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The 2023 Auto Shanghai motor show was always bound to be booming with technology and things we've probably never seen before. News24 Motoring contributor Tyrone Paulsen is in Shanghai, attending one of the biggest motoring shows of the year. He says the tech in some of the cars rivals the good stuff in sci-fi movies.
With eight exhibition halls that could easily swallow the Nasrec Centre, the National Convention Center in Shanghai hosted the Auto Shanghai 2023 after a hiatus of three years.
Manufacturers from all over the world were present; the likes of Audi, Volkswagen, Porsche, Lamborghini, BMW, Mercedes, Hyundai, Kia, and Ford all had massive stands showcasing their awesome new cars. But the Chinese manufacturers took centre stage here; brands we South Africans know, like Chery, Haval, Geely, and JAC Motors, were all present. Then there were others we know of but have never seen in the metal like Roewe, BYD, JNC, Aiways, GAIC, HiPhi, Xpeng and Jetta, a model we knew here to be part of the VW stable, but an entirely different brand on its own in China.
Click on the arrows below to scroll through the gallery of some amazing new cars at the 2023 Shanghai Auto show:
It's pretty evident from this show and the Auto Expo India that I attended earlier this year that electrification is the topic of the day, as many manufacturers showed off some very impressive EVs with figures of close to 500km on a charge and even being able to fast charge in 5 minutes allowing you up 100km.
The tech featured in most of these cars is so futuristic that it rivals stuff from sci-fi movies - one of Chery's future concepts uses eye tracking and a 3D display screen that doesn't require physical touch.
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Some cars use either fully or semi-autonomous driving, which for a petrolhead is a bit worrying as it might take away that real driving experience, but driving is still engaging. Some cars will change the way they drive according to their environment and even change the mood lighting, suspension tune, air quality and noises it makes according to your mood.
Many start-ups or newer brands are pushing the envelope regarding future technologies. The question is, are they pushing it because they have nothing to lose and this current tech-hungry generation loves innovative quick change, or are the more established brands just a little more careful about what they offer or allow in their vehicles? Which one is the right approach? We won't know until we, as motorists, engage and interact more with these vehicles.
Just think how negative people were about touchscreen cellphones; now, everyone from 5-year-olds to 90-year-olds has them. This motor show has made it clear to me that electrification and technology go hand in hand with what cars are going to be; dare I say, it is here now, and it's not going away.
It will make some of our lives a little stranger but much easier. We know these cars can be fun, Tesla and RIMMIK are proof of it, and they can be more innovative, sleeker, better looking, safer, cheaper to run and ultimately, still be a hell of a lot of fun.
Cars are changing; times are changing, and the future is already here, albeit nobody has a working flying car yet.
