New Audi Q3 Baby SUV: First Official Teasers Revealed Ahead of Shanghai Auto Show

Audi has revealed the first official teaser sketches of its Q3 �baby� SUV model, prior to its world premiere at the Shanghai Auto Show later this month. The drawings confirm the Q3 will look pretty much like the Cross Coupe quattro design study unveiled by Audi in 2007.

However, the front end of the production Q3 seems changed in comparison with the aforementioned concept, with the headlights sporting a thinner, stretched shape and being mirrored in the lower side of the bumper by the spaces for the fog lights.

At the back, the car looks similar to the concept, with the exception of the tailgate window angle, which is not as inclined as on the Cross Coupe quattro.

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From China for China: BMW Teams up with Brilliance to Create 5-Series Plug-in Hybrid Sedan

BMW has teamed up with joint venture partner Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. to develop a new plug-in hybrid model based on the long wheelbase version of the local market 5 Series Sedan, which is available exclusively in China. The prototype model will receive its world premiere at the Auto Shanghai 2011 later this month.

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Mercedes Brings Sexy to the Compact Segment with New Concept A-Class, will be Revealed in Shanghai

Mercedes-Benz plans to show up at this month�s Shanghai Auto Show with a brand new concept for a spectacular looking A-Class model. While the Concept A-Class is just what its name says it is � a prototype study - it�s also a very good indication of where the company plans to take its BMW 1-Series and Audi A3 rival with the presentation of the next generation model that is scheduled to go on sale in 2012.

For starters, Mercedes is giving up the minivan-like silhouette of the current A-Class for a more dramatic and sporty looking two-box profile with a long bonnet and a low roof-line. The concept�s exterior design details are heavily influenced by Stuttgart�s most recent prototypes such as the CLS Shooting Brake and especially the F800.

Aside from the new nose with a prominent Mercedes grille, the three-door Concept A-Class also features concave surfaces with sweeping lines throughout the body.

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BMW Introduces 7-Series Steinway & Sons Piano Limited Edition in China

Being that China is one of BMW�s largest and most important markets in the world, it only makes sense that the Bavarian company bring all of its products including any special models like the 7-Series Steinway & Sons Limited Edition that was first shown in late 2010. The special edition 7er, which was created by BMW Individual as part of an exclusive partnership with New York-based piano manufacturer Steinway & Sons, was revealed at a special event in China.

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Fiat to Introduce Two New Dodge-Based Sedans in China and Russia by 2013

As time goes by, Fiat SpA�s integration with the Chrysler Group LLC deepens and the results become more evident with the two carmakers making several plans for the future. Speaking at Fiat's annual shareholders meeting on March 30, Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne revealed plans to launch two new Dodge-based sedans in China and Russia.

The first sedan will be a compact model built on the next generation Dodge Caliber, which is expected in the USA next January. According to an Autonews report, this model will enter production in China in the second half of 2011, while timing for the Russian launch has not yet been disclosed. The other four-door saloon will be a mid-size model based on the replacement for the Dodge Avenger, which is scheduled for launch in the USA in 2013. It will go on sale in China and Russia the same year.

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BMW Officially Unveils New M5 Sports Saloon Concept Ahead of Shanghai Show

We received our first taste of the new M5 Concept during the weekend thanks to a series of photos that leaked from a press event in Germany, but today, BMW came out with an official release detailing its sports saloon ahead of its world premiere at the Auto Shanghai 2011 in China later this month.

The Concept M5 is essentially 99 percent production ready, so don�t expect any surprises in terms of styling at the presentation of the production model at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September this year.

The highlight of the fifth generation of the M5 will be the new twin-turbocharged V8 engine lurking under the bonnet. BMW officials have already confirmed that the engine is a development of the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 with 555HP and 680Nm or 501 lb-ft of peak torque, tweaked to deliver more power. However, the German company is still keeping mum on output numbers.

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2012 BMW M5 Concept: First Photos Out in the Open

In a move that certainly won�t leave BMW officials happy, pictures of the 2012 M5 Concept from a preview event held in Germany prior to the car�s world premiere at the Shanghai Auto Show in China later this month, leaked onto the internet.

As with most BMW concepts of the sort, the new M5 study is 99 per cent production ready, so don�t expect to see anything different when the sports saloon make its premiere in production guise later this year, possibly at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

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Why Lexus Lags Behinds its German Rivals in China�s Luxury Market

For the past eleven years, Lexus has been Numero Uno in U.S. luxury vehicle sales. Not so in China, where Germanic giants BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi lead the pack and Lexus is relegated to a paltry fourth.

One issue is customer service, or rather a level of customer service that fails to differentiate Lexus from its competitors. As business owner and Lexus customer Maggie Lin explains: �Nothing stands out from Lexus's service. I don't feel there's anything special compared with what Audi has been doing. They are more or less the same.�

It�s one of the reasons Lexus�s Chinese arm has sent two of its top managers to the United States to learn how things are done at the brand�s North American operation. According to J.D. Power, Lexus sold just a fifth of market leader Audi�s sales total for 2010. That�s just 49,000 vehicles to the latter�s 236,000. There�s also the issue of consumer tastes.

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Buick Envision Concept SUV Heads to Shanghai Auto Show

A new Buick concept model called the Envision will make its global debut at the Shanghai Auto Show on April 18. Jointly developed by Shanghai GM and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC), the Envision is a crossover model designed for the Chinese market, although the company points out the vehicle incorporates Buick's "dynamic, fluid, quiet and comfortable" styling language.

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Chevrolet Teases All-New Global Malibu Sedan, will be Sold in Nearly 100 Countries [with Video]

This is the first official photo of the all-new Chevrolet Malibu show car that will debut simultaneously at the Shanghai Auto Show in China and the New York International Auto Show in mid-April. And if you�re wondering why GM made plans to show it in China, that�s because unlike the current model that�s offered only in North America, the new Malibu will be a global vehicle that will be sold in nearly 100 countries on six continents and built in multiple locations, including China and two facilities in the United States.

�This Malibu takes Chevrolet�s established and award-winning nameplate to new places and introduces it to new audiences around the world,� said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet. �Whether the Malibu is sold in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, or Australia, it has been engineered from the ground up to meet the needs of customers around the world.�

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BMW Introduces Yet Another Special Edition M3 Coupe for China

In 2010, to celebrate the year of the tiger in China, BMW launched a special Chinese-market �M3 Tiger Edition� sporting some added visual content. It appears that limited production coupe model was well received in China so BMW decided to create yet another special M3, this time called the Matte Edition.

The new Chinese-market M3 special is all about colors with buyers having a choice of two unique exterior finishes, gunmetal grey or black. In both cases the bespoke color is created by combining a metallic finish with a silky matte clear coat. Other cosmetic tweaks include the black chrome side air intakes and exhaust tail pipes, the red brake calipers and the lightweight 19-inch high-gloss alloy wheels.

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Brilliant�BMW�s China Partner Brilliance Working on X1-Lookalike A3 SUV

There is no question that when it comes to automotive clones from China, history repeats itself. Following in the footsteps of Mercedes-Benz�s China partner BAIC, which came out with a five-door hatchback closely resembling the Stuttgart firm�s B-Class, Brilliance Automotive, BMW�s associate in China, is working on a compact SUV model that looks very much alike X1 crossover.

According to Chinese news site Auto Sohu that broke these scoop photos, the new Brilliance model with the Audi name and BMW looks will be officially revealed at the upcoming Shanghai Auto Show in mid-April. It is reported that the Brilliance A3 SUV will be offered with a 1.6-liter gasoline engine sourced from Mitsubishi�s local division.

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GM Renames Camaro to 'Ke Mai Luo' in China, Priced from $76,400!

At next month�s Auto Shanghai in China, General Motors will launch the local market version of its flamboyant pony car, the latest generation of the Chevrolet Camaro - but with a twist; it will carry a different name in China. �The Camaro will have a sonorous Chinese name � ??? (Ke Mai Luo),� said GM in a statement today without giving any further explanations. And yes, just for the fun of it, we tried Google translate but nothing interesting came other than this (if you separate the words): �Section Main Luo.�

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VIDEO: Top Gear China 15-Minute Pilot Episode Hits the Web, Includes Cadillac vs�Donkey Comparo

We�ve already told you about Top Gear�s plans to export the franchise to China, but today we stumbled upon what is claimed to be the first 15-minute long pilot episode of the TV series. China�s version of the famous car show keeps the familiar format with three male hosts and includes an oddball test where a Cadillac STS is compared to a donkey to see which is better suited to millstone work. If you follow the jump, you can watch the full video while we�ve also added a second clip that contains some English subtitles, though there�s no way of being sure about its accuracy.

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Honda Reveals Production Version of New Brio City Car in Thailand

Honda today lifted the wraps off the Brio, a small city car designed for emerging Asian markets such as India, China and Thailand. Previewed last year by the Brio concept, Honda�s new model measures 3,610 meters long and 1,680 meters wide, making it 290mm shorter than the Jazz supermini and only 1 centimeter narrower.

The Brio uses a 1.2-liter i-VTEC engine sourced from the Jazz, which delivers 90 horsepower and an average fuel consumption of 5 liters/100 km (47 mpg US), while respecting the Euro 4 emission standards. The engine can be linked to a manual five-speed gearbox or a CVT transmission.

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2011 Shanghai Auto Show Promises Several World Premieres

China�s auto shows are growing bigger and bigger by the year as the local market continues to expand in sales. The most significant car show is the Auto China, which is held alternatively in Beijing and Shanghai every other year. This year�s edition will take place in Shanghai.

More often than not, leading American, European, Japanese and Korean automakers present their newest offerings at well-established car shows like Geneva, Frankfurt, Paris and Detroit, but in the past few years, we�re seeing increased numbers of new models being unveiled in China.

This year show will be no exception, as many new cars are planned to be revealed in Shanghai (April 23-28), despite the fact that it overlaps the 2011 NY Auto Show (April 22 - May 1).

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Renault Admits Wrongdoing in Spy Case, Issues Apologies to the Three Ousted Officials

Today's episode on the Renault EV espionage case is one of the most interesting yet, with CEO Carlos Ghosn and COO Patrick Pelata issuing their official apologies to the three executives accused of spying.

Renault�s admission of wrongdoing comes after a communication with the French prosecutors, who found no substance in the complaint filed by the automaker against its former employees. Authorities from Liechtenstein and Switzerland confirmed that Michel Balthazard, Bertrand Rochette and Matthieu Tenenbaum had no bank accounts in the respective countries, thus refuting Renault's claim.

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New York and Shanghai Motor Show Organizers Make Plans to Avoid Overlapping Dates in the Future

Not too many years ago, the Shanghai Motor Show, or any other car salon in China for that matter, were treated as an oddity with limited appeal to western automakers and the public alike. However, times are changing and today, China�s burgeoning car market has put the country�s motor shows on the map with an increasing number of global players opting to present their world premieres at the likes of the Beijing and Shanghai Auto Salons.

This change of focus has posed some new problems in cases when motor shows in the West coincide with China�s car salons. One particular example is the 2011 editions of the New York and Shanghai motor shows as they share a common press day on April 20. To avoid conflicts the organizers of the two car shows met at a forum for global auto shows in Geneva and agreed to work together to evade overlapping dates in the future.

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Volvo to Build New Car Plant in China, Aims to Sell 200,000 Vehicles in the Chinese Market by 2015

At a press conference held earlier today in Beijing, Chinese-owned Volvo Cars announced plans to build a new plant in the city of Chengdu and continuing investigations for a second factory in Daqing, in north-eastern China. Volvo said that the deal is still pending approval from the Chinese government.

"We regard the Chinese market as the second home market for Volvo Car Corporation and a very important part of the plan to build a successful future for the company," said Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Car Corporation.

The Chengdu assembly plant will only build Volvo cars and have an initial output of around 100,000 cars annually, with production estimated to start during 2013. Volvo said that the decision to expand in China will not affect operations and employment in Europe.

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