China

EXCLUSIVE New details of the upcoming BYD electric hatchback – which importer Nexport claims will be sold in Australia for “well under $35,000” when order books open later this year – have been revealed exclusively to CarAdvice. The Chinese-built five-door – which was unveiled as the EA1 in China last week, but will be sold locally under a different nameplate – has a range of approximately 500km, according to Nexport founder Luke Todd.

GWM’s Tank 800 full-size SUV prototype was unveiled overnight at the 2021 Shanghai motor show, set to become the brand’s flagship luxury offering. Much like the Rolls-Royce Cullinan – from which inspiration was clearly drawn – the Tank 800 gets a star-studded roof lining, privacy curtains, full-size reclining rear seats, integrated door umbrellas, passenger touch screens, custom cushions, a champagne bar, and automatic doors.

Sales of Chinese cars in Australia have overtaken those from Germany and the USA for the first three months of this year – led by MG which made it into the Top 10 for the second month in row and ahead of fellow brands LDV and Great Wall Motors which made it into the Top 20. It is the first time in our automotive history that China has been the fourth-biggest source of motor vehicles after Japan, Thailand and South Korea in a quarterly-year tally.

MG will launch its all-electric sports coupe in late 2021, according to a new report from the December 9, 2020 issue of Autocar magazine. What's more, the report specifically states the model will be offered in right-hand-drive markets including Australia. The MG brand – which was synonymous with small and affordable sports cars throughout much of the 20th century – is yet to build a performance-oriented product under current Chinese SAIC Motor ownership.

Chinese manufacturer Songsan Motors has launched a suspiciously recognisable new model, called the SS Dolphin. Unveiled earlier this week at the Beijing Motor Show, the designers of the hard-top convertible have apparently been inspired by the 1958 Chevrolet Corvette C1. The Chinese copycat car is powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid combination and, according to the brand’s website, can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds.