Shanghai Motor show 2023 walk around: what it means for you

New BMW i7 M70

Kicking off with BMW, the i7 M70 made its first public debut at Auto Shanghai. It’s the quickest version of the i7 electric limo you can buy, with tweaked motors producing 660hp and 1,100Nm of torque.

That’s not as powerful as the 761hp Mercedes-AMG EQS 53, and as a result it’s not quite as quick from 0-60. The i7 will complete the sprint in 3.7 seconds, compared to 3.4 seconds in the Mercedes.

The i7 M70 gets tweaked air suspension and rear-wheel-steering to keep it agile on a twisty road, and the 21-inch alloy wheels are hiding the uprated M Sport brakes to help you stop as quickly as you go.

New BMW XM Label Red

The i7 M70 isn’t the only performance BMW to make an appearance at Shanghai, nor is it the most powerful. That award goes to the new XM Label Red. It’s an even faster version of the standard XM, and it’s the most powerful road car BMW has ever made.

It uses the same hybrid setup as the normal XM, with a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 paired to an electric motor. This puts out 653hp and 800Nm in the ‘basic’ car, however the Label Red is tuned to 748hp and 1,000Nm of torque.

As a result, 0-60mph is dealt with in 3.8 seconds and it’ll go on to a top speed of 180mph, provided you pay extra to have the limiter removed. Being a plug-in hybrid, you can drive around in electric-only mode for up to 51 miles.

New BYD Seagull

In a slight change of pace from the BMW stand, we move on to the BYD Seagull. It may have a strange name, but this electric hatchback costs just £10,000 in China.

For that price you may not be expecting much, but this little city runaround has a range of up to 250 miles from its 40kWh battery. That’s 25 miles more than the Peugeot e-208, a car which costs around three times more.

So how has BYD done it? Well the Seagull has a sodium ion battery as opposed to the lithium ion packs used by most electric cars, and they’re much cheaper to produce. Don’t get your wallets out just yet though, as this car is for the Chinese market only for now.

New Hiphi Y

Now for a new Chinese car which is coming to the UK. The HiPhi Y is one of three cars from this new brand coming to Europe, and it’s an electric SUV to provide an alternative to cars such as the Tesla Model Y and Volvo C40.

It has a 76kWh battery pack and two electric motors producing 500hp. Also similar to a Tesla are the whacky rear doors which open upwards.

New HiPhi Z

If you thought the Y was crazy, check out the new HiPhi Z. It may look like a concept car, however it is a production model. It has crazy lights with animations you can personalise, as well as rear-opening back doors.

Inside you have an equally bonkers cabin. The massive infotainment screen is on hydraulic rams so it can tilt and move about, which seems a bit unnecessary but is cool nonetheless.

The Z has a massive 120kWh battery, giving it a claimed range of up to 440 miles. That’s not quite as much as the Mercedes EQS, but it’s not far off. YOu also get two electric motors with 660hp, and it’ll do 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds.

New HiPhi X

The final car from HiPhi is the X. It’s a large electric SUV, and an alternative to cars like the Tesla Model X and Volvo EX90. Like the Model X, and the HiPhi Y, it has crazy-looking rear doors and a bold exterior design.

It’s powered by two electric motors which produce a combined 590hp and it’ll do 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds. That’s just one tenth of a second slower than the dual-motor version of the Tesla Model X.

As for range, the HiPhi X has a 97kWh battery with a claimed range of 400 miles, beating the Mercedes EQS SUV by around 30 miles.

New Lexus LM

Moving on to a more familiar brand now, the new Lexus LM is a luxury minivan for those who want to be chauffeured around. Yes you can get it as a sensible seven-seater, but it’s the four-seat model which really grabs your attention.

In the back you have two luxurious armchairs which recline and massage you. Once you’re comfortable, you can sit back and enjoy your 48-inch television by watching movies or even playing video games on it.

It’s a fairly whacky-looking thing, with a grille so big it gives any new BMW a run for its money. The LM is powered by a 2.5-litre hybrid engine, similar to the one found in the Lexus RX.

New Maybach EQS SUV

Another crazy luxury car, the Maybach EQS SUV is the first ever electric car to come from the brand. It gets plenty of blingy chrome to help it stand out, and the two-tone paint schemes are very Maybach as well.

Inside, you’ll want the first-class seat upgrade if you like to be driven around in luxury. You get two airline-style seats in the rear which recline and massage you, as well as a fridge for your champagne.

Powering this car is two electric motors with 658hp and 950Nm of torque, and it’ll do 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds. As for range, an exact figure hasn’t been quoted but Maybach reckons it’ll do 373 miles on a charge.

New Polestar 4

Keeping with the electric car theme we have the new Polestar 4. It’s a posh-looking four-door coupe, and Polestar have done something pretty radical with it by completely removing the rear window.

This has allowed the designers to move the rear bulkhead further back, improving rear seat space and allowing the panoramic glass roof to extend over the rear occupant’s heads. You get a digital rear-view mirror with a camera feed so you can still see out of the rear.

As for power, you can have the Polestar 4 with either rear-wheel-drive and 270hp, or there is a 540hp all-wheel-drive version. The latter will do 0-60mph in 3.8 seconds. Both models come with a 102kWh battery and it has up to 370 miles of range.

New Porsche Cayenne

The facelifted Porsche Cayenne was revealed at Auto Shanghai. It gets a host of styling tweaks over the previous car, such as new headlights and revised bumpers, and you still have the option of either SUV or Coupe body styles.

Inside, the Cayenne has been given a more comprehensive redesign. You now get a new dashboard layout with a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display, as well as a new 10.9-inch display to keep the passenger entertained.

As for engines, you have a 3.0-litre V6 in the entry-level car, or a 4.-litre twin-turbo V8 in the Cayenne S. The E-Hybrid model also uses the V6 engine, and it has up to 56 miles of range. Bad news for fans of the bonkers Cayenne Turbo GT, it’s no longer available in Europe thanks to emissions regulations.

New Volkswagen ID.7

Another new electric car, the Volkswagen ID.7 has finally dropped the camouflage. It’s the first electric saloon car from VW, with a swoopy sloping roofline and a sleek front-end design.

Inside you get a 15.0-inch infotainment screen, and Volkswagen has listened to feedback and given the touch sliders for the climate control some backlighting so you can see them at night.

Powering the ID.7 is a single motor in the rear axle with 286hp, and two battery sizes will be available. The larger of the two gives the ID.7 435 miles of range.

New Zeekr X

Finally, we come to the new Zeekr X. This Volkswagen ID.3-sized electric car has been green-lit for sale in Europe, and it certainly stands out from the crowd.

It’s available with either rear-wheel-drive or a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup with 476hp. This version will do 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds.

The X has a claimed range of 273 miles, although this is subject to final testing. That’s around 13 miles more than entry-level versions of the ID.3, but it’s 66 miles less than the long-range version of that car.

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