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Roewe, SAIC's premium brand which owns the tooling rights to the Rover 75 platform, has brought out a sporting variant of its compact sedan, dubbed the 550 RS. In keeping with Shanghai Motor Show tradition thus far, little is known about what lies beneath the hood of the RS, but with the standard 550 packing updated versions of either the 1.6- or 1.8-liter Rover K-series four-cylinders, we suspect the RS' "performance" mods are limited to the decklid wing, roof aerofoil, side skirts and the matte (or just unpainted plastic?) front clip.

At last year's Paris Motor Show, Kia showed off a version of the Soul equipped with a transparent hood and floorpan so show-goers could see the inner-workingings of the Korean automaker's hybrid drivetrain. Based on these photos of what appears to be mostly production-ready Kia Soul Hybrid at the Shanghai Motor Show, it seems the fuel-saver's date with the sales floor is getting ever closer. We wouldn't expect the two-tone paint scheme to make it past the concept stage (thankfully), but the important bits are all likely locked in.

Like the concept from Paris, this Soul Hybrid is equipped with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder mated up with a 15kW electric motor. The dual powerplants send their ponies through a CVT transmission to the front wheels to offer up an estimated 48 miles per gallon and CO2 emissions of just 117 g/km – an improvement of over 26% in both categories.

[Source: Autoblog Chinese]

Chinese automaker Brilliance is showing off a new concept electric car that's currently on display at the Shanghai Motor Show. A large battery pack using lithium ion technology is reportedly capable of providing a range of around 93 miles (150 kilometers). The Chinese automaker claims that this battery can be hooked to a 220V charger that can use a "Quick Charge" feature to replenish the pack to about 80 percent in just 30 minutes.

Driving the rear wheels is a 47kW permanent magnet electric motor that puts out about 90 lb-ft of torque (120 NM) and is capable of revving to 10,000 RPM. But wait, there's more! A second electric motor powers the front wheels at speeds of around 25 miles per hour for city use. Top speed with both motors engaged is around 80 mph.

[Source: Autoblog Chinese]

The day before the public unveiling of the Porsche Panamera at the Shanghai Motor Show, journalists were invited to the 94th floor of the Shanghai World Financial Center in China to catch a glimpse of Stuttgart's first four-door sedan. Providing further proof that both the Germans and Chinese are a persistent bunch, a team of workers proceeded to strap the Panamera onto a special pallet, tipped it on its tail and wedged the dark silver metallic sedan into the freight elevator to make the 1,394-foot trek up the world's third-largest building.

Asian consumers loves them some baroque styling. How else to explain the popularity of gaudy, over-the-top couture in the continent's major city centers? Indeed, how else to explain the existence of cars like the Mitsuoka Galue S50 and Galue 204? Proving that the love affair is still very much still alive is this, the Geely Excellence (GE) Limousine.

Despite the obvious aping of traditional Rolls-Royce styling cues (square-rigged waterfall grille, Spirit of Imitation Ecstasy hood ornament, wool carpets, etc.) there is some innovation here, in the form of the rear seat "throne," a kingly perch that forms the literal centerpoint of the car's unorthodox 1+2 seating arrangement.

In any case, the 17.5-foot Goliath is widely expected to be the first offering from Geely's new sub-brand, YingLun, or ENGLON (a melding of "England" and "London), but for the moment, the Chinese automaker is stopping short of confirming production.

[Source: Autoblog China]

Guangzhou Honda surprised everyone at the Shanghai show with this tidy little roadster, its second Linian concept in as many years. While the 2008 Beijing show concept was a more pedestrian five-door, this two-seat droptop has us wishing for a proper S2000 successor.

Oh, one can quibble over some of the design details (oversized grille element, the showcar-only airplane yoke-style steering wheel, etc.), but fundamentally this is an interesting package.

Sadly, according to our compatriots at Autoblog Simplified Chinese, Honda's domestic partner was mum on specifics, including driveline configuration, powerplant, and so on. That said, the shape does look quite production friendly. Add in a stronger windshield header, some larger mirrors, and do away with that Knight Rider steering wheel, and the rest seems plausible enough.

[Source: Autoblog Simplified Chinese]

What may have started off as a Mercedes-Benz CLS clone quickly evolved into something slightly more original – assuming you view it from the front or rear. The Great Wall CHC011 is quite a departure for the Chinese automaker, primarily known for low-cost trucks and SUVs in its home market. In addition to going with an alphanumeric name that's all the rage in the west (bear in mind, this is the same company that gave us such gems as the Coolbear, Gwkulla and Socool) the CHC011 takes the popular "four-door coupe" aesthetic, throws in some highly stylized head- and tail-lamps, and adds a 3.0-liter V6, six-speed automatic transmission, adaptive cruise control, electronic stability control, eight air bags and a ten-way adjustable driver's seat. And with "executive seating" in the rear, you'll easy forget about the poorly proportioned wheels GW pilfered from Discount Tire.


[Source: Autoblog Chinese]

Great Wall has taken the wraps off this chunky, funky urban toughster, the Hover M3 (sorry, BMW). Reportedly based on the Scion xB-aping Coolbear, the production-bound M3 adds some faux off-road capability to the former vehicle's boxy proportions.

Even if it lacks genuine rock-hopping ability, the upright result of the added cladding, big fender flares, and larger front light fixtures gives the H3 added spunk and originality. Looking a bit like a cartoonist's narrow-gauge Dodge Nitro, we might nix the big chrome wing badge on the front grille, but otherwise, we could almost see this car playing in the States. If nothing else, the M3 is markedly more original than the Coolbear,

[Source: Autoblog Simplified Chinese]

Last year at the Beijing Motor Show, Peugeot announced a contest for budding car designers asking them to "Imagine the Peugeot in the Worldwide Megalopolis of tomorrow." By all accounts, the contest was a success with over 2,500 entries. Carlos Arturo Torres Tovar, a 27-year-old designer from Columbia, has been named the winner, which comes with the prize of seeing his Peugeot RD concept design come to life as a full-size clay model, a check for 10,000 euros and an Xbox 360 game console.

Apparently, tomorrow's Peugeot will seat a single occupant, have three wheels and combine the ability to lean into turns like a motorcycle or scooter with the safety and security of a four-wheeled sedan. Of course, no auto concept for the future would be complete without an electric powertrain, and this one's no different. The concept is currently being shown at the Shanghai Motor Show.

[Source: Peugeot via World Car Fans]

If a local Chinese automaker wants to challenge the Smart, then they should do it with something like this, the Geely IG Fantastic (and not this, the Shuanghuan Bubble). It's kooky, and the headlights almost meet the taillights, but most importantly it's original. It also looks to be a three-seater with the driver sitting front and center, flanked by two seats behind. And there's only one door, on the passenger's side. Nifty, and we give it three cheers for Geely.

[Source: China Car Times]