LChina is close. And its cars are even more so. The title of Marco Bellocchio’s 1967 film perfectly sums up the automotive situation in Europe and Italy. If up to now the Chinese car makers were a white fly in the lists, now the situation is destined to change radically. Norway and Germany will be the first to “welcome” the Chinese advance, thanks respectively to the attention to electric vehicles and the number of customers available. The reason? The common denominator of the Chinese manufacturers will be the power supply and high electrification, thus putting an end to the engine gap with European manufacturers.
All with a rich set of technology and pleasant lines, even if often not very original, as in the case of the novelty presented by Great Wall Motor at the Munich mobility show. Coffee 01 marks the European debut of the Wey brand and unveils interesting content combined with a style inspired (so to speak) by European competitors. Billed as the V71 in Europe, the Coffee 01 is a mid-size plug-in SUV with a 150 kW 2.0 turbo petrol engine.
The combined power of both engines reaches 350 kW and 847 Nm. The 135 kW rear engine can propel the car up to 100 km / h in approximately 7 ”, reaching up to 135 km / h. The 41.8 kWh battery offers an electric range of up to 150 kilometers. First mass-produced car to incorporate a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 microprocessor (designed for automotive use by the Californian chip maker, it is equipped with 5g connectivity. On board the large 14-inch screen stands out. First deliveries are expected in the first half of 2022. Less successful design for Ora Cat, also Great Wall group, but interesting contents such as autonomy up to 400 km at low cost. The Geely Group instead has chosen a different path for now, aiming at the acquisition of European manufacturers such as Volvo and starting to sell in Italy models produced in China starting from Lynk & Co 01. In addition to the “traditional” car manufacturers, the next decade will also see the arrival of cars made by hi-tech companies as in the case of Xiaomi that will put on 10 billion for the development of highly automated electric vehicles. Software and batteries will be the challenges of the next decade in the automotive sector and China will cover will play a central role.
Returning to Italy, to understand the Chinese advance it is useful to observe the strategy announced by Koelliker. The Milanese importer founded after the war must be credited with having always anticipated fashions and trends.
A few examples? That of becoming the sole importer of Hyundai in 1990, of Jeep in 1992 and of Kia in 1999, selling in the latter case over 300,000 cars of the Korean brand until 2011 when Kia Motors Italy was born. Today, however, it is the turn of the Chinese brands, as announced this summer with the importation of Aiways, Karma, Maxus, Seres and Weltmeister cars, thus offering an offer that ranges from SUVs to supercars, passing through commercial vehicles.