Beijing Auto Show lineup

The 2026 Beijing Auto Show opens Friday with Chinese electric-vehicle brands using the industry’s biggest stage to press deeper into the premium market. (scmp.com) Auto China 2026 will span 380,000 square meters across two venues in Beijing and display 1,451 vehicles, including 181 premieres, according to organizers and industry reports. The show runs for 10 days starting April 24. (cnevpost.com) Nio said it will show all three of its brands — Nio, Onvo and Firefly — together for the first time at a major global auto show, with 11 models on one stand. The company also scheduled a media briefing for 10:00 a.m. Beijing time on April 24 and said it will unveil a special edition of the third-generation ES8. (cnevpost.com) BMW used the Beijing show to unveil a refreshed 7 Series on April 22 and called it the most extensive revision it has made to the flagship sedan. Quartz reported the updated electric version offers more than 720 kilometers of range under the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure, the European test cycle known as WLTP. (qz.com) Smart, the Mercedes-Benz and Geely joint venture, introduced the Concept #2 electric car and the #6 EHD hatchback at a Beijing brand event on April 22 ahead of the show floor opening. TechNode reported the #6 EHD uses a hybrid powertrain, giving smart a second propulsion option as Chinese buyers continue to split demand between battery-only and hybrid models. (technode.com) The competition in Beijing is no longer centered on low-cost city cars. South China Morning Post reported that Chinese brands are pitching driver-assistance software, artificial-intelligence features and larger premium lineups directly against BMW and Mercedes-Benz. (scmp.com) That pressure is landing in the world’s largest car market, where foreign brands have been losing ground to local manufacturers with faster model cycles and more software-heavy cabins. Reuters, in a report carried by The Mountain Press, said Chinese manufacturers now arrive in Beijing as industry innovators while foreign brands face sharper competition in China. (themountainpress.com) BMW and Mercedes are not ceding the market. Electrek reported this week that Aito joined the BMW-Mercedes charging joint venture IONCHI as an equal partner, with a target of 1,000 high-power charging stations in China by the end of 2026. (electrek.co) Beijing’s lineup shows how the fight has shifted: Chinese brands are chasing higher prices and prestige, while foreign brands are adding more China-specific software, charging and electric range. The biggest auto show of 2026 opens with both sides selling technology as much as sheet metal. (scmp.com)