Shanghai auto show preview: Electric crossovers on display

SHANGHAI — Automakers plan a busy stage of new and upgraded crossovers and SUVs next week at the Shanghai auto show, capitalizing on robust customer demand in China as that market rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic.

Also expected to take the stage: the latest in electrified vehicles to compete with Tesla, which is now China's largest electric vehicle brand, according to the automaker.

Two U.S. automakers will be standing in Shanghai's spotlight.

A Ford-badged midsize crossover will make its global debut, featuring new design language and intelligent vehicle architecture, said Ford Motor Co.'s China unit, without disclosing further details.

The vehicle will become the second new Ford utility vehicle to be rolled out in China this year. Last month, the six-seat Ford Equator arrived with a starting price equivalent to $28,977.

Ford also will unveil the China-built version of its full-electric Mustang Mach-E crossover. So far, the U.S. automaker has only one electric model in its local lineup, the battery version of the Ford Territory crossover.

General Motors will also use Shanghai to reveal new vehicles.

Buick will unveil an upgraded version of the Envision known as the Envision Plus. The crossover will have an extended 111.5-inch wheelbase and come with a new propulsion system and the latest connectivity system, according to GM's China unit.

The Cadillac Lyriq, an electric crossover concept developed on the Ultium EV platform, will make its public world premiere at the event. The show car, designed for the Chinese market, features a 33-inch curved LED display, the AKG Studio series sound system and a dual-plane augmented reality head-up display.

Mercedes-Benz also plans to make the global debut of two models at the show: the CLS coupe and the EQB electric crossover.

Two other German automakers, Volkswagen Group and BMW, have yet to reveal what they will put on display. But according to Chinese media, the VW brand will unveil the ID6, a seven-seat electric crossover, while BMW will debut the iX electric crossover.

Among Japanese brands, Honda is preparing two models for global debut in Shanghai. One is the first EV to be marketed under the Honda brand in China, the production version of the crossover concept it unveiled at the 2020 Beijing auto show. Honda will also show a new hybrid model, but details of that vehicle were not available.

Nissan will present its new X-Trail crossover in Shanghai, the company said.

Meanwhile, South Korean brands Hyundai and Kia, as well as most Chinese brands, have not disclosed what they will exhibit at the show.

But Great Wall, a leading Chinese light-truck maker, said last week it will introduce a new brand for full-size SUVs, called Tank. And Geely Automobile Holdings, China's largest producer of passenger vehicles, plans to announce a new EV brand it will call Zeekr, with the first product, a crossover, to be called the Zeekr 001.

The Shanghai show will open April 19 under its normal schedule, with coronavirus safety protocols.

China's auto market continues to recover from last year's COVID-19 lockdowns. New- vehicle sales rebounded 67 percent year over year to 2.4 million in the first quarter, according to an estimate from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.