What Turned Heads In Shanghai

Every major auto show has its surprises, but Shanghai tends to include more than most. New players share space with familiar names, providing gearheads the world over with an experience unlike any other. Not every car shown is groundbreaking, but a few have clearly moved the needle and shaken up the industry in spectacular fashion. Here, we look at 20 of the coolest car reveals from the Shanghai Auto Show that we're hard-pressed to forget.

1. Xiaomi SU7 Ultra

Launched in Shanghai 2025, this EV impresses with a dual-chamber air suspension and 800V architecture. A 2.78s sprint to 100 km/h gives it serious muscle. Xiaomi's SU7 Ultra also includes a 101 kWh CATL pack delivering up to 800 km of CLTC range.

2. Luxeed R7

Huawei's software meets Chery's design in the Luxeed R7, a fastback built to compete with the smartest EVs on the road. Besides its sleekness, it's also strategic. This car integrates lidar navigation and flaunts an 855 km CLTC-certified electric driving range.

3. Yangwang U9

With four motors and three-wheel driving, the Yangwang U9 jumped, bounced, and crab-walked across the Shanghai floor. Built on BYD's e⁴ platform, it can independently control torque at each wheel for unmatched traction, even during high-speed maneuvers or stunts.

4. Zeekr 9X

Zeekr’s first hybrid, the 9X, breaks from the brand's electric lineage with style. Features like face recognition and adaptive AI controls improve the experience. The car integrates an 800V system and reaches 380 km of EV-only range in hybrid mode.

5. Jetour G900

Floating SUV, and that's not a typo. Jetour's G900, with a snorkel intake and sealed cabin, is amphibious. Think military-spec, too. The brand claims its electric-driven wheel hubs provide a maximum wading depth of 1.2 meters without compromising cabin pressure integrity.

6. BYD Denza Z9 GT

With gold accents, folklore inspiration, and triple motors, BYD's Denza Z9 GT blends Wukong myth with wild speed. Unveiled in Shanghai with aggressive aero and a 2.9s launch time, it features 710 kW of output and steering-by-wire for precise control at high velocity.

7. Chery iCAR V23

It looks like a digital Lego set but drives like a next-gen EV. Chery's iCAR V23 brings full-panel customization and solar roofing alongside a drone launch bay. Inside, its dual-screen cockpit runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8295 chip, enabling real-time 3D rendering and spatial navigation.

8. Leapmotor B10 SUV

The B10 was built to deploy fast, and it did. Eight thousand units shipped within weeks of the reveal. It flexes L4 autonomous capability and real-time edge processing and is powered by Leapmotor's proprietary "Four-Leaf Clover" central control architecture, which unifies the drivetrain and cockpit in one chip.

9. XPeng M03 Mona

A sedan with sub-$20K ambition, Mona rolled out in Shanghai with LFP chemistry and XPeng's full-stack driving software. While cheap, it’s not low-tech and features a radar-assisted cruise and a 500 km range. "Mona" might sound soft, but its goal is to undercut every rival.

10. Nio Firefly

The Nio Firefly hatchback targets Europe with compact proportions and top-notch internals. You won't find screens everywhere—it's minimalist but purposeful. Debuting in Shanghai 2025, its platform supports solid-state batteries and promises aggressive pricing under $30,000 at launch next year.

11. Volkswagen ID. Aura

Launched as part of VW’s China-first trio, the ID. Aura is a litmus test for local tastes. With SSP platform roots and a lightbar that reacts to driver behavior, it previews Level 3 autonomy and 700+ km range on Chinese roads.

12. Hongqi E001

Stretching over five meters, the E001 has the looks of a diplomatic envoy. Yet it climbs to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, thanks to dual motors and 762 Nm of torque. Hongqi fused Chinese prestige with electrification—and paired it with a 111 kWh battery.

13. Buick Electra Concept

Butterfly doors swing up like a spaceship, but it's the inside that stuns. An AR windshield, floating seat design, and AI co-driver define Buick's Shanghai vision. Based on GM's Ultium platform, the Electra concept aims for a 660 km range and 95 kWh of stored power.

14. Neta GT Speedster

The Neta GT Speedster is an electric and angular vehicle. This car premiered in Shanghai 2023 with scissor doors and dual-motor propulsion. The range is a respectable 580 kilometers. It weighs under 1,900 kg and gets from 0–100 km/h in 3.7 seconds.

15. Hycan Atelier Concept

Full interactive surfaces define the Atelier Concept. It swaps buttons for ambient-reactive panels and external displays. Launched as a Gen Z mobility lab, it experiments with in-car projection and workspace pods. All packed into a body capable of 620 km of electric range.

16. BMW Concept Car

Sculpted by projection rather than buttons, BMW's concept unveiled in Shanghai 2023 tossed out legacy design. A curved panoramic display wraps into the doors, and Neue Klasse underpinnings cut energy use by a third. Expect its digital, light-reactive surfaces to show up in 2025 production models.

17. AITO M5

No badges scream luxury here, but check the cabin. The AITO M5 runs HarmonyOS across triple displays and uses facial recognition to open profiles. Co-developed by Huawei, this SUV showed off its 1,100 km CLTC range in Shanghai 2023 while silently challenging Tesla on its home turf.

18. Lamborghini Revuelto

From V12 roar to EV hush, Revuelto launched into Shanghai 2023 with a hybrid punch—three motors, one engine, zero compromise. It's not all theatrics: torque vectoring and carbon monocoque improve dynamics. The EV-only mode manages 10 km. Enough to sneak out before the noise returns.

19. Nio ES6

Battery swap in three minutes—that's the hook. Unveiled with the NT2.0 platform, the 2023 ES6 also packs a 930 km CLTC range and a 4.5-second sprint. Besides the new panels, the architecture improves lidar support and even the ergonomics of rear seat angles.

20. Ora (GWM) Model

With pastel shades and cat-themed branding, Ora's Shanghai lineup wasn't subtle, but it was specific. Cars like the Lightning Cat use dual motors and offer up to 600 km of range. Porsche's ex-designer penned it. That explains the bubble roof and flared hips.