BEIJING: As the world's biggest single car market continues to expand, so do efforts from European automakers such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Jaguar to underline how well they understand and can cater specifically for Chinese vehicular tastes.
In a few short years China has gone from a country where cars were a novelty to accounting for almost 25% of all cars sold annually. Therefore it should come as no surprise that, at this year's Auto China show in Beijing, the world's leading automotive brands were falling over each other to show how committed they are to the country.
"We are driven to delight all of our customers and exceed their expectations. And of course we do this by understanding the different requirements and desires in every market we serve," said BMW's global head of sales and marketing, Dr Ian Robertson, as he unveiled the BMW X1 Long Wheelbase.
Although based on the company's smallest off-roader it offers an extra 11cm of rear legroom, ride quality more akin to a Range Rover, and a head-up display. It will be built and sold exclusively in China.
On the Jaguar stand it was a similar story with the XFL, a sedan with 140mm more space in the rear and the first car from the company with air ionisation technology.
"At Jaguar Land Rover, we put our customers first and are committed to delivering experiences that they love for life. Designed exclusively for our discerning Chinese customers, the Jaguar XFL is bespoke to this market," said Jaguar's head of China operations Dr Ralf Speth.
Like the Jaguar, the new long wheelbase Mercedes E-Class offers 140mm extra legroom and is "Tailor-made for the growing Chinese market," said Daimler's head of China operations, Hubertus Troska, "We very carefully developed the new long-wheelbase version of the E-Class to suit the preferences of our Chinese customers."
That's why one of Audi's star cars at this year's event is a stretched version of the A4, the A4L, that packs flagship car-levels of comfort and soundproofing into the rear passenger compartment.
