support our customers such as Kia and Hyundai. Besides we want to get an overall view of our competitors’ products to see how we can support the Chinese market,” said Matthew W. Munn, a senior vice president at Harman International, a leading manufacturer of audio and electronic products for automotive, consumer and professional use.
 

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