2019 Auto Shanghai Wrap Up: Next-gen Hyundai Creta, Renault Kwid EV, And More!

This year’s edition of China’s oldest auto show, the Auto Shanghai, was quite a treat for fans of electric vehicles. The event not only witnessed Aston Martin unwrapping it’s first ever electric vehicle in the form of the Rapide E, it also gave us a glimpse of what we could expect from Renault India’s upcoming all-electric Kwid. And while Lexus showed us what it could do with Toyota’s Alphard MPV, Hyundai showcased the ix25, which could be sold here as the next-generation Creta. Let’s take a closer at what each of them have to offer.

Renault City K-ZE

The Renault City K-ZE is an all-electric hatchback based on the Kwid. The EV is based on the same CMF-A platform as the hatchback, albeit with slight modifications to accommodate the batteries and an electric motor. While Renault is yet to reveal the exact specifications of the City K-ZE, we expect it to offer a range of around 250km on a single charge. You can read more about the upcoming all-electric hatchback here.

Aston Martin Rapide E

Lagonda, Aston Martin’s all-electric vehicle brand, pulled the wraps off its first-ever electric vehicle, the Rapide E, at the 2019 Auto Shanghai. Co-developed with the Williams F1 team, it employs an 800V battery pack with a capacity of 65kWh. Two rear-mounted electric motors that produce 604PS and 950Nm power the Rapide E. With lots of carbon-fibre and aluminium in its construction helping keep weight in check, the Rapide E has a claimed range of 321km. Read more about the svelte all-electric sports sedan here.

Hyundai ix25

Hyundai unveiled the next-gen China-spec ix25 compact SUV at the 2019 Auto Shanghai. Like the current-gen ix25, which is sold as the Hyundai Creta in India, expect the next-gen version to make its way to India soon as well. While you can head here for a full debrief about the next-gen Creta’s exterior and interior design as well as features, it’s worth mentioning here that the next-gen Creta will ditch its current set of engines and most likely opt for the 1.5-litre BSVI-compliant petrol and diesel engines that are set to power the upcoming Kia SP2i.

Lexus LM

For years, it’s been known that if you want the reliability of a Toyota along with Mercedes levels of luxury, you must go for a Lexus. The latest LM MPV from Lexus is no different. While it is based on the already well appointed Toyota Alphard, the Lexus LM boasts of Mercedes-Benz-like comfort levels. While it can be had with seven seats, we’d opt for the four-seat layout that comes with business class-like rear seats that are separated from the front of the cabin by a glass screen. Draped in high quality leather and wood finishes, the LM’s interior also boasts of a home theatre-like TV at the rear. It even gets a Leysonson 19-speaker audio system, double layer noise reducing glass as well as a 14-litre refrigerator. Read more about the Lexus’ first-ever luxury MPV here.

Mercedes-Benz GLB Concept

China is undeniably one of Mercedes-Benz’ biggest markets. But while other manufacturers were busy showcasing their EVs, Mercedes unveiled its compact GLB SUV concept. As the name suggests, the GLB sits in between the GLA and the GLC. Based on the company’s MFA2 platform, the GLB sports a long wheelbase of 2829mm, giving Merc’s engineers enough space to accommodate a third row of seats. The GLB looks like the recently unveiled GLS from certain angles and that’s no bad thing as the latter is one of the company’s most sought after SUVs around the world. When launched, the GLB will take on the likes of the Volvo XC40 and others. Read more about the rigged SUV concept here.