Chery A3

If there is ever an ambition by an automotive manufacturer to export cars, designing a European C-segment hatch - while a daunting challenge - should be a good place to start. In a sense, the A3 is a rather unconventional type of concept, where Chery's intention of developing this concept was about designing 'a real production car' to showcase to the world, rather than a �flash' concept vehicle.

Restrained and looking so close to production-ready to the point where the word 'concept' almost needs reconsideration, this finely balanced vehicle just might be the breakthrough that Chery is looking for. With a length of 4400mm, the overall size is right on target for the European C-segment. Designed in Italy by Pininfarina, the surfaces display flowing Italian volumes, with a hint of Ford Focus details.

Like so many concepts displayed at the show, the overall details were somewhat lacking in refinement. The taillamps are rather generic, and at the front, details such as the wedge surfacing running down from the A-pillar all the way down to the front face of the car, and bumper molding around the lower side intake might have tipped the design scale from 'refined' to 'busy'.

The A3 makes plenty of sense not just only to Chery, but to the whole of Chinese automotive design, showing that they are indeed serious and willing to spend and develop quality styled vehicles to compete, challenge, and gain respect from the world.

Chery Lei Fulwin 2

Less serious and more fun than the A3, Lei (meaning 'She' in Italian), is a compact, entry level sports coupe for young Chinese drivers.

Unlike the other two concepts from Chery, the designers of Lei has taken more chances and pushed the boundaries a bit further. The overall profile is sleek and fast at the front of the vehicle, but with the backlight and rear bootline dropping sharply, the visual weight of the vehicle is positioned further back than what would usually be ideal for a coupe. One of the most distinctive highlights of Lei is at the beltline, where sharp shoulderline 'kink' meets the C-pillar, then running together all the way to the boot.

The front-end styling features the emblem 'nose', and according to Chery, while nothing is yet finalized, it looks likely that this will be part of the Chery brand design language in the future. For the details around the rear, the designers have done a fine job of refining what would have been a difficult task, dividing such a large vertical surface into pieces. While the overall rear-end surface volume is larger than what would be considered ideal for a sports car, wedge shaped taillamps and dividing up the fog lamp around the bottom of the bumper reduces the visual heaviness.

Chery Auto was again very ambiguous in Lei's potential of going into the production, only commenting 'If the response from the public is positive'.

Brilliance Auto Zhonghua M3 

Brilliance Auto, with the rather dubious distinction of having similar styling and model names to BMW, have showcased one of the biggest surprises and the best styled vehicle by the domestic manufacturers at the show, the Zhonghua M3, a two-seater luxury coupe. This medium-size coupe was definitely the eye-catcher at Hall 1A, occupied predominantly by Chinese domestic automakers.

Ever attempting to distinguish themselves from the other Chinese manufacturers, Brilliance Auto's booth was small and only had four vehicles on display, but they were all high-end, domestic luxury vehicles. And in the middle of all this was the M3, displaying its style with a Canary Yellow paint finish.

Standing on a lengthy wheelbase, short front/rear overhangs and 18-inch alloy wheels, the first impression of the Zhonghua M3 is well-styled vehicle with good stance and proportion. The profile shows characteristics of a GT with a lengthy hood, mixed with a touch of a compact coupe around the rear.

Interesting details such as the sharp scoring around the door handle and an L-shaped tail-lamp gives just enough excitement to the car without overwhelming the overall volume. The interior features gun-metal black and orange coordination, but appeared to be less developed than the exterior.

The M3 is powered by a self-developed 1.8-liter engine with a top speed of 220 km/h. Key dimensions: length 4488mm, width 1812mm, height: 1385mm, wheelbase 2600mm.

More Show Highlights coming soon...