European brands seek China boost after COVID

European automakers plan to debut key new cars at the Shanghai auto show next week after the world's largest auto market recovered faster from the COVID-19 pandemic than their home region.

BMW and Mercedes-Benz will display new electric models as they step up their challenge to Tesla and battery-powered cars from China's domestic brands. The two German premium automakers have reported record first-quarter vehicle deliveries, driven largely by explosive demand in China.

France's Citroen also aims to capitalize on robust customer demand in China with the reveal of its new flagship, the C5 X.

The show starts on Monday. Here are some key debuts:

BMW
The automaker has yet to reveal what it will put on display. But according to Chinese media, the company's iX full-electric SUV will get its first public outing.

Buick
The General Motors brand will debut the Buick Verano Pro midsize sedan and an upgraded version of the Envision SUV called the Envision Plus. The Verano Pro is tailored around the needs and lifestyles of young families in China with advanced safety features and the latest Buick connectivity and infotainment system, GM said. The Envision Plus has an extended 2833-mm wheelbase, a new propulsion system and the latest connectivity system, according to GM's China unit.

Cadillac
The Lyriq crossover, the brand's first all-electric vehicle, will have its public debut after its online premier last August. The production car will be one of the first vehicles to adopt Cadillac's new EV naming strategy -- ending names with "iq." It also will be one of the first EVs to be powered by GM's proprietary Ultium batteries.

Citroen
The C5 X combines the best attributes of a sedan, a station wagon and an SUV, Citroen says. The car marks the brand's return to the midsize segment after an absence of two years. It will be built in a Stellantis-Dongfeng joint venture plant in Chengdu and exported to Europe.

Ford
A midsize crossover will make its global debut, featuring new design language and intelligent vehicle architecture, Ford's China unit said, 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.

Geely
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.

Great Wall
The light-truck maker will launch a new standalone brand for full-size SUVs called Tank.

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

MG Motor
The Cyberster electric concept uses design cues from the Chinese-owned, British brand's past to visualize what a modern version of an MG sports car might look like.  Among the open-topped two-seat roadster's styling details are headlights that recall classic MGs such as the 1955 MGA. The Cyberster was created by MG owner SAIC's advanced design studio in London.

Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz plans to debut of two models at the show: the EQB crossover and the CLS coupe.
The EQB is the full-electric version of the GLB. It's the latest in Mercedes new range of battery-powered cars that also includes the EQS, EQA, EQC and upcoming EQE.

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

Silk-FAW
Chinese automaker FAW Group and U.S. startup company Silk EV will show a near-production concept of the S9 hypercar. The companies said in February that they plan to invest up to 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) to design, develop and build high performance electric cars in Italy and China. The cars are being styled by Volkswagen Group's former design chief Walter de Silva. The S9 was first shown as a concept model at the 2019 Frankfurt show.

Toyota
Toyota will unveil a near-production concept of a full-electric SUV that will compete against battery-powered models such as the Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID4. The car is a similar size to the company's RAV4 and is based on the automaker's new electric-only e-TNGA platform. It will be a global model built in Japan and sold in China, the U.S. and Europe. The SUV was developed with Subaru, which will launch its own version.

Volkswagen
The German automaker will target families with the ID6 full-electric crossover, a competitor for the Model X that is similar in size to the VW Touareg. The seven-seat vehicle will have two variants, the ID6 X and ID6 Cross. The ID6 X will be built by SAIC Volkswagen Auto and the ID6 Cross by FAW--Volkswagen Auto."With the ID6 X and ID6 Cross we are presenting at the Shanghai motor show a seven-seat SUV especially designed for the Chinese market," Volkswagen brand CEO Ralf  Brandstaetter told reporters while presenting the brand's future strategy on March 5. The ID6 was previewed by the ID Roomzz concept at the 2019 Shanghai show. Besides China, the U.S. is likely to be a key market for the ID6 but there are no current plans to sell the SUV in Europe, VW said.

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

Automotive News China Managing Editor Yang Jian, based in Shanghai, contributed to this report