Jianghuai Auto (JAC) is one of China's smaller car companies, better known for their commercial vehicles and new to the car market, although they are growing fast: they produced 40,000 cars last year and plan to produce 10 new models by 2010. JAC are unusual in that they have a European design studio, based in Turin, headed by a native Chinese - Tik Lou. This is the studio that has designed the new C -concept shown here this week.

Overall, the exterior represents a very competent amalgam of current European D-segment designs, from the Passat to the Citroën C5. The result is elegant, with a notably thin C-pillar that flows onto the flat rear deck. Interestingly, the profile is slightly more boxy than that being pursued by most other Chinese competitors in this segment right now and it will be fascinating to gauge the reaction from Chinese show visitors.

The wide clamshell hood gives a typically Italian feeling to the design, even if the flatness and length of it remind a little of the old Saab 900. The front headlamps and grille form a wide 'monomask' graphic, emphasized by the grille, with its minimal horizontal slots and plain silver finish, embellished with the elliptical JAC emblem and pentastar logo. The headlamps have a familiar 'drop-eye' motif like a VW and the rear end and taillamps echo the graphic of the front end exactly, even down to the lamp cans layout and lower bumper area - a common Chinese theme right now that we detected here this week. One detail is that the use of brightwork feels unrefined on this model, as the chrome strips used for the DLO surrounds, license plate garnish, lamp frames and lower door protectors are all flat sections and thus, do not catch the light sufficiently to add sparkle in those areas.

VW is launching two new C-segment models here in Beijing this week, both near identical in terms of size and price. There are two reasons for this seemingly bizarre outcome: as the market leader with over 18 percent of the entire market, VW can afford to offer two distinct models. But, more importantly, they have two separate joint ventures here with two different companies: Shanghai Volkswagen which produces the old VW Passat, Santana and Audi models and FAW-Volkswagen who build the new Passat, Golf and Jetta.

In the future, both companies will offer a compact Golf-based sedan, a car that's at the core of the Chinese car market: Shanghai Volkswagen will make the new Lavida, which effectively gives them a replacement for  the ancient Santana model that dates back to the 1978 Passat. FAW-Volkswagen venture will build this new Bora, to cover the lower end of the current Santana model line-up. Both are based on the older Golf IV PQ34 platform that is considerably cheaper to produce than the current Golf V platform, with 100mm added to the wheelbase to produce a roomier rear cabin. Both were developed in China and will be sold solely in the Chinese market. Just to confuse matters more however, the current Bora/Jetta available in other world markets will still be offered, as the higher priced (but less roomy) VW Sagitar.

The exterior of this new Bora for China has a much more upright C-pillar than the current European Bora and a slightly shorter trunk than the new Lavida. The front face is similar to the VW Eos, nearer to VW's German style than the Lavida, whose image is closer to that of a Chinese domestic brand and targeted to trendy metropolitan customers.

The new IP is more functional and European in taste than that of the more luxurious Lavida, although it still sports the obligatory wood insert that Chinese customers demand in their sedans.

This is Chery's second big launch of the show, also with Italian design input, but here from Pininfarina rather than Torino Design. The A3 is a compact C-segment model available in four-door or five-door bodystyles and the co-ordinated presentation of the cars - all in silver - was very good and gave a sophisticated impression to the booth.

The exterior design picks up a number of current design cues that are typical of current Chinese car design: the DLO kicks up at the rear, similar to the new Roewe 550 or the GAIG 4-Door Coupe concept. The bodyside is sculpted and there is a hidden rear door handle, like the old Alfa 156. The wide clamshell hood has a character line from the A-pillar that drops down into the front mask and the upper grille has an interesting wave section, with a hexagonal mesh. The five-door feels fresher than the four-door, due partly to the taillamp graphic, with its outer ring of red LEDs. But the hi-mount stop lamp at the top of the tailgate is very old-fashioned, as is the wide bumper and bodyside protector with side repeater in the front edge.

Likewise, the interior is orthodox and initial impressions are good: a NAVI screen with controls on either side, a leather steering wheel and side curtain airbags. But dig deeper and the attention to tactile quality and ergonomics is zero. The door linings are all hard plastic, there's a cheap finish to storage lids and the rotary HVAC controls have a flimsy, gritty feeling to them. Then there's the coin tray and cupholder in the center stack: both slide out at right angles to the center stack, not horizontally, so are completely unusable.

It's clear this program development has been over-long or has been postponed by Chery. While the design is competent, it all feels a bit stale and much of the detailing and quality is already outdated, especially when compared to its chief rival, the new Roewe 550.