- Auto China 2026 show - top 7 highlights
- Exciting new models that are set to arrive in the UK
- From the Zeekr 7GT to Geely’s new robotaxi
- Omoda 4 confirmed for UK in 2026
It’s the biggest car show on the planet - and here are our top 7 highlights from the Auto China 2026 show.
More than a million visitors will file through the doors in Beijing during the 10-day automotive extravaganza, which runs until May 3rd 2026.
The bash, also known as Beijing Auto Show, stretches across two neighbouring venues covering 380,000 square metres and the 2026 event features 1,451 display vehicles, 71 concept cars and 181 world premieres.
With Chinese companies currently flooding the UK market and with the show being on home turf, there was strong representation from the likes of Geely, Zeekr, Lynk & Co, Chery, Jaecoo, Omoda, BYD, Changan, Leapmotor and Xpeng.
But there were plenty of other famous brands flexing their engineering muscle, including BMW, Audi, Ford, Toyota, Lexus and Honda, to name just a few.
Here’s what we learned.
Zeekr 7GT
Zeekyr is a prestige sub-brand of Geely Holding and is destined for the UK.
Although it’s yet to be confirmed, a model tipped for our market is the electric Zeekr 007 GT - it will lose the ‘00’ moniker and be known as simply the Zeekr 7GT.
That said; a Bond-appropriate Jack Savoretti soundtrack accompanied the unveiling of both the 007 and 009 models at the show.
The Zeekr 7GT is a shooting brake-styled car that’s very easy on the eye and offers a perfect combination of power, practicality and luxury.
It has a minimalist design but boasts blistering pace, a choice of two batteries and a potential driving range of up to 512 miles on a single charge.
Read more about the Zeekr 7GT here.
Geely EX2
One of the stars on show at the Geely stand fighting for attention amongst some stunning concepts, was the compact EX2 which scooped the best-selling car honours in China last year and it’s on its way to the UK.
The all-electric compact five-door represents Geely’s answer to the everyday realities of modern city driving and will be launching here in the UK later this year, so watch this space for a first drive review of that one.
The Geely EX2 will compete with rivals like the Renault 5 and BYD Dolphin Surf.
Omoda 4
Omoda and Jaecoo are part of Chery International – the largest exporter of passenger cars from China for 23 consecutive years.
Both brands were out in force and used the opportunity to showcase the Omoda 4, amongst others.
The Omoda 4 is being billed as a key addition to the manufacturer’s evolving global line-up and a clear expression of its future design and technology direction – and it’s confirmed for UK launch in Q4 2026.
It was showcased with a full hybrid SHS-H (Super Hybrid System-Hybrid) powertrain specification, which was first introduced on the Omoda 5 SHS-H at the beginning of the year.
Smart #2
The Smart brand proved that moving forwards doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t look backwards for inspiration.
The company is going back to its roots with the reinvention of the quirky fortwo. This time round it’s called the Smart #2 and the full details are still pretty much under wraps, but it certainly looks cool and funky. We do know it’s fully electrified and boasts diminutive proportions.
Wolfgang Ufer, CEO smart Europe, said: “The strong response from media and industry experts to the debut of smart Concept #2 in the past days confirms that we are moving in the right direction and addressing a real need in the ultra-compact segment.”
You can read more about the Smart #2 here.
BMW i7
The new-look electric i7 took pride of place on the BMW stand and it certainly has an imposing look with a larger-than-life grille and the full Neue Klasse design treatment – something we are going to be hearing a lot about moving forwards.
The BMW designers are also taking inspiration from their heritage models and this limousine-like car gains a larger battery along with lots of upgrades to technology and styling.
You can read much more about the new BMW 7 Series here.
Robot dogs - and more!
Any car show worth its salt needs a touch of the outrageous, right?
Yep, that's a picture, below, of BYD's Atto 3 wearing a pretty distinctive (and fluffy) My Little Pony exterior.
(A BYD Atto 3 having been given a My Little Pony makeover!)
Some other cars that caught our eye for a variety of reasons were the all-electric, high-performance Mercedes-AMG XX concept, the Hyundai EARTH concept SUV, Tiggo V and lots of very big grilles adorning Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz vehicles.
(Hyundai Earth, above)
There were cheeky lookalike cars that resembled Jaguar Land Rover vehicles of old, 4x4s galore and a raft of robots, including a dog that came bounding towards you and held up its paw – it was actually quite spooky as it lacked a proportionally-sized head!
EVA Cab
Although the robots brought some humour to the mix, there was a real emphasis on the importance of artificial intelligence in today’s cars and those of the future with a strong focus on autonomous driving.
In fact, Geely proudly showed off its robotaxi, known as the EVA Cab.
It is a driverless, fully autonomous vehicle with trials currently being carried out in cities across China.
The EVA Cab comes equipped with a host of industry-leading technologies developed by Geely. These include the world’s first Quantum-Level AI Electronic and Electrical Architecture, the world’s first 2160-line digital LiDAR safety system, and the industry’s first mass-production-ready L4-level assisted driving software solution.
Together, these features position the EVA Cab as a comprehensive showcase of the depth and breadth of Geely’s AI technological prowess.
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